KAPALUA, Maui >> An unfortunate incident at the final hole of the Sentry Tournament of Champions left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth who heard what a fan blurted out.

Patrick Reed and Justin Thomas were in the final moments of a tense three-hole playoff Sunday at the wind-blown Plantation Course. Thomas had a 3-footer for birdie and Reed was about 8 feet from the hole with a shot at birdie as well. Reed hit what looked like a good putt that was blown by the hole by a gust of wind. Just as the ball scooted past, a fan in the stands yelled out “cheater” that Reed clearly heard. He looked twice at the fan, appearing he might just walk up there with a golf club in his hand to settle the matter before turning back to look at his putt that had gone 5 feet by. He rolled it in for par and then watched as Thomas made his birdie to capture this winners-only event.

Reed was not asked about the incident, but Thomas was in the media room. He said he didn’t hear it and seemed surprised that it had happened. Reed was charged with a two-stroke penalty in Tiger Woods’ tournament last month when it appeared he tried to improve his lie in a sand trap. He said he didn’t knowingly do it and PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan took him at his word.

The fan’s outburst was not good, especially considering the moment that it happened. Reed was clearly upset about it, but once he was asked questions about his round at the side of the green, he seemed composed.

“It’s all about winning, Reed said. “At the end of the day, I knew what I had to do today. I went out and had to go shoot a low number, especially with how windy it was, to give myself an opportunity and I did. Unfortunately, I had two putts really to close it, and one of them I got gusted (high wind) on, and then this last one with the wind and the break, just got me again.”

Commissioner pleased with Sentry deal

Monahan didn’t say this tournament was on life support in 2017 when the SBS reluctantly took over as sponsor when Hyundai decided to take its cars elsewhere. Back then, he had a little inside trader information he couldn’t share.

At the time he told a collection of golf media members that if he wasn’t worried about it, we shouldn’t be either. Seven months later Sentry Insurance out of Wisconsin stepped in to be the title sponsor for five years and announced this past Tuesday it had extended it to 10 years through the 2029-2030 wraparound tour season. It is the 11th such deal struck by the tour, which enters this decade in sound shape.

Monahan addressed the Sentry deal and a wide range of topics with select media members Sunday morning in a 45-minute interview. He also spoke about the slow-play policy that will be put in place after the Sony Open in Hawaii, gambling on golf events, drug issues and the pending television contracts with the Golf Channel, NBC and CBS.

He pointed out that golf is the second-most covered event on television after the National Football League and added negotiations with the broadcast networks was still a work in progress. But as far as the TOC and the Sony Open in Hawaii he feels it is a match made in heaven and that these two tournaments are in a perfect spot on the tour schedule for the players to come.

“I guess I’m concerned when any player doesn’t play here and would play someplace else,” Monahan said. “But no, I think this event is extremely well positioned, and I think you look at the way the younger generation, the younger players have embraced it, you look at the fact that it’s secured through 2030, you look at the fact that it’s Maui and it’s got a great history and a great tradition. I worry less about that, and we’re more focused on what can we do to continue to grow and elevate and create great energy here throughout the week for the players and their families. But I think we’re in a really good spot here.”

And that includes the renovations of the course and the commitment of the local community to keep this tournament on Maui.

“I think a little unfortunate with the amount of rain we’ve gotten this week,” Monahan said. “But to put $12 million into the golf course and to have that done at the same time that Sentry has made this long-term commitment, you know, right behind me there’s a flag with 31 under par (Ernie Els course record), and you just see what happened over the first couple days. I think this golf course presents a great test, and it’s gotten even more challenging. I think to its future, these changes are going to help this event grow and become even more successful.”

Inside the numbers

The par-3 11th proved to be the most difficult hole on Sunday with a scoring average of 3.471. There were two birdies, 18 pars, 13 bogeys and one dreaded other that turned out to be quintuple bogey by Martin Trainer, who finished last in the event. Any time anyone shoots 5 over on a hole where there are only 34 golfers in the field, it’s going to skew the results.

The easiest hole for the fourth straight day was the par-5 fifth with a scoring average of 4.412. There were 21 birdies, 12 pars and one bogey.