We’ve already taken a look into Rahm’s winning equipment, so now let’s dive into the champion’s closet and see how Rahm dressed for success at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
Clearly, the University of Texas product could hear some bystanders wagering on whether he would make his putt.
Soft breezes and picturesque views make Kapalua the perfect venue to kick off the new year, as the top players in the world look to get back in the swing of things at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
But gamblers? They’re always in midseason form, as was evidenced by an exchange Jordan Spieth had with a pair of fans off the back of the 12th green during Thursday’s opening round.
Spieth was visibly angry with himself after leaving a short approach on the 432-yard par 4 well shy of the stick, and, as he often does, he mused aloud that he’d given himself a difficult two-putt for par.
As soon as Spieth hit his first putt from just inside 54 feet away, he started following it, obviously unhappy with the line, which was well off. But the result was good, and he had less than three feet to save his four.
Spieth stood for a second over the par putt, and calmly drilled it, to remain at 4 under at the time.
But clearly, the University of Texas product could hear some bystanders wagering on whether he would make his putt.
As soon as he sank it, he walked to the back of the green and told the pair that he overheard what they were up to.
“I appreciate the exchange of money and I’d be doing the same thing, but I could just hear you guys gambling, right off the back of the green,” Spieth said.
Boy have I missed watching Spieth play golf, it's great to be back…This exchange was AMAZING 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/C93ea8kcNO
StrackaLine offers hole-by-hole maps for the Hawaiian host of the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions.
Kapalua’s Plantation Course, site of this week’s 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions on the PGA Tour, was built in 1991 – the first course designed by the now-famous architecture duo of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.
The Plantation maxes out at 7,596 yards and a par of 73, with only one par 3 on the back nine. With several downhill tee shots and the possibility of drives rolling out past 400 yards, the course usually plays significantly shorter than the yardage might indicate.
Thanks to yardage books provided by StrackaLine – the maker of detailed yardage books for thousands of courses around the world – we can see exactly the challenges the pros face this week. Check out the maps of each hole below.
“I think the Masters Champions Dinner’s going to be a little tense compared to how it’s been in the past.”
Each year Jon Rahm sets some ambitious goals for the upcoming season, and a second major championship is at the top of his lofty list of things to accomplish in 2023.
One of Rahm’s best chances may come at the Masters, where he’s finished inside the top 10 in four of his six appearances, and the 2021 U.S Open champion can’t help but think of Augusta National as he looks to the year ahead.
“One thing I keep going back to, and it’s probably only funny to me, but I think the Masters Champions Dinner’s going to be a little tense compared to how it’s been in the past,” said Rahm with a laugh during his press conference ahead of the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions. “So I keep thinking about it because I wish I could be there and just be able to see how things work out. Too bad the U.S. Open doesn’t have one of those.”
Rahm and the rest of the players are curious how the year will play out after LIV Golf stormed onto the scene in 2022. The upstart circuit led by Greg Norman and backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund took some of the Tour’s best players and characters in its debut season, and Rahm thinks there’s more to come.
“Yeah, I mean, I think we all know where we stand. There’s still going to be players that choose to transition to LIV is my guess,” said Rahm. “But for a lot of us, I think we see the direction the PGA Tour is going towards, right? I mean, they’re making the necessary changes to adapt to the new age and I think it’s better for everybody.”
One of those adaptations is this week’s event in Hawaii. The Sentry Tournament of Champions is the first of the Tour’s newly-announced “elevated events” that feature smaller fields and larger payouts. This week’s field at Kapalua features 39 players playing for $15 million. Normally a tournament reserved for winners from the previous year, starting this year the TOC field also includes those who qualified for the previous season’s Tour Championship.
“I mean, it’s a very, very, very extensive bonus to be able to – exactly, only have to beat 38 players compared to any other event, right? And it’s earned by having an amazing year,” said Rahm. “I think it’s great that they’re allowing the people that make it to the Tour Championship to be here as well. Maybe change the name of the tournament since they haven’t won a tournament. But I don’t think the name matters too much. I think it’s right to have the best players of the year here, and making it to East Lake should be an accomplishment.”
