The PGA Tour canceled its season opener, The Sentry, and was unable to find a replacement venue due to drought and water conservation issues on the Hawaiian island of Maui.
The Sony Open in Honolulu will be the first tournament of 2026, taking place Jan. 15-18, the latest season start since the PGA Tour was founded in 1969.
Kapalua’s Plantation Course has hosted the PGA Tour since 1999, but severe water restrictions resulting from a dispute with the company responsible for the century-old water system forced both courses to close.
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“After evaluating alternative venues in Hawaii and elsewhere, we determined that we would not be able to compete with The Sentry in 2026 due to logistical challenges including delivery deadlines, tournament infrastructure, and vendor support,” the tour said in a statement.
“We’re really proud of the progress The Sentry has made, and we didn’t want 2026 to fall below that,” added Stephanie Smith, Sentry’s chief marketing and brand officer.
“We didn’t want to just say, ‘Find a place on the calendar,’ or ‘Find a course that can host that.’
“I wanted Sentry to remain a gem. I wanted it to be special. When that couldn’t come together, we felt we had no choice.
“This is not the outcome we wanted, but unfortunately, this is where we are.”
This is the first time the competition has been canceled since the COVID-19 incident in 2020.
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Highlights from the final day of the 2025 Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii.
Sentry has been the inaugural PGA Tour event every year since 1999. However, in 2001, the season began in Australia with the World Golf Championship.
Smith said the tour remains “committed” to playing The Sentry again, but said there are many factors at play and it is difficult to provide definitive answers about the course’s future.
In 2025, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama finished 35 under par, a PGA Tour record for 72 holes, beating American Collin Morikawa by three strokes to win The Sentry in Hawaii.
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