The Sentry 2025 Tips: Dave Tindall's each-way picks from 25/1 to 90/1

• 25/126.00 Sahith Theegala was runner-up here last year

• 90/191.00 Nico Echavarria had a hot finish to 2024

• 35/136.00 Akshay Bhatia was second after 54 holes in 2024

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Brief history of The Sentry

One thing is for sure as the new PGA Tour season gets underway in Maui this week: Scottie Scheffler won't be winning.

That level of certainty only exists because the pre-tournament favourite has pulled out after cutting the palm of his right hand on broken glass while cooking Christmas dinner. Not quite up there with being arrested but a weird one nonetheless.

After his six-shot win at the Hero World Challenge in early December, it would have been extremely hard to look beyond Scheffler here but suddenly the tournament has been thrown wide open.

Chris Kirk was the unlikely winner here last year but often this has gone to a well-fancied player with Jon Rahm (2023), Justin Thomas (2020) and Dustin Johnson (2017) all going off at single-figure prices.

The Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw-designed Plantation Course stands out as something different from the usual PGA Tour layout as it prepares to host for the 27th straight time.

The 7,596-yard par 73 has vast fairways, huge greens, dramatic undulations and is exposed to the wind.

But if it doesn't blow, it's an absolute birdie-fest, with the last four winning scores -29 (Chris Kirk), -27 (Jon Rahm), -34 (Cam Smith) and -25 (Harris English).

Short game counts for a lot here, with SG: Putting and Around The Green standing out.

Kirk was 1st for ATG and 11th for Putting last year while Rahm was 3rd and 1st in those two categories in 2023. The previous two champions, Smith and English, also ranked 1st for SG: Putting. Smith was 7th for ATG.

It's a similar deal when using traditional stats as Scrambling and Putting Average leap out.

The field comprises winners on the PGA Tour in 2024 and those who finished in the top 50 of the FedEx Cup.

Two finals notes. First, the last four winners had all teed it up competitively in the second half of November or even later the previous year. I'd be a little suspicious of anyone who has taken an extended break.

Second, it used to be the case that a solid bank of course form was essential. That seems to matter less and less in any tournament these days.

But given the unique nature of this course, a previous look in this no-cut event could be handy though.

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Sahith Theegala @ 25/126.00

There's an openness and quirkiness about Kapalua that plays into the hands of those who revel in freedom and creativity.

Sahith Theegala definitely fits that mould so it was a fair guess that the American would take to the par 73.

And he has! Last year Theegala shot 28-under, closed with a 10-under 63 and finished just a shot behind winner, Kirk.

But there was still a sense of frustration as he could only par the downhill closing hole having made birdie-4 in each of the first three days.

Making 31 birdies on the week was quite something but he avoided mistakes too, racking up just three bogeys and nothing worse.

That second place followed a 33rd on debut so he clearly cracked the code on his return 12 months ago.

He wasn't too active in the final few months of the season but Theegala did return at December's 20-man Hero World Challenge and posted solo eighth.

That included rounds of 67 (R1) and 66 (R3) and he was fifth with a lap go to before a disappointing Sunday.

Despite his easygoing nature, belief is a key part of Theegala's make-up.

He's needed to convince himself that he was good enough to win on the PGA Tour (he now has) while when contending for Majors he's wondered if he was ready.

But playing in the Presidents Cup for the first time last September helped. "My game can only get better after experiencing something like this," he said later.

And I also liked this quote he gave at the start of that week as it has relevance to the test here.

"I feel like I bring a different flare. Just a little more creative ways to the green. I'm a scrambler. I'm kind of a scorer."

That's the recipe here and after last year's close shave he knows it's a place where he can win. Take the 25s.

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Nico Echavarria @ 90/191.00

There's a player in this week's field with the following:

1/ A win in October
2/ A second place in late November's RSM Classic
3/ Rankings of 1st for for Putting Average in two of his last four starts
4/ A top 25 on his debut here last year

Obviously, the layout of the page means you know who he is but a near three-figure price on Nico Echavarria has to be of interest for an each-way backer in a field of just 60.

That was quite the finish to the year for the Colombian although his victory against a classy field at the ZOZO Championship in Japan wasn't his first.

Echavarria had also landed the 2023 Puerto Rico Open and having shot 21-under there and 20-under at the ZOZO he can clearly thrive in birdie fests.

He was close to capturing the RSM in November too and said there: "Winning a tournament is hard, but I had a chance to win with I'm not going to say my B game, but putter was A plus and the rest was B to C plus.

"Just happy with where the game is and happy to rest the next few weeks."

Having played every event in the Fall Series - he was also sixth in the WWT in Mexico and 11th at the Black Desert in Utah - he was due a rest so hopefully he can put on another big show now that the energy is back.

He played this event for the first time in 2024 and did nicely enough, opening with 70 and then shooting 67-68-67 to make the top 25.

A 12th place in the 2023 Sony Open in Hawaii will add to the good vibes about being here.

The each-way terms this week are 1/5 Odds, 6 Places.

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Akshay Bhatia @ 35/136.00

I spent most of golf's silly season backing Akshay Bhatia and he was good enough to give me a couple of each-way returns.

In two December events he finished fourth at the Hero World Challenge and then third alongside Jennifer Kupcho at the Grant Thornton pairs event.

They followed a runners-up finish in the Japan Tour's prestigious Dunlop Phoenix Tournament so Bhatia was definitely one of golf's hottest players when the lights were being turned out on the 2024 campaign.

The wiry left-hander played in both Hawaii events last year and enjoyed success. He was 14th in this event and 13th in the Sony Open, shooting Friday 64s both times.

Here at Kapalua, he was second with 18 holes to play after shooting 16-under over his middle 36 holes.

"It's cool hitting these shots and feeling free. You don't have to hit it into a 20-yard fairway," he said after round three so, like Theegala, he loves the creativity and feeling of space.

Bhatia made a huge jump in his putting in 2024 after switching to a broomstick in late 2023 and that must bode well on his return here.

Having kept the engine running in December, the two-time PGA Tour winner (and he's still just 22!) can push for a third victory.

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Read Dave Tindall's ante-post preview of the 2025 Masters

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