Until 2023, the Sentry Tournament of Champions was the calendar-year opening tournament of the PGA Tour. But in 2024, things have changed. That’s not to say that the Sentry isn’t the season-opening PGAT tournament. It still is. The only difference is the ‘Tournament of Champions’ missing from the name. So, what does that mean for the 2024 edition of the prestigious event?

From 2023’s 40-player field, the Sentry will witness 59 players teeing off at the Plantation Course in Kapalua this season—35 winners from last season and 24 players who qualified through the FedEx Cup Playoffs and eligibility points list. Despite the increased number of qualifications, not all eligible players will make an appearance in Hawaii, and they are set to miss the Tour’s first of the eight signature events. Before the tournament kicks off next week, we look at five big names missing from the Maui event.

Jon Rahm

Arguably, the biggest name missing from the field is Jon Rahm. Not in the least because the Spaniard shocked everyone by bolting to LIV Golf, but because he is also the defending champion this year. However, wearing the Letterman jacket meant there could be only one outcome. Unsurprisingly, the PGA Tour shared in a recent memo that Jon Rahm has been banned from the Tour and removed from the FedEx points list. 

The notification from the PGA Tour read, “In accordance with the PGA Tour Tournament Regulations, Jon Rahm has been notified that he is suspended and no longer eligible to participate in PGA Tour tournament play due to his association with a series of unauthorized tournaments.” So, despite his interest in participating in PGA Tour events, Rahm won’t be in Hawaii to defend his crown. Instead, he’ll start his season in February with the LIV Golf Mayakoba tournament.

Justin Thomas

Justin Thomas always had a very slight chance of playing at the Sentry, considering how his 2023 season was playing out. A late chance of revival, courtesy of a tied 12th place finish at the Wyndham Championship and a solo 5th place finish at the Fortinet Championship, was not enough to keep him afloat.

The 30-year-old crashed out of the top 50 in the FedEx Cup final points lists, standing at 55. So, Thomas is out of the ropes in a tournament he’s won twice before, having settled for the T25 position in 2023.

Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy is the only qualified player who will not play at the Sentry this year. He is not a big “Hawaii guy,” as he said recently. A few months ago, speaking to TPC Southwind, the 24-time PGA Tour winner said, “I’m not a huge Hawaii guy, so I’ll probably not go to Hawaii.”

Notably, he also missed last year’s tournament, which caused some controversy, as the designated events – as they were called then – were ‘flagship’ tournaments for the PGA Tour. This time, too, the Northern Irish golfer’s absence is likely to cause some stir about the viability of the $20 million purse of signature events to counter LIV Golf’s lure of stupendous money. But why is he missing it, apart from not being a “Hawaii guy?” 

Read More: Sentry Tournament of Champions 2024: What Is the Sentry Trophy? History, Significance, and Legacy Explored

Shane Lowry

Despite winning the Ryder Cup, the Irish golfer failed to make an individual mark on the Tour. At the end of the season, Shane Lowry finished in the 78th position on the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup points list. It was expected since Lowry had failed to enter the Top 10 since February 2023. The 36-year-old missed last year’s Sentry as well.

Adam Scott

The 14-time PGA Tour winner is another big name who won’t tee off at Kapalua’s Plantation Course. Last year, the Australian finished in the 29th spot in The Sentry. However, the OWGR. 44 is placed at the 72nd spot in the FedEx Cup points list after falling to enter the Top 3 in 2023.

The Sentry will kickstart the 2024 season for the PGA Tour on January 4. The $20 million purse event is one of the five signature events that won’t have any cuts. Who do you think will take home the crown?

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