With the 2021-2022 PGA Tour season well underway, the 2022 calendar year of the Tour kicks off, as usual, with two events in Hawaii. The 39-player field in Kapalua includes 38 2021 PGA Tour event winners (minus Rory McIlroy) and Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffele (12/1), the 2019 event champion.
Two-time Kapalua winner Justin Thomas (2017, 2020) is BetMGM favorite at 8/1, followed by world No. 1 Jon Rahm at 9/1. Next at 10/1 are Bryson DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa, who starts 2022 as arguably the hottest player in the game with three wins in 2021, including his second major at the Open Championship. Additionally, he became the first American to win the Race to Dubai on the European Tour (now known as the DP World Tour) last November.
2020-21 PGA Tour Player of the Year and FedEx Cup Champion Patrick Cantlay makes his 2022 debut at 12/1. Harris English will look to defend their title at 33/1. And Phil Mickelson returns to Kapalua after a 21-year absence at 100/1.
Here are some players who are worth a bet this weekend.
Alex Schauffele (12/1) : His last official PGA Tour victory dates back to Kapalua three years ago. Since then, Schauffele has finished second in 2020 and T-5 last year. He is in this area reserved for winners because of his Olympic gold medal won in Tokyo. The motivation is there to finally get back into the winner’s circle, and three of his four career PGA Tour victories have come in smaller areas (’17 Tour Championship, ’18 WGC-HSBC, ’19 Sentry ToC).
Jordan Spieth (20/1) : The new dad might not usually be in a rush to hit the golf course so soon after the birth of his son Sammy in November. However, he hasn’t played in Kapalua for over three years, and Kapalua is a place where he has always thrived, including a 2016 victory in the event, in which he shot 30 under par. Spieth has consistently performed well in Kapalua as he finished first twice for SG: Around The Green while placing in the top four for Tee To Green and Putting three times. It has also been in the top six on the Approach three times at Kapalua and the wide fairways will mitigate its lack of length at this course.
Cameron Smith (20/1) : Like Spieth, Smith can be a bit temperamental off the tee. Like Spieth, however, he can be deadly with his irons and absolutely knocks out lights, especially on Bermuda greens. The Australian concluded his 2021 season very well with a T-9 at the CJ Cup, a T-15 in Houston and a T-4 in the season finale at the RSM Classic. Smith is also a former Aloha State winner when he won the Sony Open in Honolulu two years ago.
I am Sungjae (25/1): Most of 2021 has been a slow year by Im’s standards. He recorded just four top 10 finishes in 27 starts, starting with a T-5 at Kapalua. After the FedEx Cup playoffs, however, he picked up a win at the Shriners Children’s Open and followed that up with a T-9 at the CJ Cup. Winter vacation may have done a bit of good for the very active Im.
.
