WiretoWire: Kirk conquers Kapalua

Kirk kicks off the season with win

Chris Kirk clinched a one-shot victory at The Sentry with a final round 8-under 65, securing his sixth PGA TOUR title. His win at The Sentry comes less than a year removed from winning the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches (formerly The Honda Classic) in February 2023 for his first TOUR title in nearly eight years. Kirk’s clutch 5-iron to 2 feet into the 17th green set him apart, giving him a stroke lead over Sahith Theegala. Kirk claims the first tournament of the 2024 Opening Drive, as well as winning the TOUR’s inaugural Signature Event. The victory guarantees Kirk a spot in the Masters and a return trip to Kapalua next year, as well as setting him up with 700 FedExCup points to start this season. Kirk's win is a testament to his resilience and adds another significant achievement to his career. Additionally, Sungjae Im, who holds the record for most birdies in a PGA TOUR season with 498 (2021), set the PGA TOUR record for birdies in a 72-hole event with 34 birdies across the week.

Waialae welcomes Opening Drive

The PGA TOUR’s Opening Drive continues with the first Full-Field Event of the 2024 FedExCup season at the Sony Open in Hawaii, contested at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii. Opening Drive is a two-week kick-off to the TOUR’s schedule, and it will start by showcasing an elite field on a venue that stands alone for its creative design and scenic views. Gary Woodland will make his return to the PGA TOUR action, his first start since undergoing brain surgery last September. There are plenty of past winners in the field, including Hideki Matsuyama, Matt Kuchar, and last year’s champion Si Woo Kim, who will look to become the first to go back-to-back since Jimmy Walker in 2014-15. The Sony Open in Hawaii offers the first opportunity for last season’s Korn Ferry Tour graduates to start on TOUR in 2024. Waialae Country Club is a par 70 and plays to 7,044 yards. The Honolulu course is one of the TOUR’s longest-tenured host venues. The winner in Hawaii will take home 500 FedExCup points.

Opening Grid: Play our new game

Welcome to "Opening Grid," PGATOUR.COM’s newest game to celebrate the start of the 2024 season. Opening Grid is part of Opening Drive, the two-week celebration of the start of the new season. This grid game will allow you to test your knowledge and learn more about the players competing in The Sentry and Sony Open in Hawaii.

Video of the week

Mic check

"I'm enjoying the work, I love it, I didn't have that for a while and to be back to loving what I do, I love the process of working to be the best player that I can when I'm working on that, and then, like you said, working on being as good of a father and husband as I can when I'm off the golf course. It's a constant process and I'm just loving every minute of it." – Chris Kirk after winning The Sentry. Kirk was named the recipient of the PGA TOUR Courage Award in 2023.

By the numbers

34 - Sungjae Im set the PGA TOUR birdie record at The Sentry, carding 34 birdies at Kapalua, the most in a 72-hole TOUR event on record.

2 - Scottie Scheffler won the Jack Nicklaus Award as the PGA TOUR Player of the Year for the 2022-23 season for the second consecutive year, making him the first player to win Player of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons since Tiger Woods won the award in three straight years from 2005-07.

35 -Eric Cole earned Rookie of the Year honors, receiving the Arnold Palmer Award at age 35.

COMCAST BUSINESS TOUR TOP 10

The Comcast Business TOUR Top 10 highlights and rewards the extraordinary level of play required to earn a spot in the TOP 10 at the conclusion of the FedExCup Regular Season as determined by the FedExCup standings. The competition recognizes and awards the most elite in golf.