Cook and Kizzire secure final two spots
37 players qualified for winners-only field in Maui
Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii – For a PGA TOUR victory, the destination after is always clear: Maui for the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January. Patton Kizzire and Austin Cook booked their first trips to Maui with their victories at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba and The RSM Classic, respectively, in the final two opportunities to secure a spot in the field.
The Sentry Tournament of Champions returns to The Plantation Course at Kapalua from January 3-7, 2018. In total, 37 players have qualified for the Sentry Tournament of Champions via their PGA TOUR victories during the 2017 calendar year, including 14 first-timers. Nine of the top-10 in the Official World Golf Rankings – world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, and Henrik Stenson – are all qualified after posting victories on the PGA TOUR this year.
Kizzire held off Rickie Fowler down the stretch at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba two weeks ago to earn his first PGA TOUR victory and take the FedExCup points lead. The 31-year-old’s one-shot victory came in his 64th career start on TOUR and helped him secure his first start at The Plantation Course in January.
“I've been thinking about this moment for a long time. I haven't thought about it since the last putt went in, but I've been thinking about the exemptions and the Masters and Maui and all that stuff that goes along with winning for a long time,” said Kizzire after his victory. “I'm really excited and it brings a big smile to my face to think about all those things.”
In only his fourth start since securing his PGA TOUR card for the first time, Cook earned his own trip to Kapalua with a four-shot victory over J.J. Spaun at The RSM Classic. The 2017 Web.com Tour graduate took the lead with an 8-under 62 in the second round and held on to it over the weekend with rounds of 66-67. The victory moved Cook up to No. 3 in the FedExCup points standings.
“Fourth tournament with my TOUR card, that's pretty impressive if you ask me,” said Cook after his win about securing a spot in the Sentry Tournament of Champions. “I'm just super excited.”
The winners-only tournament will celebrate its 20th year on Maui along with a new chapter in the tournament’s history with Sentry Insurance as the new title sponsor. The event offers a variety of opportunities to get involved and up close with some of the game’s biggest stars that have qualified for the event, such as defending champion and reigning FedExCup champion Justin Thomas, 2015 champion Jordan Spieth, 2013 winner Dustin Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama.
The following 37 players have qualified for the 2018 Sentry Tournament of Champions: