Sentry Tournament of Champions: Steve Palmer's day-one preview, best bets

When to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 11pm Thursday

Best bets

Matthew Wolff to win 8.30pm twoball
2pts 10-11 Betfred, Coral, Ladbrokes
Click to bet on this tip with Coral

Collin Morikawa to win 9.10pm twoball
2pts 4-6 general
Click to back this selection with Coral

First-round preview

Brendon Todd and Lanto Griffin get the new golfing year started at 8pm UK and Ireland time on Thursday, teeing off in round one of the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Maui, Hawaii.

With only 34 runners going to post, the competitors all start within the space of two hours and 40 minutes, with defending champion Xander Schauffele joining Justin Thomas in the final twoball at 10.40pm.

Tournament organisers have had a New Year giggle by pairing Kevin Kisner and Patrick Reed at 10.20pm – the former has been outspoken in his loathing for the latter and Reed's antics at the Hero World Challenge have added fresh material for Kisner – but punters looking for the best first-round value are pointed towards Matthew Wolff and Collin Morikawa.

Wolff and Morikawa are two of the most promising youngsters in the game and both may take a shine to the Plantation Course on their Sentry debut. Wolff can outscore Adam Long in the 8.30pm match, while Morikawa should account for Nate Lashley in the 9.10pm contest.

Wolff, who won the 3M Open in July, tied for 13th in a high-class Zozo Championship in his last tournament as an individual, then partnered Viktor Hovland to sixth place in the QBE Shootout.

Morikawa, who has family from Hawaii and is a regular visitor to the islands, has quickly become a consistent PGA Tour performer. He made 13 starts last year without finishing worse than 52nd place, winning the Barracuda Championship in July, then he closed 2019 with fifth place in the Dunlop Phoenix Open on the Japan Tour.

Wolff, Morikawa, Long and Lashley are all Kapalua debutants this week, so there is no edge in course experience, but there is an immense gulf in terms of talent and the young guns are on offer at surprisingly generous prices.

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