Power Rankings: The Sentry

When it’s time to emerge from the hustle and bustle of the holidays, there isn’t a better place for it than Maui. It’s where the PGA TOUR embarks on its 2025 season at The Sentry.

As it has since 1999, the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort serves as the stage for one of the most exclusive fields in golf. Sixty entrants are guaranteed four rounds on the only par 73 of the 46 tournaments on the schedule. What they can expect, what’s up for grabs and more are detailed below the ranking of those projected to contend for the first trophy of the new season.

Oh, and happy New Year!

The western slope of Maui ain’t too shabby a spot to dust off any rust and regenerate the competitive juices. The Sentry also is the first of eight Signature Events, so along with the promise of 72 holes is 700 FedExCup points awaiting the champion. He’ll also bank $3.6 million of the $20-million prize fund. And as the first winner of 2025, he’ll be exempt into all remaining Signature Events if he isn’t already, and he’ll be the first to qualify for The Sentry in 2026.

Although a committed field of five dozen beats last year’s record by one, it’s still four short of capacity. The 2024 FedExCup champion and PGA TOUR Player of the Year, Scottie Scheffler, is sitting out a few weeks to allow an injured right hand to heal. This also is the 14th time that Rory McIlroy has qualified, but he’s appeared just once (in 2019). Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry are the others taking a pass.

Kapalua boasts the full boat of four par 5s, but there are only three par 3s, so the respective pars are 36 and 37. The course has tipped at 7,596 yards for all six editions since it was renovated. Last year’s scoring average of 68.364 included a final-round split of 66.661 (or 6.339 strokes under par). Since PGA TOUR records have been kept in earnest (1983-present), it’s the lowest single-round score in relation to par on any course in any tournament. A grind this is not.

Given its exposure to the Pacific Ocean, wind always is the primary challenge among the elements. It’s expected to greet the field with some push from easterly directions that align with trade winds before laying down mid-tournament. The long-range forecast includes a chance for southwesterly breezes by Sunday, but that threat is barely worth the mention. Rain can never be ruled out across most of Hawaii on most days, but it’s not expected to be a nuisance at any time.

Because of the extremes, the large Bermudagrass greens shouldn’t exceed 11 feet on the Stimpmeter. So, with fairways wide enough to give 20-handicappers reason to smile and sizable targets on approach, Kapalua continues to fulfill its reputation as the scorer’s paradise that all cherish right out of the gate.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

PGATOUR.com’s Rob Bolton previews and recaps every tournament from numerous perspectives. Look for his following contributions as scheduled.

MONDAY: Power Rankings
TUESDAY*: Fantasy Insider
SUNDAY: Payouts and Points, Qualifiers

*Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by PGA TOUR Superstore, which also publishes on Tuesday.