The 2025 PGA Tour kicks off this week with an impressive field taking part in the event, it creates a lot of intrigue in The Sentry odds. As Scottie Scheffler had to withdraw due to a hand injury, and a packed field full of former tour winners or those ranked high enough, it’s a great time to pay attention to The Sentry sleeper picks. Without The Sentry projected cut line being in play due to the 60-man field, look for players to take advantage of the fact they get four cracks at the Plantation Course at Kapalua on Maui.
Current favorites to win The Sentry
Player
Odds
Xander Schauffele
+550
Justin Thomas
+900
Collin Morikawa
+1100
Ludvig Åberg
+1400
Patrick Cantlay
+1600
Sungjae Im
+1800
Hideki Matsuyama
+2000
Sam Burns
+2500
Sahith Theegala
+2500
Viktor Hovland
+2800
Odd provided by FanDuel – accurate as of January 2
With the world’s number one golfer Scottie Scheffler having to sit this week out following hand surgery, the door has opened for Xander Schauffele to be the favorite heading into the opening event on the 2025 PGA Tour calendar. Schaueffle had an exceptional 2024 season winning two major championships and he has success here as he won this event in 2019. Schaueffle followed it up the next year by losing in a playoff and finished tied for 10th here last season.
Two-time The Sentry champion Justin Thomas returns to Maui in search of his third victory at the Plantation Course at Kapalua. It’s been a bit of a drought for Thomas over the past couple of years as he searches for his first PGA Tour victory since winning the PGA Championship in 2022. Thomas is looking to become just the second three-time champion since the event moved to Kapalua in 1999 and his past success here in 2017 and 2020 is more than enough reason to believe he will challenge this week.
Collin Morikawa (+1400 at bet365 sportsbook)
Having finished the 2024 season in second place in the FedExCup standings, Collin Morikawa returns to Maui for the sixth time at a place he has achieved considerable success over the years. Having never finished worse than tied for seventh in his previous five visits, Morikawa is primed for an impressive week on a course he absolutely loves. Morikawa registered eight top ten finishes in 22 events last season and is looking for his first win since the 2023 ZOZO Championship.
Ludvig Aberg (+1600 at bet365 sportsbook)
Making his second appearance at The Sentry, Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg returns to Maui looking to improve on this tie for 47th place finish last season. Aberg has played in two events since knee surgery in September and he finished tied for 17th in his title defense at the RSM Classic and solo sixth at the Hero World Challenge. While he is still in search of his second career victory on the PGA Tour, Aberg should always be considered a threat when he is in action.
Having won twice during the 2024 PGA Tour season, Hideki Matsuyama looks to improve off his tie for 58th place finish here last season. Matsuyama finished tied for third, second and tied for fourth place in his first three appearances in the season opening event. The 10-time PGA Tour winner currently sits sixth in the official world golf rankings and is the fourth highest rated golfer in the field according to the rankings.
The Sentry longshot
Chris Kirk (+10000 at FanDuel sportsbook)
Defending champion Chris Kirk returns to Maui this week in hopes of becoming just the second person to go back-to-back at The Sentry since Geoff Ogilvy pulled off the feat in 2009 and 2010. Kirk was unable to find the winners circle again in 2024, but he was able to finish in the top 10 at both the RBC Heritage and the BMW Championship. Sitting 52nd in the official world golf rankings, Kirk reached a career-high of 16th in the official world golf rankings in 2015.
The Sentry recent winners
Year
Winner
2024
Chris Kirk
2023
John Rahm
2022
Cameron Smith
2021
Harris English
2020
Justin Thomas
The Sentry betting trends
There are many betting trends when it comes to The Sentry as the tournament as it has been a tightly contested tournament over recent years. Over the last six years the tournament has gone to a playoff twice, been decided by one stroke three times and two strokes one time. Look for this year’s edition to be tight once again and putting a bet on a playoff might be a good play for the opening event of the season.
Canada’s Taylor Pendrith is one of 19 players making their debut at The Sentry this week and he stands out as one to consider when looking at first timers at the Plantation Course at Kapalua. Pendrith is looking to become the first debutant to win The Sentry since Daniel Chopra pulled off the feat in 2008. Pendrith broke through for his first win on the PGA Tour in 2024 when he won at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson in May and currently sits 48th in the official world golf rankings.
How to read The Sentry betting odds
Reading The Sentry betting odds is just as easy as reading the odds for any other golf tournament or sporting event. In golf, there are numerous ways to bet, from head-to-head matchups to whether a player will make a certain number of birdies in a round. You can even bet on whether there will be a hole-in-one during the event or if the tournament will go to a playoff.
How to bet on The Sentry
There are several ways to bet on The Sentry this week. One bet that stands out, however, is that Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay will all finish in the top 10 of the 60-player event. A $10 bet at +1110 would give you back $111.10 if it came through.
The Sentry info
When
Where
Defending champion
How to watch
January 2 – 5
Plantation Course at Kapalua
Chris Kirk
Golf Channel/NBC/Peacock
The Sentry FAQs
Who qualifies for The Sentry?
To qualify for The Sentry in years past it was only open to winners from the previous year. Now in a new format, The Sentry welcomes all tour winners from the previous season, and the top 50 players from the previous seasons FedExCup standings. This year there are 31 PGA Tour winners from last season plus 29 players who qualified by finishing inside the top 50 in the 2024 FedExCup standings.
What is the prize pool for The Sentry?
The prize pool for The Sentry in 2025 is the same as it was for the 2024 event. The 60 players in the field will play for a combined share of $20,000,000. The winner will take home a first-place prize of $3,600,000.
What was the event name prior to The Sentry?
Since its inception in 1953 the opening event of the PGA Tour season has been The Tournament of Champions. The event has changed title sponsors several times in its history but most commonly it is referred to as The Tournament of Champions. Since 1999 it has been played at the Plantation Course at the Kapalua Resort in Maui, Hawaii.
Who has won the most Tournament of Champions?
Not surprisingly, Jack Nicklaus has won the most Tournament of Champions, winning the season opening event five times during his illustrious career. The “Golden Bear” won the event in 1963, 1964, 1971, 1973 and 1977. There are four golfers that have won the event three times.
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