The PGA Tour has cancelled its season-opening match, The Sentry, after drought and water conservation points on the Hawaiian island of Maui, and failing to seek out an alternate venue.
The Sony Open in Honolulu would be the first match of 2026, going down from January 15-18, the newest begin to a season because the PGA Tour was shaped in 1969.
The Plantation course in Kapalua has hosted the PGA Tour since 1999, however has been compelled to shut two of its programs as a consequence of extreme water restrictions stemming from a dispute with the corporate in control of a century-old water supply system.
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The tour mentioned in an announcement, “After assessing alternate venues in Hawaii and past, the tour decided it might not be capable of contest The Sentry in 2026 due to logistical challenges – together with delivery deadlines, match infrastructure and vendor help.”
Stephanie Smith, the chief advertising and model officer at Sentry, added, “I’m actually happy with what The Sentry has turn out to be. I did not need 2026 to be any much less.
“We did not need it to be simply, ‘Discover a place for it within the schedule,’ or ‘Discover a course for it that might host it.’
“I wished Sentry to stay the jewel that it’s. I wished it to be particular. When that could not come collectively, I felt we did not have a selection.
“This isn’t the result we wished, however sadly, it is the place we’re.”
It’s the first time a match has been cancelled because the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Highlights of the ultimate day of the 2025 Sentry Event of Champions on the Kapalua Plantation Course in Hawaii
The Sentry has been the primary PGA Tour occasion yearly since 1999, besides in 2001, when the season started in Australia with a World Golf Championship.
Smith mentioned the tour stays “dedicated” to enjoying The Sentry once more, however mentioned there are numerous components at play and it’s troublesome to provide a definitive reply about the way forward for the course.
In 2025, Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama completed with a PGA Tour 72-hole report of 35 below par to win The Sentry in Hawaii by three strokes from America’s Collin Morikawa.
Watch the Sony Open in Hawaii dwell on Sky Sports activities from January 15-18. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and extra golf contract-free with NOW.
