The 2021 portion of the PGA TOUR season is set to begin in its traditional tropical locale. The Sentry Tournament of Champions will kick off the new year once again, but with a unique twist to the field.
Because of the reduced number of events in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all qualifiers for last year’s TOUR Championship also are eligible to tee it up in Maui.
Reigning FedExCup champion, Dustin Johnson, and defending champion, Justin Thomas, highlight the stacked field that includes Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele, Jon Rahm and Sergio Garcia.
The Plantation Course at Kapalua features dramatic ocean views, wide fairways, and big-time elevation changes. Players will have to navigate those challenges to lift the trophy and earn 500 FedExCup points.
FORTY NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD
When Deane Beman became the PGA TOUR’s second commissioner in 1974, a new logo was a top priority. “He always said the old logo didn’t say golf. He wanted it to say golf, which makes sense,” recalled Beman’s wife Judy.
Five years later, the mission was clear: to debut the new logo at the then Bob Hope Desert Classic, the first event of the 1980 season. From 20 versions to a final 12 reviewed by focus groups across four states until the logo we all know and love took top honors. Mission accomplished in Beman’s eyes.
“We think the new logo, which clearly says PGA TOUR and golf in a distinctive and graphic way, will serve to strengthen our identity and image,” said the former Commissioner in an official announcement.
The swinging silhouette over the blue background has certainly stood the test of time, even if the golfer portrayed is still a mystery to most 40 years later. Jack Nicklaus? Ben Hogan? The answer might surprise you.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR TIGER?
A belated happy birthday to Tiger Woods who turned 45 on December 30th. The past 25 years feature an incredible body of work. A total of 82 victories, tied with Sam Snead for most all-time, 31 seconds, 19 thirds, and 199 top-10 finishes in 368 starts.
But with his last start coming at the PNC Championship, where his son Charlie stole the headlines, what can we expect from Tiger in 2021 and beyond? “The limitations on him are how physically fit he can be, how much he’s able to practice and work,” said Tom Lehman, “but the great champions do things you think are impossible.”
It wasn’t long ago that winning another green jacket seemed impossible, until Woods did just that in 2019, one of three wins in the span of 13 months that culminated with a 3-0-0 record as playing captain of the winning U.S. Presidents Cup Team. The next year would not be as kind, with just one top-10 finish in 2020.
It’s easy to see how that trend could be reversed, with Tiger able to pick his spots and only teeing it up if he feels he has a chance to win. Is record-breaking win No. 83 (and more?) on the horizon in 2021? As Tiger has proven his entire career, anything is possible.
LOOKING (WAY) AHEAD TO EAST LAKE
With 12 tournaments wrapped up and the calendar flipped to 2021 it’s never too early to take a look at the TOUR Championship.
While more events remain (38) than the 30-man field for the FedExCup finale, there’s enough on tape to predict, in no particular order, who will earn a trip to East Lake. Especially with the knowledge that 8 of 10 fall winners from the 2019-20 season made the top 30, which is good news for Safeway Open champ Stewart Cink who hasn’t made it to the last event since 2009.
The names range from past FedExCup winners, including current title holder Dustin Johnson, to the TOUR’s rising stars, with headliners Collin Morikawa, Matthew Wolff and Viktor Hovland. More interesting might be the names missing, but there’s plenty of time to prove us wrong before the TOUR Championship comes around.
Main image: Justin Thomas looks to become the first back-to-back champion at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. (Getty Images)
