A collection of PGA Tour winners from the past 12 months assemble in Hawai’i for the Sentry Tournament of Champions, contested on the Plantation Course at Kapalua starting on Thursday, January 3. Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose are sitting this one out, but the event isn’t lacking for star power. World No. 1 Brooks Koepka is scheduled to compete, but could lose his top ranking if he doesn’t perform well. Defending champion Dustin Johnson shoots for his third victory at Kapalua and is the betting favorite at +485. Jon Rahm ( +675 ), Justin Thomas ( +829) and Koepka ( +958 ) round out the top favorites on the odds board with former World No. 1 Rory McIlroy fifth among the 34 players at +1058. Here are some matchup odds for the first Tour event of the year.
Sentry Tournament of Champions Matchup Odds at BookMaker.eu
Francesco Molinari -160 vs. Cameron Champ +140
Ted Potter, Jr. -145 vs. Satoshi Kodaira +125
Kevin Tway -125 vs. Troy Merritt +105
Matt Kuchar -135 vs. Brandt Snedeker +115
Scott Piercy -145 vs. Patton Kizzire +125
Andrew Landry -110 vs. Brice Garnett -110
Charles Howell III -135 vs. Ian Poulter +115
Kevin Na -155 vs. Andrew Putnam +135
Marc Leishman -135 vs. Paul Casey +115
Xander Schauffele +100 vs. Gary Woodland -120
Aaron Wise -120 vs. Bubba Watson +100
Bryson DeChambeau -140 vs. Patrick Reed +120
Patrick Reed +100 vs. Webb Simpson -120
Jon Rahm -130 vs. Justin Thomas +110
Dustin Johnson -140 vs. Jon Rahm +120
Brooks Koepka -120 vs. Jason Day +100
Rory McIlroy -130 vs. Jason Day +110
Brooks Koepka -120 vs. Rory McIlroy +100
Bryson DeChambeau -105 vs. Webb Simpson -115
Billy Horschel -115 vs. Keegan Bradley -105
Dustin Johnson -140 vs. Justin Thomas +120
Need to Know
The 7,518-yard, par-73 Plantation Course at Kapalua has hosted the TOC since 1999 and is a monster known for its changing elevation and slow greens. But is there a better way to begin the year than by playing four rounds of stress-free golf in paradise? There is no cut with only 34 players going at it, and some will surely take advantage by being more aggressive on holes they wouldn’t normally take chances on. The fairways are wide and forgiving and the field will have numerous opportunities to let it rip. However, big hitters won’t necessarily have an advantage. Getting to the greens and maneuvering on the short grass will be keys to lower scores. Also, coastal winds will be a factor and they are expected to be brisk over the four days.
Sentry Tournament of Champions Matchup Picks
Cameron Champ +140 vs. Francesco Molinari
I’ve become a big fan after watching Champ play and the layout at Kapalua fits his game. A big hitter, Champ has improved his short game and wasted little time qualifying for the TOC with a win at the Sanderson Farms Championship where he opened with a 65 and carded a third-round 64 to win by four shots. He heads to Hawai’i with four top-15s in his last five starts and an improved short game makes him a force not only this weekend, but all season. It’s hard to against Molinari after winning the European Tour’s Race to Dubai, but he hasn’t played here since 2011 and this is no ordinary course.
Jon Rahm -130 vs. Justin Thomas
The odds are steep, but I like Rahm’s game heading to the island. He’s coming off a dominant victory at the Hero World Challenge, overcoming a mediocre first-round to score 19-under over the final 54 holes. That included a tournament-low 9-under 63 in the second-round and a final-round 65 to win by four strokes. Rahm took solo second here last year and along with his play in the Bahamas has proven to be a strong wind player. Thomas won this event two years ago and has the tools to finish near the top. However, he’s struggled with his putting and that will be his downfall if not corrected.
Gary Woodland -120 vs. Xander Schauffele
It’s a tough call to go against the No. 10 ranked player in the world, but Schauffele hasn’t had much success here. Meanwhile, Woodland has it all working with a spectacular short game and putting to go along with his distance off the tee in 2018. Woodland ended the year on a roll with four top-10s in five events since early October. And unlike several golfers in the field, Woodland has stayed in the game with strong showings at the Hero World Challenge and the QBE Shootout.
Golf Betting Odds
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