The first PGA Tour event of 2025 is set to take place this week in Kapalua, Hawaii with The Sentry, otherwise known as the Tournament of the Champions.
The event is an appropriate curtain raiser for the PGA Tour in 2025 as it's an exclusive event for those who either won a PGA event in 2024 or who were ranked inside the top 50 in the FedExCup standings.
It means that some of the world's best players are heading to Hawaii this week as preparation for major season from April – July and the 2025 Ryder Cup in September begins now.
Despite the prestige of the event, there are some notable absentees including Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy. Both men decided to pass on the tournament with McIlroy expected to make his 2025 debut on the DP World Tour in Dubai in two weeks time.
For those who are competing this week, a straightforward start to the year in terms of course difficulty should be expected. The Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort is unique in that it is the only course on the PGA Tour to be a par-73 and is also one of only two courses to have six par-fours shorter than 400 yards.
The last four winners here have all shot -25 or lower over four rounds with Cameron Smith shooting an incredible score of -34 two years ago. Who is in best shape to attack Kapalua and pick up the first trophy of 2025? Here are our Sentry betting tips.
The Sentry betting tips
Sam Burns EW (Eight places) – 20/1
Given how straightforward the best players find playing around here from tee to green, this event frequently boils down to who can sink the most putts.
While it may seem like every golf tournament boils down to that, there really isn't much advantage to be gained here by being a big hitter off the tee or a consistent approach player – it isn't a) important to be able to do the former or b) complex to do the latter unless the wind is blowing.
As a result, backing the best putter in the field feels like a good place to start. Scottie Scheffler ranked first for putting average in 2024 but as he isn't teeing it up this week, Sam Burns goes in as the number one putter with a 2024 putting average of 1.685.
Burns finished 2024 in good form, not finishing lower than 14th in the last five appearances he made. After not picking up a win last year, he will be keen to get that monkey off his back as soon as possible this year.
Wyndham Clark EW (Eight places) – 30/1
Another strong putter in the field this week is Wyndham Clark, who will be keen to bounce back this year after a slightly disappointing 2024.
After winning the US Open in 2023, big things were expected of Clark last year but he only picked up one win and flattered to deceive at the majors. Interestingly, though, his one win came at Pebble Beach – a course that in many ways is Kapalua on steroids.
Pebble is the only other course used on the PGA Tour that has six par-fours under 400 yards and with Clark demonstrating his comfort there last spring, he should do just fine this week.
Despite not setting the world alight last year, Clark still had the second-best birdie or better conversion percentage on the tour with 36.85% and ranked third for putting average behind Scheffler and Burns.
Taylor Pendrith EW (Eight places) – 40/1
Another statistic that has proven important at the Sentry in years gone by is par four performance. Six of the last 12 winners around here have ranked first for par four scoring and considering 11 of the 18 holes are par fours, this will go a long way to determining who lifts the trophy on Sunday.
Taylor Pendrith ranked third on the PGA Tour in 2024 for birdie or better percentage on par fours which makes his price 40/1 with the best golf betting sites a steal.
Pendrith can also take great encouragement from how he ended the season. After opening up with five missed cuts in his first seven appearances he finished 2024 with two top-five and three top-15 finishes from his final six appearances.
The Sentry tips
- Sam Burns EW – 20/1 @ BoyleSports
- Wyndham Clark EW– 30/1 @ BoyleSports
- Taylor Pendrith EW – 40/1 @ BoyleSports
Andy is tipster who has been calling Golf tournaments for several years across many different platforms. He has covered all tournaments from the Asian Tour to the Masters.
