The PGA Tour Just Pulled the Plug on Hawaii, and 2027 Will Look Very Different
The PGA Tour’s 2027 schedule is starting to take shape, and one of its most recognizable traditions has been removed entirely. Hawaii, long considered the ceremonial starting point of the Tour season, is no longer part of the calendar. The shift ends a decades-long run that opened each year with a distinct, isolated stretch of golf in the Pacific.
A Season-Opening PGA Staple Comes to an End
At the center of the change is The Sentry, previously known as the Tournament of Champions. Since 1999, it has been held at Kapalua’s Plantation Course on Maui, serving as the season’s opening event for a field of the prior year’s winners. That structure gave the event a built-in prestige, along with a relaxed but competitive tone that set it apart from the rest of the schedule. Beginning in 2027, that role disappears. The Tour confirmed the event will not return in its current form.
The decision follows a disrupted 2026 edition, which was canceled due to course conditions tied to ongoing water issues in Maui. That cancellation appears to have accelerated a broader reevaluation already underway inside the Tour’s leadership. In a formal statement, the organization acknowledged the long-standing support from Kapalua, Maui County, and the state of Hawaii, as well as volunteers and local partners who sustained the event for more than two decades.
Sponsorship Shifts and Uncertain Futures
There are also clear business implications behind the shift. Sentry’s sponsorship agreement extends through 2035, but reports indicate the company may redirect its backing to another event, potentially the late-January stop at Torrey Pines in San Diego. That move would align with the Tour’s stated goal of placing more events in larger mainland markets.
The Sony Open, Hawaii’s other PGA Tour stop, faces a different outcome. Discussions are ongoing to convert it into a PGA Tour Champions event, which would remove it from the main tour rotation while keeping professional golf on the island in some capacity.
A Broader Overhaul Takes Shape
These changes are part of a wider restructuring effort led by CEO Brian Rolapp. The plan involves reducing the total number of tournaments while concentrating events in markets that offer stronger commercial returns and broader media reach. Hawaii, despite its history and visual appeal, presents logistical challenges and sits outside the Tour’s new priorities.
The removal of the Hawaii swing marks more than a scheduling adjustment. It closes a chapter that defined how each PGA Tour season began, replacing a familiar start with something more calculated, and likely more corporate in tone.
