There were 738 holes used in tournament play during the 2024 season.
Of the 738 holes used in competition during the PGA Tour’s 2024 season, 24 of them stretched beyond 600 yards, with one of them just 23 yards shy of 700 (and no, it wasn’t one of those playing at high altitude).
Castle Pines, which hosted the BMW Championship, has three holes on this list. Not too surprising, considering that course plays at 6,400-foot elevation.
Grand Reserve Club (Puerto Rico Open), TPC San Antonio Oaks Course (Valero Texas Open), Vidanta Vallarta (Mexico Open at Vidanta), Puntacana Resort and Club Corales Course (Corales Puntacana Championship) each had two holes on this list.
The U.S. Open and the Open Championship each had one here. The Masters and the PGA, however, didn’t register among the men’s majors with holes more than 600 yards.
Just missing out on being the 25th hole to measure more than 600 yards is the fourth at Royal Troon for the 2024 Open Championship, which officially came in at 599 yards.
After missing out on the Tour Championship in August, Chris Kirk rested during the off-season by working on his golf game – as a left-hander rather than as a righty, shooting a low score of 82.
“It’s really hard left-handed,” he said. “Really hard.”
Kirk, who won the Ben Hogan Award as the college player of the year, has been making the game look easy for years. His graceful, fluid swing as a right-hander long has produced his trademark natural draw and it delivered in crunch time on Sunday in the final round of the PGA Tour’s season-opening tournament, The Sentry, in Kapalua, Hawaii.
The 38-year-old veteran pro was tied for the lead at the 17th hole at Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course and facing 209 yards to the green at the toughest hole on the back nine. With the wind, which had been non-existent all week, picking up he switched from a 7-iron to a 5-iron and struck a beauty that bounced on the fringe and rolled to inside 3 feet to set up the winning birdie.
“That one on 17, I’ll remember for a long time,” he said. “One of the best shots of my career, for sure.”
Nursing a one-stroke lead after 54 holes, Kirk capped off a bogey-free 9-under 64 on Sunday to win his sixth PGA Tour title with a 72-hole total of 29-under 263 and one-stroke better than Sahith Theegala.
“Just kind of kept reminding myself of no matter how I felt, no matter how nervous I was, there was nothing really stopping me from hitting great shots, hitting great putts, and I was able to kind of remind myself of that before every shot,” Kirk said.
Kirk returned to Kapalua this week for the first time since 2016, booking his trip last February at the Honda Classic, where he won for the first time in nearly eight years. In November, Kirk, who took a leave of absence from the Tour in May 2019 to address issues with alcohol abuse and depression, received the PGA Tour Courage Award.
During the final round in paradise, Kirk said he was nervous but he never showed it. The lack of wind left the Plantation Course vulnerable, and the pros attacked. The final-round scoring average of 66.7 was the lowest single-round average on Tour on record (dating to 1983), on the par-73 layout. Justin Rose equaled the course record with a 12-under 61. Sungjae Im closed in 10-under 63 and set a record with 34 birdies, the most in a 72-hole tournament since 1983. Kirk birdied four holes in a five-hole stretch on the front nine to maintain a narrow lead, but Theegala birdied four in a row on both nines to keep the pressure on Kirk. Theegala caught Kirk with a birdie at 15 to get to 27 under and one group later Spieth made birdie at 15 to make it a three-way tie at the top. Theegala made his fourth birdie in a row and fifth in his last six holes at 16 to take sole possession of the lead at the time, but he lipped out for birdie on 18 that could have forced a playoff.
“I knew I just needed to keep making birdies and there was a bunch of chances, especially with the wind laying down,” Theegala said. “Really wish I could have had that second shot on 18 back. It’s not how it works.”
Spieth was done in by a bad break at 16, where his tee shot plugged in a bunker and he made bogey. He closed in 65 and finished third.
Kirk stayed cool and calm to win the shootout, playing with “more self-belief than I’ve had in years,” he said. Along the way, he’s rediscovered his love of the game.
“Had it for a long time and then lost it,” he said. “I lost the joy of most things in life for awhile there. But, yeah, it’s certainly back. I think I just love how hard this is. Like, it’s so hard to be great at this, and I love the process that it takes. I love the work that it takes to try to be the best version of myself. I definitely have fallen back in love with that process, and sometimes you get rewarded for it, like today, and sometimes you don’t.”