Defending champion Cameron Smith won’t be back to defend his title after he took his talents to LIV Golf following a breakout 2022 season that included wins at the Players and Open Championship. The majors will be the only times that LIV players will cross paths with those still on the Tour, and despite his joke about the Champions Dinner, Rahm doesn’t think it will be that much different going forward.
“I think it’s going to be the same. I mean, I didn’t feel a difference in any of the majors last year. If somebody has a problem with LIV players, they’re just not going to deal with them and that’s about it,” Rahm explained. “In my mind, like I’ve said it before, I respect their choice and the ones I was friends with before I’m still going to be friends with, right? It doesn’t change the way I’m going to operate with them.
“So I think a lot of, let’s say, animosity, if there’s any, might be created more by (the media) than anything else. I don’t think there’s that much of a problem between players, at least in person, because if there is, they can avoid each other.”
The defending champion won’t be back in Kapalua in 2023.
The Sentry Tournament of Champions isn’t just for champions anymore. And that’s OK.
The first event on the PGA Tour in 2023 will have a field of 40 golfers, with 30 of them winners from 2022. There were 38 golfers in the field a year ago with all of them being tournament winners. There is an additional 10 golfers in the field this time around due a change in qualifications.
The tournament is set for Jan. 5-8 with coverage on NBC, Golf Channel, ESPN+ and Peacock.
Three of the four major winners from 2022 are set to tee it up, with Scottie Scheffler (Masters), Justin Thomas (PGA Championship) and Matthew Fitzpatrick (U.S. Open) in the fold. The only ’22 major winner who won’t be there is also the tournament’s defending champion.
Check out this list of things to know about the 2023 Sentry Tournament of Champions.
After a tight battle, there’s a new No. 1 among Hawaii’s public-access layouts.
It’s a tight race for the title of best public-access golf course in Hawaii, with the Four Seasons Resort’s Manele Course in Lanai having jumped ahead of Kapalua’s Plantation Course for the No. 1 spot on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list in 2022.
Built by Jack Nicklaus atop lava outcroppings and opened in 1991, the Manele Course features three holes atop cliffs above the Pacific Ocean. Besides being No. 1 among Hawaii’s public-access layouts, it ties for No. 32 among all modern courses built since 1960 in the U.S.
Golfweek’s Best offers many lists of course rankings, with the list of top public-access courses in each state among the most popular. All the courses on this list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time.
(m): Modern course, built in or after 1960 (c): Classic course, built before 1960
Note: If there is a number in the parenthesis with the m or c, that indicates where that course ranks among Golfweek’s Best top 200 modern or classic courses. Several of the private courses listed below do not qualify for those premium lists because they haven’t seen enough rater play in the past 10 years, but they are still eligible for the state-by-state lists.
The field full of winners didn’t disappoint in the first Tour event of 2022.
The PGA Tour’s return to competition this week featured a 38-player field full of winners and the boys didn’t disappoint.
It came down to the 72nd hole at the Plantation Course at Kapalua, where world No. 1 Jon Rahm and Australians Cam Smith and Matt Jones all broke the 30-under mark while vying for the title.
Smith stood on the par-5 18th tee at 33 under with a one-shot lead over playing partner Rahm and a two-shot advantage over Jones, who was in the group ahead. Jones made birdie to tie Rahm at 32 under, who like Smith found the fairway off the tee. Both players just missed the green with their approaches, but each still had a putt for eagle. Smith did well to lag his putt inside five feet and put the pressure on Rahm, who just missed his eagle attempt by a foot. The Spaniard tapped in for birdie to reach 33 under, leaving Smith a three-and-a-half footer for the win at 34 under, a new scoring record on Tour.
The win is Smith’s fourth on the PGA Tour, and continues an interesting trend of alternating victories between New Orleans and Hawaii. His first win was the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2017 with Jonas Blixt. His second came at the 2020 Sony Open in Hawaii. He then again won the Zurich last year with fellow Aussie Marc Leishman before his win this week at Kapalua.
“I think he’s going to be a tough guy to beat this weekend, but it’s not impossible.”
Overnight leader Cameron Smith remained atop the first page of the leaderboard through two rounds of the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
He has plenty of company.
In ideal scoring conditions – gentle breezes, soft greens, huge fairways, and preferred lies – players took apart the Plantation Course at Kapalua and set up a weekend ripe for a stampede full of birdies and eagles to Sunday’s finish line.
