This article is part of our Yahoo PGA DFS Picks series.
The Sentry
Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii
Plantation Course at Kapalua - Par 73 - 7,596 yards
Field - 59 entrants
Purse - $20M
The Preview
The 2024 PGA Tour campaign kicks off with a Signature Event this week on the island of Maui, where a limited field of just 59 entrants is set to compete for their share of a dazzling $20M purse in a rewarding season opener. The Plantation Course at Kapalua invites inflated GIR percentages thanks to its massive bermuda greens, but the putting surface's undulations are typically severe enough to help protect pins from simple target practice, thus requiring constant focus with the flat stick. Birdie or Better rates soar here compared to the average stop on Tour, but additional defenses at Kapalua include coastal winds and uneven lies. However, with some of the widest fairways we'll see all year, players can rip their drivers early and often to shorten the layout as we'll likely see contenders easily surpass the 20-under-par mark on Sunday.
Recent Champions
2023 - Jon Rahm
2022 - Cameron Smith
2021 - Harris English
2020 - Justin Thomas
2019 - Xander Schauffele
2018 - Dustin Johnson
2017 - Justin Thomas
2016 - Jordan Spieth
2015 - Patrick Reed
2014 - Zach Johnson
Key Stats to Victory
SG: Approach
Birdie or Better percentage
Proximity: 50-125 and 200-plus yards
SG: Putting (bermuda)
Yahoo Value Picks
Based on $200 salary cap
Cream of the Crop
Max Homa - $39
True alphas Scottie Scheffler and Viktor Hovland appear as obvious smashes at just $45 and $43, respectively, atop the board this week. But salary isn't much of a factor with such soft pricing across this slate, especially considering it's a 59-man, no-cut event. This makes game theory and uniqueness even more important than usual in GPPs, which is where a lineup construction that begins with Homa could come into play, if you're willing to fade the Scheffler/Hovland chalk in what might ultimately be a putting contest. Homa emerged victorious at the DP World Tour's Nedbank Golf Challenge in November, and he's No. 1 in proximity from 75-100 yards over his last 50 measured rounds.
Collin Morikawa - $37
A win at the FedExCup Fall's ZOZO Championship will make Morikawa an even more popular click than just his Kapalua course history would have, given he's placed no worse than T7 in four trips to the Plantation Course. He fumbled a six-shot lead en route to finishing runner-up to Jon Rahm here last year, but Morikawa remains one of the purest flushers in the world at second in SG: Approach over his last 50 rounds and fourth in overall proximity within this same frame.
Glue Guys
Ludvig Aberg - $30
I've seen him as short as 12/1 to win this entire tournament, so a $30 salary is quite a discrepancy compared to much more expensive Aberg shares being found in the betting and DFS markets this week. He should be able to rely heavily on the driver in his Sentry debut, and there may even be a little extra motivation for Aberg after Eric Cole was just named Rookie of the Year for the 2022-23 season. Unfortunately, Aberg's rostership percentage is likely to balloon in this spot, so it'll be important to find leverage elsewhere in your lineups that include the 24-year-old Swede.
Sungjae Im - $30
Not only is Im a collective 64-under-par across three visits to Kapalua since 2021, but he's also third in Par-5 Efficiency over his last 36 rounds. He placed top-7 in three of his past five international outings, and we know Im has an affinity for bermuda greens.
Bargain Bin
Hideki Matsuyama - $24
A back/neck injury resurfaced yet again for Matsuyama late last summer, but he's since posted a top-10 at the Dunlop Phoenix Open in November, and I'm totally fine leaning into any uncertainty that surrounds a player this good at such an affordable salary. Matsuyama ranks first in both Prox: 75-100 and Prox: 100-25 over his last 24 rounds, and he's second to only the aforementioned Scheffler in Opportunities Gained over his last 36.
J.T. Poston - $22
Poston's ability to get hot with the flat stick is intriguing with 72 guaranteed holes this week, and he's gained at least 4.4 strokes putting in four of his last six starts. He's also gained an average of 3.7 strokes per event on his approach shots during this stretch, ascending to fifth in Birdies or Better Gained and eighth in overall proximity throughout his past 24 rounds.
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