Masters Hero Returns to Action in Hawaii
Dustin Johnson has not competed since slipping into the Green Jacket in the middle of November, but the Masters champion is back in action this week for the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course, Kapalua, Hawaii.
Johnson, runaway victor at Augusta to claim his second Major title, has admitted he is feeling rusty after his long break. He has been holidaying and celebrating after the best year of his career – spending some of his FedEx Cup booty – and may need a round or two before finding his A-game.
If Johnson clicks into gear straight away, though, the rest of the field could be in trouble – the favourite is a two-time Kapalua champion who carded a 24-under-par total in 2018 on his way to an eight-shot triumph.
Johnson can be backed at 6/1 to complete a Sentry hat-trick on Sunday. His first Kapalua victory came by four shots in 2013.
Defending Champ Thomas Sure to be Popular
Another member of the elite with a superb record at Kapalua is Justin Thomas, who won by three shots in 2017, then triumphed again last year, defeating Patrick Reed and Xander Schauffele in a playoff, bravely making birdie at the third extra hole.
Thomas is available at 13/2 for a third Sentry success this week. Unlike Johnson, Thomas kept himself active after the Masters, finishing 12th in the Mayakoba Classic before competing in the Father-Son PNC Championship with his dad Mike.
Thomas senior and Thomas junior won the PNC Championship, providing a pre-Christmas fillip for the world number three, and he could build on that form with another bold effort in the Sentry.
Hawaii has been a happy hunting ground for Thomas throughout his career. Four years ago, he followed Tournament of Champions glory with victory in the Sony Open a week later, opening the event with a round of 59.
Reed Set to Hit the Ground Running
Johnson and many others may be full of rust, while only 15 players in this 42-man field have competed on the Plantation Course since it underwent a renovation after the 2019 edition. Patrick Reed backers do not need to fret about such issues though – Captain America, as he likes to be known, has been working hard on his game and is proven on the course.
Reed teed up in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, which finished on December 13, and he contended throughout on his way to third place. In that event, his scrambling was incredible, with him seemingly getting up and down no matter how errant his approach shots. And that short-game class always stands him in great stead at Kapalua, where the greens are large, undulating and often windswept.
Reed won the Tournament of Champions in 2015, was second the following year, then lost a playoff 12 months ago to Thomas. The Texan is ultra-comfortable on this terrain and will attract plenty of interest at 14/1.
*All odds correct at time of writing