Smith, who overcame a slow start for the second consecutive day – he began bogey-bogey – stormed back with an eagle and nine birdies in his last 14 holes to sign for a 9-under-par 64 Friday to reach 17 under. That tied the 36-hole tournament scoring record first set by Ernie Els in 2003.
The field averaged a shade under 68 – the lowest mark since 1999.
“A few bad shots there the first couple of holes. I didn’t really feel that comfortable on the range this morning and it kind of showed those first couple,” Smith said. “Figured it out by the fourth or fifth and was able to get on a bit of a roll with the putter as well.
“I’ve been playing golf basically my whole life, I could figure it out pretty quickly, and like I said, I figured it out within a few holes, started to feel really comfortable there, especially with the driver. Then the putter felt good the whole day.”
Cameron Smith hits his tee shot on the 11th hole during the second round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions golf tournament at Kapalua Resort – The Plantation Course. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Closing with four consecutive birdies, Smith gave himself some breathing room on the stacked leaderboard. World No. 1 Jon Rahm (66-66) and Daniel Berger (66-66) are three shots back at 14 under.
“I think the wind being down obviously was a big factor,” Berger said of the scoring binge. “But it’s tough when you’re one of the last guys out and you see a bunch of low scores early. So it’s to be expected out here and you just kind of have to stay patient and know that the opportunities are going to come, and you have to take advantage when they do.”
Reigning PGA Tour Player of the Year Patrick Cantlay (66-67) is at 13 under.
Hideki Matsuyama (69-65) and Sungjai Im (67-67) are at 12 under.
Kevin Na, who will defend his 2021 title next week in the Sony Open (67-68) is at 11 under. Seven players finished at 10 under, including Brooks Koepka (68-68), 2019 Sentry champion Xander Schauffele (69-67), and Sam Burns (72-64).
Seven players are 9 under, including Bryson DeChambeau (69-68).
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Rahm was often heard muttering to himself about leaving many of his putts short. His pace improved on the back nine as he birdied three of his last five holes.
“It was really good tee to green. If there’s anything to put an asterisk on, it’s maybe putting,” Rahm said. “More than anything the speed, right? I feel like the greens were a little bit slower today. Me and Patrick (Cantlay) talked about it a little bit. It could have just been us, but it felt like they were a little bit slower and I just felt like I left a lot of putts out there on line that with the right speed might have had a chance of going in.
“But either way, still a solid round of golf.”
Cantlay had his woes with the putter, as well.
“I played great today and got absolutely nothing out of it,” he said. “I don’t think I made a putt outside maybe 4 or 5 feet. That just means my game’s in a good spot and I’m well-positioned for a good weekend.”
As is Matsuyama. The reigning Masters champion has had a major champion in his gallery through the first two days – 2021 U.S. Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso. Matsuyama made seven birdies and an eagle.
“I haven’t been practicing much so I didn’t really have high expectations but hopefully I can play well on the weekend. If I can hit some good drives and make some putts I think I’ll be OK.
“I don’t know if (Saso) learned much from me, but I’m definitely happy that she would want to follow me and watch me play.”
Berger was paired with Smith in the second round, which paid dividends.
Daniel Berger hits his tee shot on the 14th hole during the second round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions golf tournament at Kapalua Resort – The Plantation Course. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
“Cameron had a tough start and then he pulled it together on the kind of the end of the back nine,” Berger said. “And it’s always easy to play with someone when they’re making a ton of birdies and you’re seeing balls go in the hole and he made every putt he looked at today.
“I think he’s going to be a tough guy to beat this weekend, but it’s not impossible.”
What is possible is one player equaling or breaking Els’ tournament mark of 31 under set in 2003. But Smith isn’t thinking about that.
“I’m just trying to do the best I can, to be honest,” he said. “I’m worried about one shot at a time. Those records are cool and stuff, but I’m just trying to do my best I can every shot.
“There’s going to be low scores. There always is around here. And I’ve just got to prepare for that the best I can and hopefully have a good weekend.”
After 13 top-10s in 24 worldwide starts, Collin Morikawa says “I think the consistency factor wasn’t quite there.”
Collin Morikawa had a historical 2021.