J.T. Poston had an eventful Sunday at the 2024 Sentry.
J.T. Poston had an eventful Sunday at the 2024 Sentry. It was almost as if the golf gods had it out for him for some reason.
On the sixth hole, Poston burned the edge with a birdie putt from about five feet. On the par-3 eighth, he faced a birdie putt from less than three feet but caught the lip and missed.
Neither of those compared to what happened on the ninth hole. A par 5 playing 548 yards, Poston was 44 yards away for his third shot. He hit his approach dead online. It bounced once and then went into the cup … before it popped back out.
Poston would tap in for birdie but what a bad break for the Postman.
He later birdied the 14th hole, then drained an eagle putt from 44 feet on the par-5 15th, for what officially became his first eagle of the week.
“Always a great week. Great place to start, obviously, here in Maui,” he said after his 8-under 65 round. “As far as the golf goes, there’s a lot of birdie out there, especially today.”
Kevin Kisner struggled with his game last season, so he didn’t qualify for the first signature event of the year, The Sentry. However, Kisner did make the trip to Kapalua’s Plantation Course in Maui. Why?
To make his broadcasting debut with NBC.
Kisner has long been a fan favorite, known for his great sense of humor, incredible interview moments and lack of pretentious attitude that can be found with some on Tour.
His first appearance in the booth came during the second round Friday, and he’ll be back on the call Saturday and Sunday. NBC’s coverage over the weekend runs from 4-6 p.m. ET before Golf Channel/Peacock takes over until 8 p.m.
Malbon is a popular brand deeply embedded into the game of golf and strives to connect with the younger generation. One thing is certain — Malbon will bring lots of style to the Tour with its new deal with Day.
In December, the former world No. 1 teamed up with Lydia Ko to win the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational. Well, his good form made the trip with him to Hawaii as he posted an 8-under 65 Thursday to hold a share of second after the opening round of The Sentry at Kapalua’s Plantation Course.
Thursday was also Day’s first competitive round rocking his new Malbon threads. Take a look at some photos of Day’s new look below.
Sahith Theegala is back for the second time at The Sentry. One year after he shot 10 under for 72 holes, he opened with 10 birdies on Thursday and shot 9-under 64 at Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course to take a one-stroke lead over a bunched-up leaderboard on a low-scoring day thanks to calm conditions.
“I saw something about first timers not doing great here and I believe it,” he said.
Theegala, 26, proved to be a quick learner. He recorded the most birdies in a PGA Tour round in what was his 250th career round on Tour, including six in a row to start his back nine. Asked to name his favorite of the bunch, he picked the one at No. 12, saying, “Had a really gnarly 8- or 9-footer that I didn’t know which way it was going to break, grain was going all over the place. I just aimed it dead center and tried to hit it hard and hearted that putt, and that settled me down a little bit more.”
Theegala, who notched his first Tour title at the Fortinet Championship in September, has the lead after 18 holes for the second time in his career over a handful of players.
The scoring average was almost 4-under as the wind laid down.
Here’s four more things to know about the first round of The Sentry.
The next two weeks are about the only downtime in the world of pro golf but there will be tees stuck into the ground before you know it.
The first event out of the box in 2024 also marks the return to the calendar-based schedule on the PGA Tour. Not far behind are events on the DP World Tour, Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Champions and LPGA. The 2024 LIV Golf slate starts up in February.
Here’s a closer look at the first events of 2024 on the major golf circuits.
Previewing the 2020 Sentry Tournament of Champions and looking at the best fantasy golf selections for Plantation Course at Kapalua.
The Sentry Tournament of Champions in Maui, Hawaii kicks off the 2020 PGA Tour year with a field of 34 winners from 2019 in attendance. Those set to tee off Thursday include five of the top 10 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
The event returns to the Plantation Course at Kapalua, with the venue having undergone significant renovations since last year’s tournament. It now measures 7,518 yards and plays as a par 73.
Fantasy Golf Rankings: Top 30
Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua.
