The start of a new year means the resumption of the PGA Tour schedule, which gets underway this week with the annual Sentry Tournament of Champions from the Plantation Course at Kapalua on Maui. As the name suggests, the tournament consists of winners from the 2021 season with 38 of the 39 titlists be competing. The lone exception is Xander Schauffele, who earned his invitation by winning gold at the summer Olympics. One winner not in attendance is Rory McIlroy, though his absence doesn’t lessen the field. World No. 1 Jon Rahm is favored for the outright and is featured in several matchups with the limited field giving us intriguing head-to-head battles. Be sure to visit BookMaker.eu for a complete list of matchup betting odds when you’re ready to place a wager.
Sentry Tournament of Champions Matchup Odds
Jon Rahm -120 vs. Justin Thomas -110
Jon Rahm -145 vs. Collin Morikawa +115
Jon Rahm -130 vs. Viktor Hovland +100
Justin Thomas -145 vs. Collin Morikawa +115
Justin Thomas -130 vs. Viktor Hovland +100
Collin Morikawa -110 vs. Viktor Hovland -120
Bryson DeChambeau -135 vs. Xander Schauffele +105
Bryson DeChambeau -135 vs. Sam Burns +105
Bryson DeChambeau -115 vs. Patrick Cantlay -115
Xander Schauffele -135 vs. Sam Burns +105
Xander Schauffele -115 vs. Patrick Cantlay -115
Sam Burns -110 vs. Patrick Cantlay -120
Jordan Spieth -110 vs. Hideki Matsuyama -120
Jordan Spieth -110 vs. Sungjae Im -120
Hideki Matsuyama -115 vs. Sungjae Im -115
Daniel Berger -180 vs. Patrick Reed +150
Cameron Smith -170 vs. Patrick Reed +140
Daniel Berger -120 vs. Cameron Smith -110
Abraham Ancer +125 vs. Tony Finau -155
Abraham Ancer -110 vs. Brooks Koepka -120
Tony Finau -135 vs. Brooks Koepka +105
Harris English -120 vs. Jason Kokrak -110
Harris English -135 vs. Marc Leishman +105
Jason Kokrak -135 vs. Marc Leishman +105
Talor Gooch -145 vs. Kevin Na +115
Talor Gooch -155 vs. Billy Horschel +125
Kevin Na -120 vs. Billy Horschel -110
Si Woo Kim -110 vs. Max Homa -120
Cameron Champ +140 vs. Seamus Power -170
Garrick Higgo +100 vs. Branden Grace -130
Phil Mickelson -105 vs. Stewart Cink -125
Erik van Rooyen -160 vs. Kevin Kisner +130
Need to Know
There are a few things you need to know. First, the field is small with only 40 entrants. And second, everyone plays the entire weekend. Serving as host since 1999, the Plantation Course at Kapalua underwent a remodel ahead of the 2019 edition, which could have played a role in Justin Thomas winning with the worst 72-hole score in 13 years, though high winds played a role. The course was stretched to just under 7,600 yards, however, that’s not really a factor since it plays par 73 and elevation helps with distance. Some players will 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. The large greens will benefit hot putters and the biggest hazard will likely be Mother Nature with coastal winds making things tricky.
Sentry Tournament of Champions Matchup Picks
Xander Schauffele +105 vs. Bryson DeChambeau
It’s hard to find value in a limited field of top players, so I guess you take what you can. And I couldn’t pass on Schauffele in this matchup. The X-man has thrived in this tournament with a win in 2019, a playoff setback in his title defense and a T5 last year. He probably also feels like the odd man out since he didn’t win a PGA Tour event last season. But his gold in Tokyo is a nice fallback. While the course plays to DeChambeau’s strength, he’s been inconsistent and hasn’t played competitively for four months. That’s a long layoff.
Jordan Spieth -110 vs. Sungjae Im
Spieth is happy to be here after a four year absence. That means he finally won a tournament to get the invite. After a year’s long struggle, Spieth finally broke through last season enjoying perhaps the finest of his career. And he’s played well at Kapalua in the past with a win in 2016, two additional podium finishes and a top-10 in his four starts.
Patrick Cantlay -120 vs. Sam Burns
Again, finding value is difficult so I’ll take a swing at Cantlay. You can’t complain about his last season with four victories earning him the FedExCup championship and Player of the Year. It’s a tough act to follow, but Cantlay is about as even keel as they come. Rust could be an issue with this being his first tournament of the season, but I doubt that’s going to slow him down. Cantlay has three top-15s in his last three starts at Kapalua, including a top-5 in 2020.
Patrick Reed +150 vs. Daniel Berger
I was a bit surprised to see Reed offered at this price. He struggled toward the end of last season, which is probably why the price is where it is. Still, you can’t eliminate him for that reason. His short game will help on the oversized greens and he has enough distance to make up strokes. Plus, he’s enjoyed success on this layout as well with a win in 2015, runner-up the following year and a playoff loss in 2020. It’s hard to pass on Reed, especially at this price.
Collin Morikawa +115 vs. Justin Thomas
I’m hoping Morikawa can forget about what happened at the Hero Challenge and continue to play golf the way he’s been playing since joining the Tour. He blew a five-shot lead last time out eventually settling for a T5, a result that has to sting. And getting the World No. 2 at plus odds is a big deal. With the right combination of results, Morikawa could move to No. 1 in the OWGR. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. He needs to turn the page and I’m betting he does that.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu. The Sentry Tournament of Champions is scheduled for January 6-9 and can be seen on Golf Channel and NBC.
