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The 2023 portion of the golf season is set to get underway this week with the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua on the island of Maui in Hawai’i. The TOC features a field of 39 players who qualified for the event by either winning on the Tour last year or by qualifying for the 2022 TOUR Championship.
Jon Rahm is the tournament favorite at +600, but there’s plenty of star power at the top of the board with Scottie Scheffler (+750), Patrick Cantlay (+1000), Justin Thomas (+1000) and Xander Schauffele (+1000) right behind the Spaniard.
We have seen some short prices cash at Kapalua in the recent past, but three of the last four winners – including 2022 champion Cam Smith – went off at +2000 or longer, so that’s where we’ll focus our attention.
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Sungjae Im of Korea chips on the third hole Getty ImagesSentry Tournament of Champions golf picks and predictions
Sungjae Im (+2000, BetMGM)
No player in the field averages more birdies per round at this event (min. 8 rounds) than Sungjae Im, who is flying a little under the radar because of the star power at the top of the board. Im has finished T5 and T8 in his two appearances in Kapalua and should have no problem contending with the elite players in this field.
Hideki Matsuyama (+4000, FanDuel)
This is a play on the number more than anything, as Hideki Matsuyama obviously has a lot of win equity in a 39-player field, no matter how many elite players are competing. Matsuyama’s putting issues could come home to roost at a course with gigantic greens that puts an emphasis on the short game, but if his dynamite approach game is clicking he should be able to put himself in scoring positions throughout the weekend.
Hideki Matsuyama of Japan plays his shot on the 11th hole during the third round of the CJ Cup Getty ImagesGet the lowdown on the Best Sports Betting Sites and Apps
MacKenzie Hughes (+10000, FanDuel)
Kapalua is the perfect course to start the year because it’s incredibly friendly to scoring. The fairways are gigantic, and the greens are enormous, which turns this into a bit of a putting contest by the time all is said and done. In that case, there’s reason to back a player like MacKenzie Hughes, who can get hot with the putter and won’t have trouble keeping up with the field off the tee. It’s unlikely that Hughes is able to beat out a field with this many stars, but if his putter gets hot he’ll give you a good run for your money at these long odds. You could also make a similar argument for JT Poston at the same number.
