PGA Tour News: Sentry Tournament of Champions Kicks off the New Year

Do you want to getaway? Well, if you do, then you could certainly do worse than watch the pros grip it and rip it on the Plantation Course at the Kapalua Resort in Kapalua, Hawaii. That’s right, the 67-year-old tournament will not only proceed as scheduled in January of 2021 but will allow a limited number of fans to attend. 

The recently minted Aloha Club will be the new open-air fan section situated behind the 18th hole with strict adherence to social distancing and medical safety guidelines, including wearing protective masks at all times except when drinking or eating. Unfortunately, guests will not be allowed outside of the Aloha Club, which means there will be no galleries on each hole. 

“We’re excited about the progress made to host the 2021 Sentry Tournament of Champions safely,” said Alex Urban, Executive Director. “The well-being for everyone on site and our Maui community is our No. 1 priority, and the PGA TOUR has a proven track record in regards to health and safety, having successfully returned to competition in June. We’ll continue to work diligently with national, state, and local governments and health officials alongside the TOUR to bring a successful tournament to the Maui community in January. We are so proud to be leading the way in returning world-class events to Hawaii.” Dustin Johnson is currently the favorite to take home the hardware this year, which is not surprising considering he has won this tournament on two previous occasions (2013 and 2018) and happens to be the top-ranked golfer on the planet.

 However, he will have plenty of talented company as many of the world’s best golfers will be lining the fairways at one of the finest courses in the world at one of the most desirable venues. 

Last year’s winner, Justin Thomas, is one of those competitors as he secured his 12th PGA Tour win with his first-place finish in the 2020 Sentry Tournament of Champions. Thomas was on fire up until the last few holes but managed to get back on track in the playoff round when he bested fellow Americans Xander Schauffele and Patrick Reed. 

“I truly felt like, through 15 holes, it was one of the best rounds I’ve ever played,” Thomas commented. “I was in such control tee to green; I was putting it beautifully, my irons were awesome.”

“At the end of the day, you need the stuff to go your way,” Thomas told the Golf Channel at the end of the playoff. “It feels great, and I’m glad to be coming back here.”

New Rule New Tool

The PGA Tour is not known for making sweeping changes, or any changes for that matter. It’s a stodgy and unadventurous body that rules professional golf with an iron hand, which means any deviation from the previous norm is cause for pause. But this year, we have just such a case because the PGA Tour has partnered with Hyperice. This company has devised an innovative personal recovery device called the Hypervolt Go percussion therapy gun. Hyperice has been allowed to put a device in every golfer’s bag who wants it, as it delivers pulses of pressure into the muscles and tissue of the targeted area, which “helps relieve muscle pain and stiffness while also increasing range of motion.” 

We have seen competitors, namely Brooks Koepka, literally lie down on the grass and summon his physical therapist to work out the kinks in his legs. Many of today’s golfers deal with back pain and the various issues that go along with it but often find themselves unable to get the relief they need. This new technology is designed to solve those problems.

The reason this has the blessings of the powers that be is due to Rule 4.3b-1, which states, players are allowed to use “equipment to help with a medical condition. So long as the player has a medical reason to use the equipment and the Committee decides that its use does not give the player an unfair advantage over other players.”

This device has applications in all sports, not just for the pros but also for recreational weekend warriors. Patrick Mahomes is the only superstar who has partnered with Hyperice, and the pressure guns can already be seen on NFL sidelines.