Collin Moikawa was smiling when asked post his final Sentry tournament round how much he enjoyed playing in Hawaii.
Morikawa posted rounds of 66, 65, 62 and a closing 67 for an impressive 32-under tally but only to finish runner-up by three shots to Japan golfing hero Hideki Matsuyama,
As predicated by GolfByTourMiss, Matsuyama set a new PGA Tour 72-hole tournament low of 35-under par and that’s one shot less than Aussie Cameron Smith in breaking the 72-hole Tour three years ago with his 34-under winning tally at the 2022 Sentry.
Matsuyama’s effort over his four rounds included two eagles, 33 birdies and only two bogeys to also set a new Tour record (since 1983) of 35 birdies or better over four rounds, also lowering by one the record of 34 enjoyed by Sungjae Im/2024 Sentry and Smith/2022 Sentry.
And this not over a par-70 Plantation layout but a course playing to a par-73.
4⃣0⃣ – UNDER IS RIDICULUS …
Says @TheSentry runner-up @collin_morikawa @MorikawaTracker as comments grow post new record low of 35-under winning the event
Read: https://t.co/4lmjMWUIfF
PGAT
✅ @TOURMISS @Record_Sport pic.twitter.com/R4EUX81VsZ
— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) January 6, 2025
When you look back at the history of the event, and long known as the Tournament of Champions, it commenced in 1953 with a winning eight-under score though it was not till 1999 the tournament moved to the Plantation course on Maui, and that’s when the records began to tumble.
David Duval stormed to nine shot victory with a 26-under-par tally in ’99. Ernie Els bettered that mark five years later by five shots at 31-under and also becoming the first $1m first prize champion.
Jordan Spieth won at 30-under in 2000 and then Smith beat that mark by four at 34-under in 2022.
No sooner had Matsuyama been handed the trophy and questions were being raised about the course, it’s set-up and with the games best turning the event into virtual a pitch-and-putt affair.
No wonder Shane Lowry said on SideGig: “Me coming off the holidays in Ireland, flying 25 hours, ending to shoot 30-under? No, I don’t think so,” said Lowry on why he regularly skips the opening tournament of the calendar year in Hawaii.
And here we post Morikawa’s comments when asked what he likes about playing in Hawaii but ended in joking about the possibility of future Sentry contestants shooting 40-under.
“It’s special. When you have that kind of support behind you it means a lot and it makes these weeks a little bit better,” h he said.
“It makes you kind of push a little bit harder. You want to play the best you can, so hopefully we’ll be back next year and just find a way to shoot 36-under. It might not even be enough. 40-under. 40-under is ridiculous”.
