The year is in for an exciting start! The golf world is all set to witness the start of 2024 in grand fashion as The Sentry gets ready to kick off on January 4. Moreover, the tournament would be hosted at the Plantation Course at Kapalua on Maui. Besides, being the first event on the PGA Tour calendar, it is a much-anticipated one boasting top golfers on tour.

The competition would consist of a field of a total of 59 golfers duking it out against each other for glory and trophy. However, they would also keep an eye out for a cut from the total prize pool of $20 million. But, what intrigues the community is the details of the field, or more specifically, who are the top contenders that can lift the cup!

Top contenders for the 2024 Sentry

The hype surrounding the tournament is slowly building up as a total of 59 talented athletes aim to battle it out on the greens. Players who are part of the top 50 in FedEx, past winners except for Jon Rahm owing to his defection, and the top 30 on the OWGR along with exemptions would grace the no-cut limited-field event. Although such a talented list of golfers would be participating, there would indubitably be some crowd favorites.

1. Scottie Scheffler: Possibly one of the most celebrated golfers at the moment, Scheffler has cemented his position as the best in the world on the OWGR since March 2022, a total of 68 weeks as world No.1. What’s more, fresh off a win at the Hero World Challenge, he has increased his tally of top ten finishes in 2023 to 17 in December. With a total of six wins on the PGA Tour, the 27-year-old would be hoping to start off 2024 with a bang, all the while increasing his lead on the rankings. A true fan favorite to win the event!

2. Viktor Hovland: The Norwegian athlete had already won the hearts of many through his performance at the Ryder Cup. However, he followed the same with two top-10 placements in December, at the Hero World Challenge and the DP World Tour Championship, the latter in which he finished as a runner-up. Currently, at No.4 on the world rankings, a win would increase the number of his PGA Tour wins while closing the gap with Rahm, who is placed just above him at No.3. He would surely aim to clinch the trophy!

3. Ludvig Aberg: Although he only has a single win on the PGA Tour, the 24-year-old was able to bag the very same at the RSM Classic in November. In addition, the Swede finished T3 at the Grant Thornton Invitational along with Madelene Sagstrom last month, all the while scoring 24-under 192 over the three days with his partner. The current world No.29 had a spectacular 2023 with a total of 4 top-10 finishes and he would be aiming for an even better year as the winner of the final PGA Tour official event in 2023 takes on the remaining field of golfers.

4. Matt Fitzpatrick: Fresh off a T4 finish at the Hero World Challenge, the Englishman would be hoping to carry forward his momentum to 2024. Although his last win came from the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October, he was able to maintain his spot on the OWGR at the 8th position with his spectacular finishes. Besides, the 29-year-old would be hoping to outperform his 2023 self, who finished in the top 10 a total of six times, including a win at the RBC Heritage. Surely a fan favorite to win the event.

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5. Brian Harman: The 36-year-old would undoubtedly be a tough opponent to crack in the field. Moreover, he would surely be full of confidence following his T8 finish at the Hero World Challenge last month. The current world No.9 and 1X major champion is indubitably a talented athlete on the greens and a top contender to win the trophy!

The Plantation Course at Kapalua: The Maui challenge

The layout has been designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, keeping in mind the exquisite location of the West Maui mountains and its beautiful ocean views. Located over an area of 7596 yards, the par-73 course provides an ample challenge for the professionals while boasting a player-friendly fairway for the average golfer.

The course has been home to The Sentry since 1999 and has been extremely well maintained. It also boasts a sister ground, The Bay Course, in addition to the existing layout. Well, one thing is for sure, the golf world is in for a scintillating weekend, courtesy of Maui.

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