Sentry Tournament of Champions predictions: Im can shine in Hawaii
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&w=707&quality=100)
- Plenty of the world's top players are in Hawaii, including two-time winner Justin Thomas and 2016 victor Jordan Spieth
- Cameron Smith won in 2022 but the Australian is not taking part this year
- Recommended bet: Sungjae Im to win outright
The event has had its status 'elevated' this year — there is a $2.7m first prize up for grabs — and some of the best players in the world are set to battle it out early on in 2023 as they look to make a winning start to the season.
Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay are among the players to have entered the Sentry, while Hideki Matsuyama and Matt Fitzpatrick are also in attendance.
Rahm, who won the DP World Tour Championship in November, has finished in the top 10 in his last five tournaments and will be a popular choice for Sentry glory. He has twice been runner-up at the Plantation Course, most recently last year, despite carding an incredible 33-under-par total.
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A lack of wind 12 months ago meant a birdie fest when Cameron Smith eventually pipped Rahm by a shot, but there is more breeze in the forecast for this week.
Spieth eyes repeat of 2016 victory
Jordan Spieth may fancy his chances of upsetting the market leaders in the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Spieth has performed well on this course in the past and is ideally suited to its challenge.
The undulating terrain and uneven lies mean players have to rely on instinct, touch and feel more than usual, and naturals like Spieth are in their element, especially when there are some crosswinds thrown into the equation, too.
On his first Kapalua visit in 2014, Spieth was beaten by just a shot, finishing runner-up. On his return two years later, the Golden Boy cruised to an eight-shot success, destroying the field with a masterclass.
And his title defence was solid, too, with a third-place finish in 2017. Given form figures of 2-1-3 from his first three Kapalau starts, Spieth, who is 22/1 with LiveScore Bet for outright glory, may not deserve to be so deep in the betting.
He took great heart from ending up as top scorer in the Presidents Cup at the end of September and stayed relatively active last month while lots of his rivals had their feet up.
Im can make up for recent near-misses
Sungjae Im did everything but win in the second half of last year and the Korean could avenge all of those near-misses with Sentry glory.
Im finished runner-up in the 3M Open, the Wyndham Championship and the Tour Championship, consistently appearing on leaderboards from the end of July onwards.
Last time out, in the Hero World Challenge, he improved his score each round on his way to eighth place. Given the level of comfort Im has in his game, it is reasonable to expect him to dust the Christmas cobwebs away quicker than many in this field.
The 24-year-old got married just before Christmas and may build on that personal joy with some early-season professional success. He has finished fifth and eighth in his two previous Kapalua visits.
The two-time PGA Tour champion is well suited to the demands of the Plantation Course, where his scrambling skills are important, and he looks good value at 18/1 with LiveScore Bet to come out on top.