The 2025 PGA TOUR season is off to a fresh start, and with The Sentry wrapping up on January 5, it’s time to shift gears to the next big event—the Sony Open in Hawaii. The event kicks off on January 9. It’s the first full-field event of the year and the first chance for players to snag some FedExCup points toward the Aon Swing 5.

Waialae Country Club will host a packed field of 144 players, featuring past champions, and talented rookies—all competing for a piece of the $8.7 million purse. The 2025 winner will walk away with a whopping $1,566,000. With big names like Hideki Matsuyama, Keegan Bradley, and Maverick McNealy in the mix, there’s plenty of star power on the course.

That said, a few big-name players are giving this one a pass. Here’s a look at the top 5 stars who won’t be teeing it up at Waialae this week.

1. Patrick Cantlay

No wins in 2024, but plenty of headlines—Patrick Cantlay had a solid season despite the drama. He played 19 events last year, missed the cut just once, and walked away with 4 Top 10s and 12 Top 25s. Cantlay started this season fresh at The Sentry, where he’s off to a decent start, tied at T18 after 54 holes.

But if you were hoping to catch him at the Sony Open, think again. Despite having no other tournament commitments lined up, Cantlay’s skipping it. Looks like he’s opting for a little extra rest before coming back full steam ahead. Smart move? Maybe he’s playing the long game this season.

2. Jordan Spieth

Jordan Spieth’s 2024 was weird—no wins, but he made 14 cuts out of the 22 events he played. Weird because he could not perform his best, all because of the injury. FedEx St. Jude Championship was his last event in 2024, and after that, he underwent surgery to fix his wrist. He is still recovering from it. You see, at first, Spieth tried to heal with rest, but things got worse during 2024 when a wrist tendon unexpectedly “popped out” mid-play. Ouch.

Right now, Spieth’s focused on his recovery, so he won’t be teeing it up at the Sony Open. We hope he heals up soon and we get to see him teeing off!

3. Justin Thomas

JT’s last win was the 2022 PGA Championship. It’s been that long! But you know what he did at The Sentry? He stepped up, confidence shining through, and said “I still fully believe that I can have a year like Scottie just had.” Well. A season with 9 wins sounds unreal for Thomas, but hey, we don’t know! Golf is a surprising game! This bold statement did not sit right with fans, and JT got a lot of criticism.

Thomas is another big name missing from the field of the season’s second event. The new dad probably wishes to spend a little more time with his daughter, Molly Grace Thomas, and then come back even stronger, chasing that desperate win.

4. Rory McIlroy

McIlroy starts his season in Dubai, it’s been a tradition. So, it is understandable that he sat out of the $20M worth Sentry, and is sitting out of the Sony Open too. He may be busy prepping for TGL, which is set to kick off on January 7. This new tech-savvy tournament is clearly taking priority, especially since it clashes with the Sony Open dates.

5. Scottie Scheffler

The #1 Scheffler is not in the mix! It’s hard to believe, and what’s even harsher is that he is out of these events unwillingly. During his Christmas celebrations, Scheffler suffered a puncture wound to his right palm from some broken glass. The injury isn’t too serious, and it’ll heal up soon—but not fast enough for him to be swinging his clubs just yet. According to his manager, Blake Smith: “His next scheduled tournament is The American Express,” which is scheduled from 16-19 January 2025. The world is indeed excited to witness Scheffler back on the greens again, after that spectacular 2024!

Sure, these big names are definitely missing, but don’t worry—the Sony Open field is still stacked with talent, and there’s plenty of excitement to come. With a mix of seasoned pros, past champs, and some up-and-coming stars, the action at Waialae Country Club is bound to be thrilling. Will you be tuning in to see it?