[Picture: Getty images]

Opting out of the Australian summer for only the third time in his long career did not appear to have any effect on Adam Scott, who carried his 2024 form into the new year with a top-15 result at The Sentry on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

Scott skipped the recent Australian summer of golf, a rare move for a player thoroughly supportive of his domestic tour, to rest after a long but resurgent 2024 season. His year was highlighted by two runner-up results on the PGA Tour and a T-10 at the Open Championship at Troon.

Scott finished the season T-4 on the overall FedEx Cup rankings and by progressing to the Tour Championship he secured starts in all four majors for 2025 (Scott has a lifetime exemption into the Masters from winning in 2013).

When the PGA Tour restarted at Kapalua’s stunning, oceanside Plantation course this week, Scott posted a 21-under-par total (271) which left the Queenslander in T-15, albeit 14 shots back of runaway winner, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama. The 2021 Masters champion Matsuyama blitzed the field with a 35-under total, while runner-up Collin Morikawa was three shots back.

The Sentry was formerly known as the Tournament of Champions given only winner’s from the previous year were eligible, although the PGA Tour opened up the event to the top 50 on the previous season’s FedEx Cup points earners who made the BMW Championship in the playoffs.

Scott was not the best Australian at Kapalua, however. That honour belonged to Sydney’s Cam Davis, who was one shot better than Scott at 22-under (T-13).

Davis, though, should have been even higher on the leaderboard if it weren’t for a bizarre rules incident.

He and playing partner Will Zalatoris were both cruising late in the final round, playing the par-5 15th at Kapalua. Zalatoris left his second shot just short and right of the green. Davis played next and did the same thing. It wasn’t until they arrived at the green—they were grouped with Tom Hoge—that Zalatoris and Davis realised they’d both hit the wrong ball according to rules expert Mark Dusbabek. He explained the situation on the Golf Channel telecast.

Under Rule 6.3c, it was a two-shot penalty for each player who hit the wrong ball, and the mistake had to be corrected by going back and playing the correct ball to finish the hole. Both Zalatoris and Davis did. Both made bogey when both would’ve made birdie.

At the time, Davis was inside the top 10. He then went on to bogey the 17th and birdie the 18th to shoot 69 to finish at 22-under. Two shots better would’ve vaulted Davis into the top five. Zalatoris shot 73 and was T-26.

Jason Day rounded out the Australian contingent and he finished T-40 at 14-under.