PRESENTATION – While the European Tour will not start until January 21 (in Abu Dhabi), the US circuit is back to business this week on the Hawaii side, for the usual Tournament of Champions bringing together the winners of the year 2020. And some upscale guests.
After four weeks of rest and a final success for Norwegian prodigy Viktor Hovland at the Mayakoba Golf Classic (December 3-6), the PGA Tour begins its comeback. Like every year, this takes place in the Hawaiian Islands, for the essential tournament of champions, bringing together all the winners of the previous season and those of the beginning of the current year. Given the pandemic linked to Covid-19 which canceled 13 tournaments during the 2019-20 season, it was concluded this summer that the qualifiers for the TOUR Championship, the final of the playoffs of the FedEx Cup played in early September in Atlanta (Georgia), would also be invited to the Sentry Tournament of Champions. An exception that proves the rule.
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42 players are thus at the start. 26 owe it to their success on the Tour. The 16 others come from their presence in the TOUR Championship. Among them, some golfers have yet to win the PGA Tour once. This is the case, for example, of the Mexican Abraham Ancer and the American Scottie Scheffler. The tray is, as always, particularly attractive with in particular eight of the top ten in the world. Only the British Rory McIlroy (4th) and Tyrrell Hatton (10th) skip the line. The American Jim Herman is the third absent from this first tournament of the calendar year. Positive for Covid-19, he did not make the trip to Maui.
Victorious in 2020, Justin Thomas, also winner in 2017, puts his title on the line. No one, since the Australian Geoff Ogilvy in 2009 and 2010, has managed to keep the trophy. A year ago, Thomas, who has just won the PNC Championship with his father, Mike, had beaten in the playoff his compatriots Xander Sc Chaudele and Patrick Reed. These two are still in contention this week on the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort. This par 73 of 6,946 meters, designed by the pair Ben Crenshaw-Bill Coore and inaugurated in 1991, was modified last year.
Dustin Johnson’s performance will also have to be monitored very closely. The current world No. 1 has returned to competition since his triumph at the Masters on November 15. His recent results plead for a third victory here after those of 2013 and 2018. In his last seven outings on the PGA Tour, he has never done worse than a 6th place, slamming three victories and pointing to three. times in second place.
Sentry Tournament of Champions (PGA Tour) – $ 6,700,000 endowment (5,455,301 euros endowment)
Players to watch: Justin Thomas (USA), Daniel Berger (USA), Patrick Cantlay (USA), Cameron Champ (USA), Bryson DeChambeau (USA), Harris English (USA), Tony Finau (USA), Viktor Hovland (Nor), Sungjae Im (CdS), Dustin Johnson (USA), Hideki Matsuyama (USA), Collin Morikawa (USA), Jon Rahm (Esp), Patrick Reed (USA), Xander Schauffele (USA), Webb Simpson (USA), Cameron Smith (Aus ).
To watch the Sentry Tournament of Champions (PGA Tour) on TV: Thursday January 7, 1st round: 12:00 a.m. (Golf +) Friday January 8, 2nd round: 12:00 a.m. (Golf +) Saturday January 9, 3rd round: 10:00 p.m. (Golf +) Sunday January 10, 4th round: 10:00 p.m. (Golf +)
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