Drought cancels start of PGA Tour season on Maui

The PGA Tour will not start on Maui after officials announced today that of ongoing drought conditions and “related challenges” on the island of Maui prevent the tournament from being played at Kapalua Golf’s Plantation Course.

The tour cited “significant drought conditions in recent weeks” with over 90 percent of the region affected and more than 140,000 residents impacted according to state data.

The PGA Tour did not say where the 2026 season will start or when.

Those drought conditions have led to a legal battle between Kapalua Golf’s billionaire owner and Maui Land and Pineapple Co.’s Hawaii Water Service.

In response, water conservation mandates were “implemented to prioritize the needs of the local community,” said the tour. Kapalua Golf’s irrigation water was cut off Aug. 29 by Maui Land and Pineapple Co.’s Hawaii Water Service.

“These restrictions directly affected Kapalua Resort, where the Tour’s agronomy team conducted a site visit in early September. That team concluded the condition of the Plantation Course had been significantly compromised by the drought and water limitations. While weather conditions may improve in the coming months, the extensive lead time required to prepare a PGA TOUR event made it impossible to guarantee TOUR-standard playing conditions for the Jan. 5-11 event,” read the statement.

The Sentry marked the Tour’s season-opening event from 1986 to 2013, a tradition that resumed in 2024 when the Tour returned to a calendar-year schedule, according to the statement. The tournament relocated to Maui in 1999. Sentry Insurance became the tournament’s title sponsor in 2018.

After speaking with Gov. Josh Green, Sentry Insurance’s leadership, Kapalua Resort and Maui County, the PGA TOUR has determined the 2026 playing of The Sentry will not be contested at The Plantation Course at Kapalua due to “ongoing drought conditions, water conservation requirements, agronomic conditions and logistical challenges.”

“We understand and support the PGA TOUR’s decision, given the challenges related to the ongoing drought,” said Stephanie Smith, chief marketing and brand officer and chief golf partnership officer at Sentry Insurance. “We love Maui and the people who make the community such a special place. As we’ve said for years, Maui is a Sentry community not unlike our hometown of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and that remains the case. Our communities are connected. We’ve built meaningful friendships throughout the island, and those relationships are bigger than the tournament.”

PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp and Green met virtually on Monday to discuss the decision and “the broader challenges” facing the Maui community, according to the statement.

“We support the PGA TOUR’s decision, given the drought conditions Maui is facing,” said Green in a statement. “Protecting our water and supporting our communities come first. The Sentry has long showcased Maui’s beauty while giving back to local nonprofits, and we’re grateful to the Tour, Sentry Insurance, Kapalua Resort and Maui County for their partnership.”