The Sentry opens on Maui with inspiration for young golfers; renewed help for Lahaina

KAPALUA — While 60 PGA Tour golfers competed for millions at the Plantation Course at Kapaulua on Thursday during the first round of The Sentry, Maui Preparatory Academy’s Landon Long was manning his regular spot at the front of the golf cart barn.

The high school senior usually works 8 hours a week at the Plantation Course as a cart boy, a job he has held since he was a freshman. This week, Long will log about 36 hours as he catches glimpses of the world’s best golfers as they finish their rounds in the PGA Tour season opener.

“For me, it’s really inspirational,” said Long, who was excited to see the pros in person after watching many play on TV. “I see a lot of myself in a lot of these players and I see a lot of my buddies in a lot of these players. You just see how human and how likable and how truly enjoyable these guys are.”

Long is a standout golfer and was a key member of the 2022 boys high school state championship team for Maui Prep. His college options include walking on to the team at St. Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif., where he has an academic scholarship offer with plans to study government and public policy with an eye on a career in politics, possibly at the highest level in Washington, D.C.

“I want to make it to (Capitol) Hill one day,” Long said with a wide smile.

On Tuesday, Long worked at a clinic hosted by Troon and Golf at Kapalua at the Bay Course that professional Justin Thomas led for about 40 youth golfers, who had “pure joy” on their faces.

“They’re superheroes in your eyes and they’re living your dream,” Long said. “These kids just want every opportunity, I mean just a glance from JT, a smile, an acknowledgment alone is enough for these kids. And right away, when the clinic was over, they went right to their golf bags, they picked up their golf clubs and they hit balls until it was dark outside.”

In the first round, Thomas shot 2-under-par 71 to trail early leader Tom Hoge by seven strokes. Thomas was happy to be back at the event that includes winners of 2024 PGA Tour events and the top-50 players from the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Thomas failed to qualify last year for The Sentry, which carries a $20 million purse with $3.6 million to the winner. Thomas had played in the previous eight tournaments on Maui, from 2016 to 2023. He has won this tournament of champions event in 2017 and 2020 and is the second all-time leading money winner in this event with $4,179,416.

He also was happy to guide the clinic, saying it doesn’t feel that long ago that “I was in similar shoes to them.” And, Thomas thought it was funny that when he asked if they played other sports, “They’re like, ‘I don’t know.’ I’m like, ‘You’re 13, like play everything you can, who cares? Your problems aren’t problems. Just enjoy it and enjoy being a 13-year-old.’ So it’s cool to be around them.”

Thomas also remembers a little kid who was at the tournament during one of his first years and now “he’s taller than I am.”

“That’s not saying much, but he’s taller than me,” Thomas said. “And, he’s off, about to be a freshman at (the University of Hawai’i), which is pretty cool.”

Hoge scorched the 7,596-yard, par-73 Plantation Course with a 9-under-par 64 to lead Will Zalatoris and Hideki Matsuyama by one stroke after the first round. Hoge birdied four of the first five holes and had 10 birdies on the day. His only blemish was a bogey on No. 6, a 435-yard par-4.

Like the rest of the golfers who came to the media area near the first tee for interviews on Thursday, Hoge had Lahaina and its recovery from the Aug. 8, 2023, deadly wildfire on his mind.

“To see it last year, the impact and how sad it was, kind of puts things in perspective for us as golfers to be out here playing still, and what a great opportunity we have,” Hoge said.

Collin Morikawa, who grew up in California, has strong family ties to West Maui where his family owned Morikawa Restaurant in Lahaina that has been closed for decades. Morikawa, who visited Maui many times as a youngster, is tied for fourth with Cameron Young and Corey Conners at 7-under 66.

“It’s always been a special place,” Morikawa said. “This place will always be kind of the home away from home. … Like I said, this place means a lot, which is just kind of the history going back to my family.”

First Tee Hawai’i volunteer Felix Eisenberg, a 13-year-old Lahaina Junior Golf Association member, carried the score placard for Jonathan Vegas, Harry Hall and Nick Taylor on Thursday. Eisenberg, a seventh-grader at Lahaina Intermediate School, was one of about 500 volunteers who will work the event.

“I had a lot of fun to see them play in person,” said Eisenberg, who has been forced to move eight times since his family home burned in the Lahaina fire.

First Tee Hawai’i is in the process of moving its headquarters from O’ahu to Ka’ānapali. First Tee Hawai’i program director Joie Ruggiero handed a hungry Eisenberg a sandwich after he finished his duties of walking the long course. Moments after finishing lunch, Eisenberg joined a large group of youngsters seeking autographs from the PGA Tour’s best players.

“I’m beyond excited for this gig,” said the 35-year-old Ruggiero, who has had her job for a little more than a month.

She began as a First Tee parent. After enrolling her son, she said she just fell in love with the offerings of the organization. It led to her becoming a volunteer and assistant coach as she made her way up the ranks.

“So, for me, this sort of represents the coming together of a lot of factors,” Ruggiero said. “For me, number one is being able to serve my community. When I left home (in Kīhei before high school), I knew at some point I would come back.”

Sentry Insurance announced an additional $1 million donation on Tuesday to Maui United Way to continue its support of youth mental health services in response to the wildfires. The contribution builds on the Sentry Mālama Nā Keiki initiative, which sends trusted teams of mental health counselors to meet with youth in schools, parks and community centers. With this donation, Sentry’s total wildfire relief and recovery contributions now exceed $3 million, including $2 million dedicated to youth mental health, according to tournament organizers.

Morikawa has kept a close eye on West Maui — just two days after the fire, he pledged $1,000 for every birdie he made in his next three tournaments to Maui United Way and World Central Kitchen to help fire survivors. This donation came to more than $30,000.

Last year, after visiting Hua Momona Farms alongside new friend, Chef Zach Laidlaw, Morikawa donated $2,000 for every birdie and $4,000 for each eagle he made at The Sentry. He finished in a tie for fifth place at 25-under par, with a donation of more than $50,000.

While he said “it’s still a little eerie” he also said it’s good to see more things open and positive signs like houses slowly being built and people moving back into them “even after, unfortunately, what they lost.”

“It’s still going to take some work,” Morikawa said. “It’s still going to take a lot of fundraising and donations and people just coming through.”