The PGA Tour travels to Maui, Hawaii, for the 25th straight year to kick off the 2024 season with The Sentry. Previously known as the Sentry Tournament of Champions, this event welcomes a wider array of talents to the Plantation Course this time around.
No longer limited to those who won in the previous season, The Sentry represents not only the first signature event of the season but the first event in general. Returning to a calendar season this year, the PGA Tour utilized last fall as a mechanism through which players could qualify into the signature events. Those who finished inside the top 10 of the FedEx Cup Fall or won throughout the closing stretch have set themselves up for success in 2024, but they begin the year just like everyone else in terms of FedEx Cup points (starting from zero).
The good news for the field is 700 FedEx Cup points and $20 million will be up for grabs given the signature designation of the tournament. The bad news is world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler plans to tee it up. A three-time winner in 2023, the Texan enjoyed one of the great statistical seasons ever and looks to carry his momentum into the new year after winning at the Hero World Challenge.
Scheffler is joined by FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland, who usurped the American last summer at East Lake. Hovland hopes to pile onto what was a career year in 2023, and a fast start in Kapalua would only help the cause. Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth all return to Hawaii, while Swedish superstar Ludvig Åberg makes his first trip to the Aloha State.
2024 Sentry schedule
Dates: Jan. 4-7 | Location: The Plantation Course at Kapalua — Maui, Hawaii
Par: 73 | Yardage: 7,596 | Purse: $20 million
2024 Sentry field, odds
- Scottie Scheffler (5-1)
- Viktor Hovland (9-1): The FedEx Cup champion spent his holiday back home in Norway, and should arrive in Hawaii refreshed and ready to go. Last time we saw Hovland, he was racing through the finish line at the Hero World Challenge with a final-round 63 to cap off a sensational calendar year. In 2023, Hovland won the Memorial, BMW Championship and Tour Championship while breaking through as one of the best players in the world. The world No. 4 has yet to crack the top 10 at Kapalua in three attempts, but he is a different animal now.
- Patrick Cantlay (12-1)
- Max Homa (12-1): Homa rides eight straight top 15s into the new year, highlighted by a victory on the DP World Tour at the Nedbank Challenge in November. Continuing to strike the ball beautifully in 2023, Homa added another weapon to his arsenal in the form of his putter. Working with Phil Kenyon and implementing Aim Point green reading technique, the 33-year-old ranked sixth on the PGA Tour in strokes gained putting. Homa should be a consistent threat to win if the putting prowess persists, including this week after he finished T3 here last year.
- Collin Morikawa (12-1): The trophy was his ... until it wasn't. Holding a six-stroke lead during the final round last year, Morikawa signed for three straight bogeys and watched as Jon Rahm raced past him into the winner's circle. Despite the disappointment, Morikawa's runner-up represented his fourth straight top 10 at Kapalua. The two-time major champion won at the Zozo Championship in his last PGA Tour start, and should like his chances to make amends for last year's shortcomings.
- Ludvig Åberg (14-1): What will the kid do for an encore? Just 11 starts into his PGA Tour career, Åberg has already made himself a household name and put a bow on an incredible entrance into the professional realm with his victory at the RSM Classic. In the limited sample size, the Swede ranked first in par-4 scoring, first in par-5 scoring, first in total driving and first in birdie average. It may be his first start in Kapalua, but Åberg has already proven new experiences are nothing but an opportunity to impress.
- Xander Schauffele (14-1)
- Jordan Spieth (22-1): Now 30, Spieth enters the second chapter of his career with some encouraging form at the Hero World Challenge. Hitting the ball great, the three-time major champion will now aim to recapture the early-year form he discovered in 2023. Before injuring his wrist and back in the spring, Spieth was enjoying a fantastic year with close calls at big-time tournaments like the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Masters and RBC Heritage. A winner here in 2016, Spieth's creativity and birdie-making ability should give him a chance to raise the trophy once again.
- Matt Fitzpatrick (25-1)
- Tom Kim (28-1)
2024 Sentry expert picks
| Winner (5-1): There is no reason to overcomplicate this. Scheffler is going to win in 2024, and he is going to win a lot. Experiencing a historic tee-to-green season in 2023, the world No. 1 left his fair share of trophies out there when looking at his putting performances at tournaments like the Charles Schwab Challenge, Memorial and BMW Championship. Working with Kenyon, Scheffler has improved the fluidity of his putting stroke and taken control of the green reading process. It led to a victory in the Bahamas to end his 2023, and will lead to a victory in Hawaii to kick off his 2024. | |
| Contender (12-1): Win variance went against Cantlay last season as he was unable to enter the winner's circle for the first time since 2020. Despite this, he put together the best statistical year of his career with significant improvements off the tee and on approach. Ranking third in strokes gained tee to green behind only Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, Cantlay's ability to plot his way around the golf course should lead to multiple wins this year. With two top-five finishes in his last four tries, Cantlay could start his trophy raising this week in Maui. | |
| Sleeper (90-1): The wide fairways and landing areas at the Plantation Course will mitigate Poston's weakness off the tee while allowing his strengths of wedge play and putting to shine. With five top-10 finishes in the final nine starts of his 2023 campaign, Poston found a new gear with his scoring clubs. If this carries over into the new year, Poston should be in store for a nice outing. | |
