The holiday break is over, as golfers get back into action this week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Maui, Hawaii. Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas are co-favorites to win the first tournament of the calendar year at odds of +550, while Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler are co-third choices at odds of +750. This is a winners-only event, so only 34 players are in the field. Let’s look at the tournament and predictions.
Sentry Tournament of Champions Odds
Jordan Spieth +550
Justin Thomas +550
Dustin Johnson +750
Rickie Fowler +750
Brooks Koepka +1050
Hideki Matsuyama +1050
Jon Rahm +1250
Marc Leishman +2050
Kevin Kisner +2550
Patrick Cantlay +2550
Xander Schauffele +2550
Brian Harman +3050
Daniel Berger +3050
Pat Perez +3050
Brendan Steele +4050
Cameron Smith +4050
Kevin Chappell +4050
Russell Henley +4050
Austin Cook +5050
Kyle Stanley +5050
Patton Kizzire +5050
Bryson DeChambeau +6050
Jason Dufner +6050
Si Woo Kim +6050
Adam Hadwin +8050
Billy Horschel +8050
Hudson Swafford +8050
Grayson Murray +10000
Jhonattan Vegas +10000
Jonas Blixt +12500
Wesley Bryan +12500
Chris Stroud +15000
Ryan Armour +15000
D.A. Points +25000
Odds Analysis
Jordan Spieth +550
It is all about the putter for Spieth, as when he is hot he is very tough to beat. Spieth missed a lot of fairways last season and has reportedly been working on his driving in the last month. Spieth won this event two years ago and is a deserving co-favorite.
Justin Thomas +550
Thomas was the best player in the world last year, as he won five times. Despite what the current World Golf Rankings say, Thomas is a little better right now than Johnson or Spieth who are ranked ahead of him. Thomas has won his last two events in Hawaii and he could become the first repeat Tournament of Champion winner since Geoff Ogilvy in 2009-2010.
Dustin Johnson +750
Johnson should do well in this event, as the course suits his game with wide fairways and large greens. Johnson will outdrive his opponents on a regular basis and if he makes putts he should contend for the win this week.
Rickie Fowler +750
Fowler almost always seems to be in contention for wins, but he has yet to win a major. 2018 could be his year. He has the talent to compete with the big three, but I think he is overvalued at these odds.
Brooks Koepka +1050
Koepka doesn’t get the press of some of the marquee players but he is actually up to No. 8 in the world. I think he is a bit overvalued at these odds, as he is still not at the level of Thomas, Spieth or Johnson.
Hideki Matsuyama +1050
Matsuyama is a streak player who can compete with the big three when he is hot, but far too often he is inconsistent. He gave Thomas a run for this title last year, and if he gets on a good streak this week he could contend for the title.
Jon Rahm +1250
This course should suit Rahm just as it does Johnson, but Rahm has yet to show he can make enough putts to win consistently. I think he is a bit overvalued at these odds.
Xander Schauffele +2550
My one longshot this week is Schauffele who won the Tour Championship. He has already shown he can compete and beat the best players in the world, so he won’t be intimated.
Course: The Plantation Course at Kapalua is a par 73 that measures 7,452 yards. It opened in 1991 and is a relatively easy course. The fairways are wide and the greens are large. The only thing that can cause players some trouble is the wind that can be a factor on most days.
TV Coverage: Golf Channel
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