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KAPALUA, HAWAII – Collin Morikawa posted a clubhouse-leading, eight-under (65) and looked great doing it until Sahith Theegala came along and bested Morikawa and four others with a first-round leading (64) at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Maui. Theegala, making his second start at The Sentry (33rd/2023), opened with a career-best (10) birdies. (His previous-high was nine during the third round of the 2022 ZOZO Championship). Theegala also posted a career-best birdie streak with six in a row on Nos. 10-15.
The Sentry is the first event of the 2024 PGA TOUR Season and is serving as the season-opening event on the PGA TOUR schedule for the first time since 2013. Since 2013, the PGA Tour went with 10 “wrap-around” seasons.
In 2024, the TOUR returns to a calendar year schedule, with 36 FedEx Cup Regular Season events followed by the FedExCup Playoffs and FedEx Cup Fall season.
The Sentry is the first of eight Signature Events in 2024, which offer increased purse sizes ($20 million) and FedEx Cup points to the winner (700).
Making his first start since winning the BMW Championship and TOUR Championship in back-to-back starts, reigning FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland (T2/-8) opened with a (65), just one stroke off the lead.
Camilo Villegas (T2/-8) also posted a (65), his 16th consecutive under-par round on the PGA TOUR. He has the most rounds of 65 or better in the last four events (13 rounds) on the TOUR.
Sentry: First Round Leaderboard
1 Sahith Theegala 64 (-9)
T2 Collin Morikawa 65 (-8)
T2 Camilo Villegas 65 (-8)
T2 Sungjae Im 65 (-8)
T2 Jason Day 65 (-8)
T2 Viktor Hovland 65 (-8)
Sentry Tournament of Champions | Tournament Facts
COURSE: Plantation Course at Kapalua
YARDS/PAR: 7,596 yards/Par 73
ARCHITECT(S): Bill Coore / Ben Crenshaw
PRIZE Money – Purse: $20,000,000; Winner: $3.6 million.
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Jon Rahm
PAST RESULTS: (link)
FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 700