30. Adam Long
Long missed five consecutive cuts after getting career win No. 1 at the Desert Classic. He was T-2 at the Mayakoba Classic, but he followed it up with a T-35 at The RSM Classic.
29. Sung Kang
Kang claimed his first PGA Tour since 2013 at the AT&T Byron Nelson, but he missed the cut in six of his remaining 16 worldwide events on the year.
28. Max Homa
Homa takes a break from roasting his followers on Twitter this week to compete in the Tournament of Champions. His lone top-20 result since winning the Wells Fargo Championship was a T-5 at the Japan Tour’s Dunlop Phoenix.
27. J.B. Holmes
Holmes may be better known now for his “feud” with World No. 1 Brooks Koepka, than for his 2019 win at the Genesis Open. He finished the 2019 Tour year with no other top 10s and 10 missed cuts. He most recently withdrew from the CJ Cup @ Nine Bridges.
26. Tyler Duncan
Photo Credit: Ray Carlin – USA TODAY Sports
Duncan’s victory is the most recent among those in attendance, having claimed his first career win at The RSM Classic. The win vaulted him from No. 387 in the world to 170th, and he’s now 164th. He positions his tee shots well and has a good approach game.
25. Nate Lashley
Lashley got his first PGA Tour win at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. He missed eight cuts in 2019 and withdrew from the no-cut Zozo Championship in Japan, but he enters the week seventh in the field in Bogey Avoidance over everyone’s last 36 rounds on courses with Bermuda greens.
24. Dylan Frittelli
The reigning John Deere Classic champ started his 2019-20 season with top 10s at the Sanderson Farms Championship and Safeway Open before missing the cut at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.
23. Lanto Griffin
Griffin has gained 1.015 strokes per round putting to start the season and took down the Houston Open in just his fifth PGA Tour event of 2019. He’s coming off a missed cut at The RSM Classic.
22. Ryan Palmer
Palmer gets entry into this event as the playing partner to Jon Rahm at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in late April. He placed in the top 10 in four solo events, most recently tying for 10th at the Zozo.
21. Keith Mitchell
Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports
Mitchell won’t get the full advantage of his distance at this venue with all in attendance able to reap the rewards of the wide, rolling fairways. His victory came at the competitive Honda Classic, showing he can contend in elite fields.
20. J.T. Poston
Poston moved from 158th to 77th in the OWGR with his win at the Wyndham Championship immediately prior to the start of the FedExCup playoffs. He rarely finds trouble or plays himself out of contention.
19. Cameron Champ
Champ picked up a win at the Safeway Open to qualify for his second straight Tournament of Champions. He tied for 19th a year ago, but that’s unrelated to his ranking, here.
18. Matthew Wolff
Wolff won the 3M Open in his rookie season. It came just one week after the only missed cut of his debut campaign at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
17. Kevin Na
Na won twice on the PGA Tour in 2019, taking down the Charles Schwab Challenge and Shriners. His lack of distance will be a weakness at this venue.
16. Chez Reavie
Reavie stepped into the winner’s circle for the first time since 2008 with a victory at the Travelers Championship. He positions himself well off the tee.
15. Sebastian Munoz
Another first-time PGA Tour winner in 2019, Munoz claimed victory at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He missed the cut in two of five events since, but he was solo third at The RSM Classic.
14. Joaquin Niemann
Niemann had four top-10 showings in the 2018-19 season before starting the 2019-20 campaign with victory at The Greenbrier. He’s one of the top pin-seekers from distance in the field.
13. Brendon Todd
Photo Credit: Ray Carlin – USA TODAY Sports
Todd enters the week in better form than anyone in the field after consecutive wins at the Bermuda Championship and Mayakoba Classic and a solo fourth at The RSM Classic. He’ll face a tougher test at a longer venue amid a stronger field.
12. Corey Conners
Conners came up with a clutch victory at the Valero Texas Open to gain entry to the Masters. His putting struggles won’t be as apparent at a longer venue where his distance and ball-striking will shine.
11. Kevin Kisner
Kisner broke through with a win at the WGC-Match Play, but was held out of the top 10 until back-to-back T-9s at the BMW Championship and Tour Championship in the FEC playoffs.
