Happy New Year folks! With a snowstorm stretched across the east, those sticks are staying in the trunk for a few more weeks. Luckily, you can engage in the yearly ritual of watching prime time Hawaiian golf this weekend! The Sentry Tournament of Champions is arguably one of the strongest limited field events on the PGA Tour, and this year is no exception. 27 of the 30 winners from last season are teeing it up. The likes of Rory, DJ, Justin Thomas and other veterans aren’t just in Maui to vacation. The average score at The Plantation Course at Kapalua is usually between 20 and 25 under par on the par 73 layout. The wind is supposed to kick up to 25 mph throughout the tournament, but I still expect to see 400+ yard drives and lots of birdies.
Top Pick: Dustin Johnson
DJ is a force to be reckoned with in limited field events. 11 of his 19 wins are from exclusive fields! He is the defending champion, shooting 24 under last season to beat out Jon Rahm by 8 strokes. One of the top shots of 2018 was his near ace on a par 4 in this event. He hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in this event the last 6 years and it’s about time he gets career win #20.
Back to the Range Bro: Michael Kim
Michael Kim is having a bit of a slump. Actually, he only had one real spark all of 2018, resulting in a runaway win at the John Deere Classic. The guy is a grinder, no doubt. He’s managed to qualify for the FedEx Cup each of the last 3 seasons but with only 2 top tens in 93 career starts! He’s bound to find the spark sometime this year, but with T-62 as his best start in the 2019 season, that’s probably next week.