A star-studded field will hit the course when the first PGA Tour event of the calendar year tees off Thursday at the 2022 Sentry Tournament of Champions on Kapalua Resort's Plantation Course. There are 39 golfers in the champions-only event, including eight of the top 10 players in the world. Harris English won last year's event in Maui, Hawaii, after shooting 25 under and winning a one-hole playoff with Joaquin Niemann.  

Caesars Sportsbook lists world No. 1 Jon Rahm and eighth-ranked Justin Thomas as the 17-2 co-favorites in its latest 2022 Sentry Tournament of Champions golf odds. Among the others expected to contend from the Sentry Tournament of Champions field are Collin Morikawa (10-1), Bryson DeChambeau (12-1), Viktor Hovland (14-1) and Xander Schauffele (14-1). 

Before you consider your bets on the 2022 Sentry Tournament of Champions or make any PGA Tour predictions, be sure you see what proven golf insider Sal Johnson has to say. The media legend and founder of GOLFStats.com, has broken down the field and revealed his top Sentry Tournament of Champions picks below. With his track record, you'll really want to see who he is backing.

The esteemed golf insider has been around the game for many years and knows what it takes to win. Johnson has a strong track record at Kapalua, ranking the winner among his contenders three of the past four years. That includes English, who was a surprise champion last year after getting in when the pandemic changed the rules for setting the field.  

"He has played great in the last year," Johnson said before the event, noting that he tied for 11th in his only appearance in 2014. The veteran completed his comeback after ending the 2019-20 season ranked 269th in the world, winning his first event since 2013.     

Johnson also had a strong run during the fall season. Before the Mayakoba event in Mexico, Johnson had Viktor Hovland among his players to watch, while he predicted Brooks Koepka would miss the cut.

Koepka didn't break par and went home early again, while Hovland shot 23 under to cruise to a four-stroke victory.

Before the Zozo Championship in Japan, Johnson tabbed Hideki Matsuyama in his best bets, and he was right on the money. Matsuyama shot a final-round 65 and won by five strokes after trailing by one with eight holes to play on Sunday! 

And at the Sanderson Farms Championship, Johnson nailed Sam Burns as his winner. Anyone who has followed Johnson's advice has cashed in HUGE!

Now Johnson, the first producer of "Inside the PGA Tour" and longtime ABC Sports golf producer who worked with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, has released his highly confident 2022 Sentry Tournament of Champions picks. The picks from the founder of GOLFstats.com, the world's top golf stats database, will definitely surprise you. (For golf updates and news, click here)

Shockingly, the golf expert is strongly fading Patrick Cantlay, the FedEx Cup champion and No. 4 player in the world! The 29-year-old finished last season on a tear, going 60 under over his final three events and winning the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship. But he will be shaking off some rust after taking a break following the Ryder Cup, so you're much better off going a different direction. 

Instead, the golf expert is backing a long shot who comes in at more than 20-1! This player finished the fall portion of the season on a strong run, and he can make the putts that are necessary to contend at Kapalua. He could pull off an unexpected victory in this star-studded field, and you'll want to be behind him in line to cash in. Anyone who backs this underdog could make a HUGE profit!

Who wins the PGA Tour's 2022 Sentry Tournament of Champions? Where do Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa finish? And which long shot is a MUST-BACK? ... Join SportsLine now to see Sal Johnson's top predictions and analysis for the 2022 Sentry Tournament of Champions golf tournament, all from the insider who knows what it takes to win on the PGA Tour!