Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – The PGA Tour is planning to abandon the traditional season-opening swing in Hawaii from 2027, it said Monday.
The Sentry tournament on Maui has been scrapped, said a PGA Tour statement, which added that talks were taking place to transform the Sony Open tournament into part of the PGA Tour Champions circuit for veteran golfers. The Sentry has been held every year from 1999 to 2025 at The Plantation Course at Kapalua but was cancelled this season because of water restrictions on the drought-stricken island. The Sony Open has been held at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu since 1971 and was the PGA Tour’s opening event in 2026, won by Chris Gotterup.
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“We are grateful to The Plantation Course at Kapalua, Kapalua Resort, Maui County and the state of Hawaii for their longtime support of our season-opening PGA Tour event, as well as the fans, partners and volunteers across Maui who have supported the event throughout the years,” the Tour said.
The move away from Hawaii had been widely rumored, and PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp last month signalled the American-based circuit’s desire to look at other venues to launch the season. He wanted the tour to start, he said, with a “marquee event at an iconic venue in the west.”
The tour will announce its full 2027 schedule at a later date.
© 2024 AFP
