The Sentry Tournament kicks off the PGA Tour year at the scenic Plantation Course at Kapalua from January 4 to January 7.
With a stellar field and notable absentees, the tournament promises exciting golf action, so join us as we explore our expert picks with the best betting odds and navigate the tournament’s dynamics with valuable insights.
Picks Summary
- Collin Morikawa to Win Top American (+950)Â
- Collin Morikawa to Finish Top 10 (+130)Â
- Akshay Bhatia to Win Outright (+10000)
- Akshay Bhatia to Finish Top 20 (+190)Â
*All odds from Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
The Sentry 2024
January 4 – January 7, 2024 at Kapalua Golf – The Plantation Course
Event Overview
The year-opening 2024 Sentry Tournament starts on Thursday at the host track, the Plantation Course at Kapalua. We have a fascinating star-studded field of 57 to analyze, with the only notable absentee being Rory McIlroy, while Seamus Power (injured) and Byeong Hun-An (suspended) also miss this week’s action.
The large driving areas put no strain on the players off the tee at what has always been an easy season-opening event. The only defense the course has is any inclement weather off the Pacific Ocean, and this year will be typically breezy, but nothing too testing on current forecasts.
The Bermuda Grass Greens are some of the biggest on the PGA Tour and approach play will be key for finding the correct areas of the putting surfaces.
Will it be Redemption for Collin in Hawaii?
Last year’s Sentry Championship saw Collin Morikawa get caught late on the final day, having taken a five-shot lead into the final round. Up to that point in his career, Morikawa had been one of the most clinical closers in world golf, winning his first major championship, the 2020 PGA Championship on his 28th professional start, so his capitulation here last year came as something of a surprise.
It appears that twelve months later Morikawa returns in better nick and will fancy redemption at a track he has finished in the top 10 on all four occasions he has teed it up.
I say in better nick because, at the end of 2023, the twenty-six-year-old Californian won the Zoso Championship on his first start after a change of coach. It was a decision that he didn’t take lightly, having worked with Rick Sessinghaus for nearly two decades. His new coach, Mark Blackburn had been forging a strong reputation in the industry for quite a while now with Max Homa and Justin Rose under his tutelage.
What is known from the four previous Sentry Tournaments when Morikawa has been a mainstay of the top 10 is that he obviously plays well when returning fresh off a break, something that doesn’t apply to all players.
We suggest taking Collin Morikawa for a fifth top 10 in succession at the Sentry combined with the Top American Player win price of (+950) with Bet365.
Golf Pick: Collin Morikawa to Win Top American (+950) at Bet365
Golf Pick: Collin Morikawa to Finish Top 10 (+130) at Bet365
Back Akshay to Be Fast out Of the Blocks
The interesting fact about Akshay Bhatia’s career is that many of his best performances have come when returning from a break.
The evidence of the twenty-one-year-old’s propensity to be fast out of the blocks is starring bettors in the face. Let’s start at the beginning of 2022 when the young Californian won on his opening start of the year at the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay, the first KFT event of the year. Rather interestingly, the rest of 2002 was a write-off for Bhatia, except on his penultimate start of the year when he was 17th at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship on the PGA Tour, after a seven-week break.
Then in 2023, his first start and title defense at the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay saw Bhatia finish 4th. A couple of months later with a breakout runner-up finish at the Puerto Rico Open, Bhatia established his playing privileges on the PGA Tour and then later in the season a maiden PGA Tour win at the Barracuda Championship earned his place this week.
I must confess that I was a little concerned to see a player as young as Akshay Bhatia using the long-handle putter in the fall of the year, but nevertheless, his ability to play fresh in conjunction with the attractive price of +10000 overrides those worries.
Golf Pick:Â Akshay Bhatia to Win Outright (+10000) at Bet365
Golf Pick: Akshay Bhatia to Finish Top 20 (+190) at Bet365
*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