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10. Collin Morikawa
A finalist for 2019 Rookie of the Year, Morikawa’s first of what seems likely to be many career wins came at the Barracuda Championship. There aren’t any flaws in his game.
9. Paul Casey
Casey avoids trouble and can score low. He tied for 16th a year ago.
8. Rickie Fowler
Fowler finished fifth in 2016 and tied for fourth in 2018. He returns after year off following his win at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
7. Patrick Reed
Photo Credit: Butch Dill – USA TODAY Sports
It’s unknown at the time of publishing whether Reed made the flight to Maui with his trusted shovel. His accuracy off the tee and on approach hasn’t been in top form of late, and he’ll again need to overcome the ire of spectators.
6. Gary Woodland
Woodland was the runner-up here a year ago and makes his second straight appearance following his US Open win.
5. Xander Schauffele
The defending champ has won a total four PGA Tour events over the last three years, but this was his only win in 2019. He had three runner-up results.
4. Patrick Cantlay
Entering the week at No. 9 in the OWGR, Cantlay won the Memorial Tournament and had seven other top 10s last year. He’s had two runner-up finishes since mid-August.
3. Jon Rahm
The top golfer from the OWGR at No. 3 in the world, Rahm was the runner-up here in 2018 and finished T-8 in 2019.
2. Dustin Johnson
Johnson hasn’t finished worse than T-6 in his last three appearances here, including a win in 2018. He has a total of 12 worldwide wins since the start of 2016.
1. Justin Thomas
Thomas is the 2017 champion of Kapalua and he finished third a year ago. The free distance added by the venue plays to his advantage and lets his ball-striking and putting carry the weight.
Analyzing the 2020 Sentry Tournament of Champions, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.
The 2020 portion of the 2019-20 PGA Tour schedule kicks off this week with the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua. A field of thirty-four features five of the top 10 golfers in the Official World Golf Ranking.
The key stats best suited to the 7,518-yard, par-73 venue are:
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Ball-Striking
Bogey Avoidance
Sand Saves Gained
Good Drives Gained
Proximity 175-200 Yards
My model at Fantasy National looks at the most recent 36 rounds played on courses with Bermuda greens.
Cantlay is the fourth-best golfer in attendance by the OWGR measure. His only 2019 win came at the Memorial Tournament, but he preceded it by back-to-back T-3 results and followed it up late in the year with runner-up finishes at the BMW Championship and Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He has the most appealing odds of the top golfers in the elite field with a $10 bet returning a profit of $140.
Collin Morikawa (+2200)
Morikawa offers a better return than Cantlay. A rookie in 2019, his first career win came at the Barracuda Championship. He enters the week ranked 65th by the OWGR and most recently finished T-5 at the Japan Tour’s Dunlop Phoenix. He has a great approach game and excels from our key proximity distance this week.
Sentry Tournament of Champions – Tier 2
Photo Credit: Butch Dill – USA TODAY Sports
Corey Conners (+2800)
Conners won’t get the full advantage of his driver this week at a venue with wide, rolling fairways allowing all in attendance to bomb it off the tee, but he will get something of a reprieve from his usual struggles on the greens. Each of the last five TOC champions finished at or below 21-under par, and Conners certainly has the ability to go that low.
Much of Kuchar’s career success has come early in the calendar year. The 24th-ranked golfer in the world won twice last season, at the Mayakoba Golf Classic and the Sony Open in Hawaii. He was also the runner-up at both the RBC Heritage and WGC-Match Play. He ranks second to Conners by my stat model.
Sentry Tournament of Champions – Longshots
Photo Credit: Thomas J. Russo – USA TODAY Sports
Joaquin Niemann (+3000)
Niemann is coming off a Presidents Cup loss as a member of the International team. He gained entry to this event with his first career victory at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier to kick off the 2019-20 PGA Tour campaign, and has been one of the most active golfers early in the season. His strong approach game gives him an advantage on the expansive greens.
Keith Mitchell (+4000)
Mitchell is our longest dart throw at a tournament without a lot of betting value due to the small field of elites. He also earned his first career victory in 2019 at The Honda Classic in early March. He held off World No. 1 Brooks Koepka on Sunday, and showed he can compete in strong fields.
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