When he claimed the Claret Jug in the British Open at Royal St. George’s, he became the only player in history to win two different major championship debuts. He also joined Gene Sarazen, Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth as the only players in the past 100 years to win multiple majors before turning 25.
And he became the first American to win the Race to Dubai when he won the DP World Tour Championship. He also won the WGC-Workday Championship at the Concession and was 3-0-1 and clinched the U.S. victory in his Ryder Cup debut.
Still, the world No. 2 wasn’t satisfied.
“It wasn’t everything that I wanted,” he said ahead of the start of the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. “I think the consistency factor wasn’t quite there to what I’ve kind of harped on since turning pro.”
This coming from a guy who had 13 top-10s in 24 worldwide starts.
“Looking back there’s a lot of positives which I’m definitely going to make sure I continue to kind of feed off. I think you, that’s a big thing is, not just look at the negatives and not look at the down sides but is to look at the positives of what I’ve done well, and I’ve definitely been able to do that and how do improve from that,” Morikawa added. “But there’s also a lot of aspects that I want to keep working on and that’s what’s great about what we do.”
A laid-back Collin Morikawa visits the media Wednesday at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. pic.twitter.com/p4U748n4Ag
Never being satisfied has fueled the 24-year-old, who capped his year by getting engaged to longtime girlfriend, Katherine Zhu. He’s always tinkering, always looking to improve, always looking for another triumph.
Drive for No. 1
After a long break, Morikawa starts work again Thursday on the Plantation Course at Kapalua, where he’s tied for seventh in each of his two previous starts. And among the many goals he’s aiming for is to become No. 1 in the world.
“It’s been a dream my entire life to get to No. 1 in the world, but it’s not just about getting to No. 1, it’s about sustaining that,” he said.
There are five scenarios this week in which Morikawa can overtake world No. 1 Jon Rahm, one being if he were to win and Rahm finishes worse than solo second.
“It’s all in my control. All I can do is try and win the tournament and that’s all I’m going to focus on,” Morikawa said. “It’s a huge goal, it always has been, and it means something that when you do get there it means you’re doing something right or at least a good amount of things right. It’s just about continuing that process and it’s not like that’s a peak, that I get to No. 1 and I can go retire and relax on the beach, like there are still so much things that I’m going to keep pushing myself when that, if or when that does happen.”
Harris English took the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua, edging Joaquin Niemann in a playoff on Sunday.
He needed an extra hole, but Harris English took the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua, edging Joaquin Niemann in a playoff on Sunday.
English came into the final round atop the leaderboard, but made the turn at an even 36 and fell out of the lead. He didn’t go away, however, using a stretch of birdies on the back to press Niemann, who had passed him.
English, who hadn’t won on Tour since 2013 at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, lipped out a birdie putt on No. 16 that would have pushed him back into a tie for the lead with Niemann. He made par on 17, meaning he needed a birdie on the final hole to force a playoff or an eagle to win outright.
After a booming drive, English used the Hawaiian breeze to his advantage, shaping a shot to inside 10 feet, but then missed the putt, forcing a playoff.
He didn’t make the same mistake twice, however, draining a birdie in the playoff to capture the crown after Niemann missed the green and made par.
Niemann posted six birdies on the front nine and three more on the back in finishing the day with a 63 to post a four-day total of 25 under.
Niemann seemed unfazed by challenges, as he has in most events to start the new season. The Chilean product had five top-25 finishes in six full-field events to start the 2020-21 season, and continued with the hot hand in Maui. His only victory on Tour came at the now-defunct A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier back in 2019.
But Thomas was focused on Sunday, playing solid golf to maneuver his way near the top. He missed a short birdie putt on No. 16, however, and finished two strokes back, barely failing to win for the third time in this event. He captured the crown in 2017 and 2020.
Xander Schauffele finished at 21 under while Bryson DeChambeau used a six-foot eagle putt on the final hole to fire his best round of the week, a 66, and finish at 20 under. He said after the round that he was happy with his performance, but it didn’t accomplish what he set out to do.
“I wouldn’t say fully satisfied. I was coming here to win,” DeChambeau said. “… But I learned a lot about my game, my speed and what I have to do to keep it in the fairway and to make sure I give myself some opportunities.”
