Exploring 6 golfers who have won the PGA Tour Hawaii Double over the years ft. Justin Thomas and Cameron SmithÂ
The PGA Tour 2023-24 season is off to a great start with the iconic Hawaiian swing. The Sentry was the first event of the season and took place at the Kapalua Plantation Course. The Sony Open is the next flagship event scheduled to take place at the Waialae Country Club.
The Hawaii Double is an interesting concept where a golfer wins both the Sentry Tournament of Champions and the Sony Open. Chris Kirk currently has the opportunity to add his name to the list of 6 professional golfers who have done the Hawaii Double.
6 Golfers who have won the PGA Tour Hawaii Double
1. Justin Thomas
Justin Thomas is an experienced golfer who's been playing on the PGA Tour since 2015. The 2-time Sentry tournament winner completed the Hawaii Double in 2017 in impeccable fashion. Thomas won the Sentry by a margin of 3 strokes and won the Sony Open with a huge margin of 7 strokes. 2017 was a great year for the 30-year-old as he won the PGA Championship for the first time that year.
2. Zach Johnson
Zach Johnson, Team USA captain for the 2023 Ryder Cup, has also achieved the iconic Hawaii Double. However, he wasn't able to achieve the double in a matter of weeks like Thomas. Johnson had to wait 5 years to complete his double. The American golfer won the Sony Open in 2009 and went on to win the Sentry (called the Hyundai Tournament of Champions back then) in 2014.
3. Vijay Singh
Vijay Singh has won 34 PGA Tour events in his career. Therefore, it was only a matter of time before the Fijian golfer completed the Hawaii Double. The veteran golfer first won the Sony Open in 2005 and started the 2007 season with a win at the Sentry (called the Mercedes Benz Championship back then).
4. Ernie Els
Former World No. 1 Ernie Els has also achieved the Hawaii Double and did it with his well-known 'fluid swing'. The South African golfer won the Sentry (called the Mercedes Championship back then) in 2003 and won the Sony Open a week later to complete the double. Interestingly, Els went one step further and won the Sony Open in 2004 as well.
5. Jim Furyk
Jim Furyk, known for his unorthodox swing, also completed the Hawaii Double. The 53-year-old won the United Airlines Hawaii Open, now called the Sony Open, in 1996 and won the Sentry (then called the Mercedes Championship) at the turn of the century in 2001.
6. Cameron Smith
Cameron Smith is the final golfer on the list and also the most recent nominee of the Hawaii Double. The former PGA Tour golfer won the Sony Open in 2020 and subsequently won the Sentry in 2022. Since then, the Australian golfer has moved to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League.