GOLF: SENTRY TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS PREVIEW

THE 2021-22 PGA TOUR SEASON RESUMES THIS EVENING AT THE SENTRY TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS ON THE MAGNIFICENT HAWAIIAN ISLAND OF MAUI. THE PLANTATION COURSE AT KAPALUA WILL STAGE THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOR A 23RD CONSECUTIVE YEAR AND ONCE AGAIN WE ARE REMINDED OF THAT EPIC DUEL IN 2000 BETWEEN TIGER WOODS AND ERNIE ELS.

THIS YEAR THE EVENT IS THE FIRST OFFICIAL EVENT OF THE CALENDAR YEAR ON ANY TOUR AND HAS A SERIOUSLY STRONG FIELD HEADLINED BY WORLD NUMBER ONE JON RAHM, WORLD NUMBER TWO COLLIN MORIKAWA, BROOKS KOEPKA, BRYSON DECHAMBEAU, THE MASTERS CHAMPION HIDEKI MATSUYAMA, PGA CHAMPION PHIL MICKELSON, JORDAN SPIETH, JUSTIN THOMAS, FEDEX CUP CHAMPION PATRICK CANTLAY, VIKTOR HOVLAND, PATRICK REED AND TONY FINAU. 

WORLD NUMBER ONE RAHM WILL BE LOOKING TO EMULATE HIS COMPATRIOT SERGIO GARCIA AND LIFT THE TITLE HERE AND PULL AWAY FROM COLLIN MORIKAWA AT THE TOP OF THE OFFICIAL WORLD GOLF RANKINGS. MORIKAWA CLAIMED THE DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP IN NOVEMBER AND HAD THE CHANCE TO TAKE WORLD NUMBER ONE FROM RAHM AT THE HERO WORLD CHALLENGE LAST MONTH, BUT A FINAL ROUND COLLAPSE SAW THE YOUNG AMERICAN MISS THAT CHANCE.

YET AGAIN THERE IS MUCH TALK OF THE 'SAUDI BACKED SUPER GOLF LEAGUE', WITH JORDAN SPIETH SAYING IT IS A THREAT TO THE PGA TOUR, AND NUMEROUS PLAYERS IN THIS WEEK'S FIELD HAVE CONFIRMED THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE UPCOMING SAUDI INTERNATIONAL NEXT MONTH. THE FIELD FOR THE ASIAN TOUR FLAGSHIP EVENT IS SET TO BE ONE OF THE STRONGEST EVER OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES OR THE UK. SHANK WILL PUBLISH AN EXCLUSIVE FEATURE ON THIS AND THE FUTURE OF GOLF CALLED 'GIVING THE GAME A SHEIKH UP' ON THE SUNDAY PRIOR TO THE SAUDI INTERNATIONAL, AND WE WILL HAVE COVERAGE ALL WEEK OF THE EVENT AS THE ASIAN TOUR ANNOUNCES ITS FUTURE PLANS.

BACK TO HAWAII AND DESPITE THE COURSE BEING EXPOSED TO THE WIND AND NUMEROUS ELEVATED GREENS AND TEES, IT CONSISTENTLY GETS TORN APART BY THE BEST IN THE WORLD, WITH THE RECORD-LOW 72-HOLE PGA TOUR SCORE BEING SHOT HERE BY ERNIE ELS IN 2003 when he shot a remarkable 31-under-par to win by 8 shots. THE WINNING SCORE HAS BEEN -20 OR LOWER ON 14 OCCASIONS SINCE THE TOURNAMENT MOVED HERE FROM LA COSTA NEAR SAN DIEGO IN 1999.

NORWEGIAN VIKTOR HOVLAND IS MY PICK FOR THIS WEEK, HE HAS PLAYED WELL, CONSISTENTLY FOR THE LAST 18 MONTHS AND HIS WIN AT THE WORLDWIDE TECHNOLOGY CHAMPIONSHIP AT MAYAKOBA, IN MEXICO SHOWED HE HASN'T SUFFERED ANY HANGOVER FROM BEING PART OF EUROPE'S DISMAL RYDER CUP DEFEAT AT WHISTLING STRAITS. HIS GAME IS SUITED TO ALMOST ANYWHERE AND HE HAS SHOWN HE CAN GO LOW WHEN REQUIRED, WITH ALL HIS WINS ON THE PGA TOUR SECURED WITH A WINNING SCORE OF -20 OR LOWER.

WITH NO SERIOUS GOLF TAKING PLACE ON THE DP WORLD TOUR SINCE THE MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER, AND NOBODY REALLY PAYING ANY ATTENTION TO ANYTHING ON THE PGA TOUR AFTER RORY'S WIN IN LAS VEGAS A WEEK EARLIER IT WILL, FOR ONCE, BE GREAT TO SIT BACK AND WATCH THIS TOURNAMENT. IT FEELS LIKE GOLF HAS TAKEN A MUCH NEEDED BREAK FROM THE CONSTANT WEEK-IN-WEEK-OUT SLOG OF TOURNAMENT AFTER TOURNAMENT, SEASON AFTER SEASON.

AND WITH SCOTLAND ENDURING A LONG, COLD AND DARK WINTER IT WILL BE BRILLIANT TO SEE SOME SUNSHINE, I HAVE ALMOST FORGOTTEN WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE! ITS SUCH A SHAME HEAT DOESN'T COME THROUGH THE SCREEN!

LIVE COVERAGE OF THE SENTRY TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS IS ON SKY SPORTS GOLF AT THE FOLLOWING TIMES OVER THE WEEKEND:

THURSDAY 8.15PM SKY SPORTS GOLF, 11PM SKY SPORTS MAIN EVENT
FRIDAY 8.15PM SKY SPORTS GOLF, 9.30PM SKY SPORTS MAIN EVENT
SATURDAY 8.15PM SKY SPORTS GOLF, 8.30PM SKY SPORTS MAIN EVENT
SUNDAY 6.30PM SKY SPORTS GOLF

KEY TEE-TIMES