The Sentry Tournament of Champions: Who’s hot?
By Bill Felber
Second-level favorites
- Webb Simpson, -0.74
- Cameron Smith, -0.78
- Patrick Reed, -0.85
- Justin Thomas, -0.94
Since taking the RBC Heritage in June, Simpson has contended only once, that at the Wyndham last August. Don’t let that fool you. His 2021 has been marked by consistent performance. Tied for eighth at the U.S. Open, he has made four starts since then, three of them resulting in top 20 finishes. Here’s the downside. His most recent start, the RSM, was also his worst finish, a tie for 37th.
Smith, a young Australian, got everybody’s attention with his tie for second at Augusta in November. Victor at the Sony Open last January, he’s coming in pretty hot. Smith finished 11th at the CJ Cup, and tied for fourth at the Zozo. In his last 16 rounds since the Open he’s 58-under par with only one round higher than 70.
Reed enjoyed an excellent 2020 that included victory at the WGC Mexico and more than $4 million in earnings. His fall performance emphasized quality over quantity. Starting only three events – the U.S. Open, the Zozo and the Masters – Reed tied for 13th, 14th and 10th respectively.
As the defending champion, a strong performance by Thomas would surprise nobody. He is in form, with a tie for eighth at the Open, a fourth at the Masters and a tie for second at the Zozo. Thomas is already approaching $2 million this season, the fifth highest total on tour this season. That’s the definition of hot.