2024 Sentry Preview, Picks & Analysis

The PGA Tour is back this week with The Sentry. Formerly the Tournament of Champions, for the first time the field includes more than just the year’s PGA Tour winners. The top 50 players from the 2022–23 FedEx Cup points list are also invited to tee it up - hence the change of name.

The tournament will take place at the Plantation Course at Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii.

FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland, who recently pledged his future to the tour will surely start as favourite and will be joined by a world-class field in what is the first of the year’s signature tournaments, offering serious money and designed to attract the best possible field.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler and Scottie Scheffler are also in the field for what is the first Signature event of the PGA Tour season, although Rory McIlroy has opted to sit it out yet again.

Currently ranked fourth in the world, Hovland captured three PGA Tour titles last season, including the Tour Championship. Scheffler successfully defended the Phoenix Open in February and followed it up with a victory at the Players Championship. Fowler won for the first time since 2019 at this summer’s Rocket Mortgage Classic. Matsuyama did not add a PGA Tour title to his resume in 2023, but remained in the FedEx Cup top 50.

Tony Finau is also in the field. He is another who recently pledged his future to the PGA Tour.

Ludvig Aberg, Tom Kim, Vincent Norrman and Sahith Theegala have also committed to playing in Maui to kick off the season.

And I have to tell you that the man I cannot wait to see in action is Aberg. The young Swede has made a sensational start to his professional career.

Just check this out - he has made just 16 starts and has one victory, three top fives and four top 10s. Oh, and he won the European Masters, tied for fourth at Czech Masters and tied for 10th at the BMW PGA Championship. And made his Ryder Cup debut for Europe before he had even hit his first shot in a major.

He is already ranked 32nd in the world and is only going one way. Aberg does not have a single weakness. I expect him to be a multiple winner on the PGA Tour in 2024 and I would not be at all surprised to see him land his first major.

The biggest challenge he faces is that he will be seeing most of these courses for the first time. I cannot wait to see how it all pans out for him.

Past Tournament Winners

It was won in 2016 by Jordan Spieth, in 2017 and 2020 by Justin Thomas, in 2018 by Dustin Johnson, in 2019 by Xander Schauffele, in 2021 by Harris English, in 2022 by Cameron Smith and last year by Jon Rahm.

The Course

The Plantation Course measures 7,596 yards and is a par 73. It was designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore and features wide and generous fairways, putting a premium on accurate iron play and good putting. It is located on the island of Hawaii, which means that wind is usually a feature. There are also lots of elevated tees, so expect to witness a few 400-yard drives. The course record is 61

Form Guide

No doubt somebody else will come along and make me look stupid but I simply cannot see how anybody other than Viktor Hovland or Ludvig Aberg can win in what is a restricted field event. Hovland won the BMW and the Tour Championship and continued that astonishing form at the Ryder Cup. And Aberg hasn’t put a foot wrong since joining th paid ranks and already has two wins to his name

Picks & Tips

To win:

Viktor Hovland. In the form of his life

Each way:

Ludvig Aberg. Just phenomenal

Each way:

Scottie Scheffler. A top-10 machine

Five to Follow

Viktor Hovland. Could tear this course to shreds

Ludvig Aberg. Glorious ball striker

Scottie Scheffler. Will be hoping for better fortunes on the greens in 2024

Tom Kim. Fabulous young talent

Sahith Theegala. Terrific short game, great temperament