2025 PGA Picks: Sentry Tournament of Champions Odds and Expert Betting Predictions

I'd like to know if the PGA will play the opening round of the Tournament of Champions on New Year's Day in 2026. However, many may be surprised to see golf on their television screens on January 2. It comes at the perfect time, because the postseason in the NFL hasn't started, and the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff wrap up the night prior.

We all have our criticisms of the PGA Tour, but starting the year in the majestic Maui mountains with a tournament that lives up to its name. The Sentry, also known as the Tournament of Champions, is precisely that. You have to win to get in. Well, if you're someone like Justin Thomas, who hasn't won since the PGA Championship in 2022, we can make a hole for a two-time Sentry winner. Pardon the military term and accidental pun.

Sitting atop the leaderboard with Thomas are his fellow Americans, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, and Patrick Cantlay. 

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The Sentry Tournament of Champions Winner Betting Odds

Xander Schauffele: +750

Justin Thomas: +1000

Collin Morikawa: +1400

Ludvig Aberg: +1800

Sungjae Im: +2000

Hideki Matsuyama: +2200

Sahith Theegala: +3000

Akshay Bhatia: +3300

Byeong Hun An: +3500

J.T. Poston: +4000

Brian Harman: +5500

Maverick McNealy: +6000

Plantation Course at Kapalua: Course Characteristics

The Plantation Course at Kapalua is one of the few par 73s on the PGA Tour, but don't for a moment think this is a challenging course by professional standards. One might assume so, with it being the Tournament of Champions and all, but no.

The Plantation Course consistently ranks as the easiest course of any on the Tour. It isn't a coast course, and there are zero water hazards. However, sand traps are everywhere, nearly 100 in total over the 18 holes.

One might think that with an easy course with wide fairways, the heavy hitters would dominate, and while they usually do well, less powerful ball strikers do just fine, as the Bermudagrass putting greens are not overly complex.

The Sentry Tournament of Champions Betting Picks

Justin Thomas: +1000

Thomas took a short break after placing 14th at the Tour Championship in late Summer. Then he made two appearances in the FedEx Cup Fall, snagging a 2nd place finish at the ZOZO Championship and, most recently, 3rd at the Hero World Challenge.

Thomas's course history is outstanding here. He has two 3rd place finishes and a 5th over his previous five starts to go along with his two victories.

Collin Morikawa: +1400

No other golfer in the field this week is due for a Sentry win more than SoCal’s Morikawa. In his five starts here over the past five years, he has finishes of 7th, 7th, 5th, 2nd, and 3rd. Like Thomas, Morikawa has virtually no weaknesses.

Akshay Bhatia: +3300

Akshay Bhatia is a name you may not have heard of, but it wouldn't have been much longer. Another LA kid at just 22 years old is too young to be scared. You can tell the youthful testosterone flows freely through his veins as he stands at 6'1 and 130 pounds.

Jokes aside, Bhatia has two PGA Tour victories before the age of 23. He's as dangerous as anyone this week with the lethal combination of youth and skill.

The Sentry Tournament of Champions Prop Bet

J.T. Poston Top 20 Finish: +125

North Carolina native J.T. Poston finished 5th here in 2023 and is currently playing some of the hottest golf of his career. Poston wrapped up 2024 by winning the Shriners Children's Open and finishing 5th at the RSM Classic.

He has finishes of 11th and 21st in his other two starts at Kapalua. I love the value here on Poston to grab a top-20 finish.

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