The 2022 golf season is just around the corner, with the PGA Tour season kicking off at the Tournament of Champions in Hawai. The tournament is set to be played from January 6th to January 9th at the Kapalua Plantation Course. The par 73 golf course measures 7596 yards from the tour tees.
The star-studded field includes the previous year’s winner Harris English, Collin Morikawa, and Bryson DeChambeau. Undoubtedly, it will be quite an intriguing tournament.
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Challenges on the Plantation Course
The plantation course underwent a major change before the 2020 tournament. The entire course is re-turfed (durable, drought-tolerant Celebration Bermuda); greens as well, the bunkers are new. The professional tees have also been pushed back. The greens were redone with TifEagle Bermuda, with some ridges and plateaus added to create more hole locations and restore some shot-making value. Missing on the wrong spot of certain greens becomes more critical.
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The golf course is very demanding and is a long hitter’s paradise. Many of the holes are downhill and downwind. Hitting it straight is the key to success. The golf course offers various chances of scoring and golfers can easily shoot multiple rounds under par, as we could see in Harris English’s case. Dustin Johnson won the tournament with eight stroked in 2018 because of his immaculate driving.
The greens are a lot firmer, which doesn’t allow the ball to stop quickly on the green; the fairways are a bit softer than the past few years. It’s indeed a tough golf course to master. With the professional tees pushed back, it makes a few holes such as the third hole a bit longer.
The toughest hole to play?
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Par 41st plays as the hardest hole, according to the 2019 statistics. The hole recorded 14 bogeys and 111 pars with just 7 birdies.
Read more: 2022 Sentry Tournament of Champions Power Rankings: Top Picks to Win at Kapalua Course
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The par 3-second hole recorded 26 bogeys. As a result, making it the second hardest hole. Plantation courses can provide numerous scoring opportunities for players, but players have to look out for these holes which can prove to be a major difference-maker.
Who will win the Sentry Tournament of Champions in 2022?