The PGA Tour schedule is heading for big change from the 2027 season, which won’t start in Hawaii.
Ending its tournament presence in Maui, the PGA Tour will explore options to transition the Sony Open in Hawaii into a PGA Tour Champions event.
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Held at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, the Sony Open served as this season’s opener and was won by Chris Gotterup.
Previously The Sentry had served as the season-opening tournament from 1999-2013 and 2024-2025, taking place at The Plantation Course at Kapalua.
The decision has since drawn a sarcastic reaction from former PGA Tour player Ian Poulter, who is currently competing on LIV Golf.
Ian Poulter sarcastically reacts as the PGA Tour scraps Kapalua event
Reacting to a report about the PGA Tour moving the start of its season from Hawaii and possibly making the Sony Open a PGA Tour Champions event, Poulter wrote on X: “Here comes the cost-cutting exercise from Private Equity funding.
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“Next up you’ll tell us all something silly like the PGA Tour are going to lay off 500 members of staff.”
Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
Michael Kim, currently playing on the PGA Tour, also shared his reaction to the upcoming schedule change, simply posting a crying emoji on X.
What could the 2027 PGA Tour schedule look like?
Further details about the 2027 PGA Tour schedule are set to arrive at a later date, but CEO Brian Rolapp has already made his plans clear.
Rolapp wants a “marquee” event to open the PGA Tour schedule on the west coast, while more north-east venues could be added to the calendar.
He is also targeting full 120-player fields with a cut, and a possible timeframe of late January to early September.
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It remains to be seen what the future of the PGA Tour will look like exactly, but it is the end of the road for Hawaii.
And it’s a particularly disappointing end for The Sentry, which was not contested this year due to drought conditions on Maui, water conservation requirements and agronomic conditions.
Read more:
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