It’s great to see tournament golf in Hawaii. It’s even better when the tournament is sanctioned by the PGA Tour and features only those players that have had a win in the previous season. Marking its 13th consecutive PGA Tour stop the Hyundai Tournament of Champions (TOC) is a nice way for golf to begin in 2015. Part of the wraparound 14/15 season the Hawaii stop still gifts 500 FedEx Cup points to the winner, but for most of the players it’s a chance to blow out the cobwebs after a holiday break.
Although some notable players are missing out – Rory, Rose, Scott, and Kaymer – to name but a few, the field still features a strong list of (obviously winners) but also seven of the top twenty ranked players.
The Course
The Plantation Course at Kapalua measures 7,452 yards, with just three Par 3’s. The course has views of sea and mountain in West Maui. The wind can get up on the exposed course but more often than not it’s hot for all four days. The course is one of the first Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw collaborations.
The Sound Bites
“I know you can count on the weather being perfect out there,” he said. “Plus, coming from the East Coast, it gets me a little more acclimated to West Coast time and closer to Hawaii time.” – Matt Kuchar explaining why he’s making the trip
“I feel like the only thing I did was work out. I was really focused on trying to get in good shape and get this year off to a good start.” – Jason Day leaving out his anniversary when outlining his holiday period.
The Defending Champion
Zach Johnson was the defending champion when we last previewed a PGA Tour event, and he’s also the defending champion of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
The Contenders*
Matt Kuchar – $8.00
Russell Henley – $9.00
Jimmy Walker – $9.00
Zach Johnson – $13
Sang-Moon Bae – $15.00
Geoff Ogilvy – $126.00
*Hyundai Tournament of Champions odds courtesy of Sportsbet Australia.
The Winner
It’s likely to be a very low score that wins this week so look for guys that are consistent in all facets of their game. Games that can’t gather too much rust. That’s why we’re picking Zach Johnson to go back to back. We’ll also throw some money at two time winner and Aussie favourite Geoff Ogilvy.
Betfair:
Bet on Henrik Stenson to become the BMW PGA Championship Winner.
Paddypower:
Back Australia to take the Ashes home with them.
Betway:
Back Rafael Nadal to become the Mens French Open Winner.
Coral:
Back One For Arthur to win the Grand National.
Bet365:
Back Mexico to win the Confederations Cup.
