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2022 Sentry Tournament of Champions: Top 10 power rankings at Kapalua

By Mike Randleman

January 9, 2021; Maui, Hawaii, USA; Collin Morikawa (left) putts in front of Ryan Palmer (right) on the 10th hole during the third round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions golf tournament at Kapalua Resort - The Plantation Course. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
January 9, 2021; Maui, Hawaii, USA; Collin Morikawa (left) putts in front of Ryan Palmer (right) on the 10th hole during the third round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions golf tournament at Kapalua Resort - The Plantation Course. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 3, 2021; Jackson, Mississippi, USA; Sam Burns holds the Sanderson Farms Championship trophy after winning the PGA event at the Country Club of Jackson. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2021; Jackson, Mississippi, USA; Sam Burns holds the Sanderson Farms Championship trophy after winning the PGA event at the Country Club of Jackson. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports /

Sam Burns is making his Sentry Tournament of Champions debut.

He’s arriving to Kapalua in style after a pair of wins last year helped him climb from No. 154 in the Official World Golf Rankings at the end of 2020 to No. 10.

The former LSU Tiger won his first PGA Tour title at the Valspar Championship in May. He picked up another in October at the Sanderson Farms Championship. The guy knows how to get it done in SEC country.

Burns also took second place at the AT&T Byron Nelson and WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, as well as third at the Genesis Invitational.

For my own money and a lot of others’, he was the best player to not make the American Ryder Cup team, and will be a guy to watch when the Presidents Cup rolls around in Charlotte this fall.

Burns has played a pair of pro events in Hawaii at the Sony Open with missed cuts in both. Don’t be too concerned with those. Waialae is a polar opposite of Kapalua, with the latter suiting Burns’ game much more.

Burns nearly won again, albeit in an unofficial PGA Tour event, in his last start at the Hero World Challenge. He was tied for the lead on the 14th hole on Sunday until it took five chips to traverse the green.

Burns settled for T-3rd in his event debut there.

Albany’s tricky green surroundings can be tough like Kapalua, so that’s a slight concern. Nonetheless, the Plantation course’s wide fairways will allow Burns to have enough irons in his hands to hit enough greens, and on the right plateaus, to prove once more he’s capable of playing with anyone.

Even in a 40-man event, a trophy here would be the 25-year-old’s top achievement to date.

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