The Tournament of Champions, which in today’s time is known as The Sentry, is a signature event of the PGA Tour that tees off as the first event of a new calendar year. Since the beginning, the events have showcased the best of golfers, including the past season winners and top 50 ranks from the FedExCup points. Not only is this event a great opportunity, but gives a great head-start to golfers at the beginning of the season with higher points.
The event’s name, dating back to 1953 was determined solely by the qualification criteria. Later in 2018, it was renamed from The Tournament of Champions to The Sentry. A five-year contract was signed in 2018 between Sentry Insurance and the PGA Tour for the title sponsor for the event. Eventually, it was extended to 2035.
In 2020, the PGA Tour announced the contract extension. The Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Sentry, Pete McPartland, shared his views on the partnership, “One of the smartest decisions we’ve ever made was to align ourselves with the PGA TOUR.” Even apart from the tournament, the sponsor has worked to benefit the community, for which the CEO further shared, “We’re excited about what the future holds for both the PGA TOUR and our event. We’ll continue to work with the TOUR on elevating our championship in ways that will benefit the game and the island of Maui, which we consider our second home.”
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Though Sentry is the prominent name on the sponsor’s list, many other organizations have joined to be part of the event and support the people of Maui Island. The list of sponsors for the signature event includes Kapalua Golf, Hawaii Tourism Authority, Coldwell Banker, County of Maui, Gemini, Maui Gold Pineapple Company, and Mauna Loa.
Besides the local organization, the list includes global brands as well including, Pepsi, Goodfellow Bros., Hyatt Regency, Petrossian, Plantation Estates, ServPro, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, The Sheraton, The Ritz Carlton, and The Westin. The sponsors, apart from just supporting golf, are also taking part in supporting Maui Island.
For the golf community, it is among the eight signature events on the PGA Tour which offers 700 points to the winner along with a grand purse value. The Sentry teeing off from January 2 with the grand purse of $20 million at stake. Top players following their significant performance in the 2024 season will be hitting the greens in the 2025 season’s first against each other.
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Who are the players to look out for at the Sentry 2025?
With the event getting closer, there has been some bad news for the fans as Scottie Scheffler, because of injury, has withdrawn his name. He has joined the list of players including Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Tiger Woods, Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth, and Tom Kim. Besides the players not available or qualified for the signature events, the event will feature the top 60 players who, as a fan, you should not miss.
Xander Schauffele being the top preference after Scottie Scheffler is still playing the Sentry. The two major title winners in 2024 and contenders for the PGA Tour Player of the Year awards will be aiming to start strong this year to clinch the award. There was a tough competition between both the players, but the latter-year victories for Scheffler helped him get the award. Nevertheless, the new year will require a new beginning at the top.
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Apart from him, Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, Shane Lowry, Adam Scott, Viktor Hovland, and Ludvig Aberg are some players having the attention at the course. While, not to forget the defending champion, Chris Kirk too will be featuring at the event. Last season he started strongly to end his 8-year drought, though this year too he will aim to defend his title.
Because of the long festive break, the fans are eager to witness the golfers at the course. While some names are missing at the first event, the others will definitely showcase the best of golf. What are your thoughts on the Sentry 2025 players list? Who do you think will take the championship this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.