The PGA Tour returns for the first event of the 2024 season. Their offseason was very short, with a new PGA Tour fall schedule. However, the new season begins with a very important tournament.
Sentry, formerly known as Sentry Tournament of Champions, is now able to hold tournaments at its usual location in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. Despite a tragic fire in 2023, the course remains ready for some of the greatest players on the PGA Tour.
Normally, only the previous season's winners play in this event, but things have changed. As part of the new Signature Event, this is still a limited field, but larger than before. It currently consists of the winner and the top 50 players in the FedEx His Cup rankings.
Sentry information:
where: Plantation Course at Kapalua, Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii (par 73, 7,596 yards)
when: January 4th to January 7th
wallet: $20,000,000 / 1st place: $3,600,000
FedEx Cup Points: 700
format: 4-day, no-cut, 72-hole stroke play competition
Defending champion: Jon Rahm
How to monitor sentries:
Fans can watch the game this week on Golf Channel and NBC. Tournaments in Hawaii allow fans to enjoy evening golf. Hawaii is six hours behind Eastern Standard Time, so keep that in mind when looking for coverage.
The first two rounds will be broadcast on Golf Channel, and the final two rounds will be broadcast in conjunction with NBC in the early hours.
Here is the complete network coverage schedule:
Thursday, January 4th: 6-10pm ET (Golf Channel)
Friday, January 5th: 6-10pm ET (Golf Channel)
Saturday, January 6th: 4-6pm ET (NBC). 6-8pm ET (Golf Channel)
Sunday, January 7th: 4-6pm ET (NBC). 6-8pm ET (Golf Channel)
How to stream Sentry:
Peacock and ESPN+ will stream the event. ESPN+ will feature the group broadcast and Peacock will simulcast all four of his broadcasts of the tournament.
Reports can be streamed There's a peacock here.
Sentry preview
Defending champion Jon Rahm will not be participating. The world No. 3 player left the PGA Tour on Dec. 7 and joined LIV Golf. He reportedly signed for nearly $500 million as captain of his own team.
Photo by Harry Howe/Getty Images
Even though he won't be on the field, that doesn't mean the tournament won't be star-studded. Packed with the best of the PGA Tour. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and No. 2 Rory McIlroy are playing alongside No. 4 Viktor Hovland.
Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Ludwig Oberg and Max Homa will also be competing this week.
Hovland and Scheffler are favorites this week as both finished the 2023 season with solid performances. The former Texas Longhorn finally got over the hump in the Bahamas and earned his third win of the year at the Hero World Challenge.
This year will be my third visit to Maui. Last year, he finished T7, an improvement from T13 in his 2021 debut.
Hovland was a member of the European Ryder Cup-winning team in 2023, winning back-to-back BMW Championship and Tour Championship playoff events to capture his first FedEx Cup title.
Although the Norwegian was unable to complete a three-peat at the Hero tournament, his 63 points on Sunday was his best this week at the same venue. This week will be his fourth consecutive appearance on Maui and he will be aiming to break into the top 17 for the first time.
No longer a rookie, Oberg took the world by storm in 2023. RSM He won the Classic and secured a spot in this week's event. The former Texas Tech Red Raider has finished T14 or higher in eight consecutive tournaments. This is his Maui debut, and the song tends to hit home with his first-timers.
The 2024 PGA Tour season finally begins this week, and who among the 59 players competing has a chance of winning.
Sentry Tea Time Round 1 (ET)
To be announced
Savannah Lee Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through.If you want to know more about golf, please follow us. @_PlayingThrough On all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirls and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
