Collin Morikawa of La Canada Flintridge and Max Homa of Valencia, who both starred at the University of California, and Matthew Wolff of Agoura Hills are three of the first-time winners on the PGA Tour last season who will to play in the winners-only Sentry Tournament of Champions next week on the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort in Lahaina, Maui.
The 22-year-old Morikawa (pictured) claimed his first PGA Tour victory at the Barracuda Championship when he birdied four of his last five holes at Montreux Golf and Country Club in Reno, Nev.
This will be Morikawa’s first appearance in the TOC, but he has played Kapalua before.
“I played when I was really small, remember sitting on the wall, looking over (No.) 18,” said Morikawa, who tied for 10th in the Safeway Open and tied for 22nd in the Zozo Championship in Japan the Fall portion of the 2019-20 PGA Tour season.
“So, I’ve been there a lot of times. That places means a lot. It’s going to be very, very special to be back out there.”
Wolff, 20, collected his first career PGA Tour victory in the inaugural 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities when he sank a 26-foot eagle putt on the 72nd hole to cap a 6-under-par 65 and defeat Bryson DeChambeau of Clovis and Morikawa by one stroke.
The 2019 NCAA individual champion for Oklahoma State, Wolff became the youngest winner on the PGA Tour since Jordan Spieth in the 2013 John Deere Classic.
Homa, 29, the 2013 NCAA champion while playing for the Golden Bears, captured the Wells Fargo Championship by three shots over Joel Dahmen.
Other first-time PGA Tour winners who are making first appearance in the TOC include Dylan Frittelli of South Africa (John Deere Classic); Joaquin Niemann of Chile (A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier); Sebastian Munoz of Colombia (Sanderson Farms Championship); Sung Kang of South Korea (AT&T Byron Nelson); Lanto Griffin (Houston Open); Nate Lashley (Rocket Mortgage Classic); J.T. Poston (Wyndham Championship); Corey Conners of Canada (Valero Texas Open); Keith Mitchell (The Honda Classic); Tyler Duncan (RSM Classic) and Martin Trainer (Puerto Rico Open).
First-time winner C.T. Pan of Taiwan (RBC Heritage) originally committed, but was forced to withdraw because of illness.
Also in the field are defending champion Xander Schauffele; Dustin Johnson (WGC-Mexico Championship); Justin Thomas (BMW Championship, CJ Cup at Nine Bridges); Gary Woodland (U.S. Open); Jon Rahm of Spain (Zurich Classic of New Orleans); Matt Kuchar (Sony Open in Hawaii); Rickie Fowler of Murrieta (Waste Management Phoenix Open); Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland (Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship); Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos and UCLA (Memorial Tournament); Patrick Reed (The Northern Trust); Kevin Kisner (Dell Technologies Match Play); Paul Casey of England (Valspar Championship); Cameron Champ of Sacramento (Safeway Open); J.B. Holmes (Genesis Open); Kevin Na of Diamond Bar (Charles Schwab Challenge and Shriners Hospitals for Children Open), Chez Reavie ( and Ryan Palmer (who teamed with Rahm at the Zurich Classic).
Schauffele, of La Jolla and San Diego State, captured the tournament last year by shooting 11-under-par 62 in the final round to beat Woodland by one stroke.
Former champions in the tournament, which dates to 1953, include Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Tiger Woods, Sam Snead, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Phil Mickelson, Mark O’Meara, Gene Littler, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Lanny Wadkins, Ernie Els of South Africa, Sergio Garcia of Spain and Vijay Singh of Fiji.
Woods, who won the tournament in 1997 and 2000 while never finishing outside the top 10 in eight appearances, hasn’t played at Kapalua since 2005.
Other winners from the last year who decided to pass up the tournament next week include Mickelson Brook Koepka, Shane Lowry of Ireland, Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, Francesco Molinari of Italy and Justin Rose.
The Tournament of Champions was played at the Desert Inn Country Club in Las Vegas from 1953-66, Stardust Country Club in Las Vegas in 1967-68, and La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad from 1969-98 before moving to Kapalua in 1999.
For more information about the tournament, visit www.sentrytournamentofchampions.com.
