After a few weeks off, the PGA TOUR returns with the Sentry Tournament of Champions from The Plantation Course in Kapalua on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

And with an invite-only field of 39 players (winners from the 2022 calendar year and those who qualified for the TOUR Championship), it’s a great week for golf betting.

Warm and calm conditions and a relatively easy course have typically led to very low scores. Since 2015, the winning score has been better than 20-under every year except for one, (when strong winds prevailed), and last year’s event was won with a tournament record score of 34-under.

As of Tuesday, at the BetMGM online sportsbook, Justin Thomas, who has golf odds of +1100 to win, is the most popular play, pulling in the most bets (14.5%) and most handle (23.9%). Sungjae Im (+2000) is right behind him with 13.5% of the tickets and 16.9% of the handle.

Both players make a ton of birdies and have the ability to go low every time they tee it up.

During the 2021-22 season, Thomas was second on TOUR in birdie or better percentage (26.32%). He also has great history at the event, winning twice (2017 and 2020) and holds the course record of 61, shot in last year’s third round.

South Korea’s Im likely gains his popularity via how he’s played in his two previous appearances. He’s finished in the top 10 both times, and in 2021 Im led the field from tee to green. Only a poor putting week led him to a T-5 finish but he is putting much better of late and, at +2000, has better value than most other players.

With BetMGM offering a promotion where bettors get their outright stake back if their player doesn’t win but still finishes in the top five, Thomas and Im look even sturdier as options.

It should also be noted past history at the tournament shows the favorites usually come out on top. The last five winners had 14-1 odds or shorter and a first timer hasn’t won since Daniel Chopra in 2008.

Current Handle & Tickets

Justin Thomas – 23.9%

Sungjae Im – 16.9%

Xander Schauffele – 14.9%

Scottie Scheffler – 7.4%

Cameron Young – 6.6%

Justin Thomas – 14.5%

Sungjae Im – 13.5%

Xander Schauffele – 11.5%

Viktor Hovland– 7.1%

Scottie Scheffler – 5%

Jon Rahm (+650) is the betting favorite but is only drawing 3.8% of tickets and 3.7% of handle.

Xander Schauffele (+1100) is another popular player considering his recent form at the event. He has three straight top five finishes, including a win in 2019. His ability to make birdies in bunches will serve him well.

The tournament is the first designated event on the PGA TOUR in 2023 and has a total purse of $15 million, $2.7million for the winner along with 550 FedExCup points.

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