The PGA Tour was forced to cancel its 2026 season opener as drought conditions on the island of Maui in Hawaii left the Plantation Course at Kapalua unfit for use.
Tournament organisers for The Sentry searched for an alternative venue, but were unable to find a feasible option and ultimately abandoned the US$20 million (A$30.8m) signature event that was due to be held from January 8-11.
The cancellation means that the Sony Open, staged at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii, will be next year’s opening tournament.
FOX SPORTS, available on Kayo Sports, is streaming The 2025 PGA Tour LIVE & Exclusive | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
The PGA Tour’s statement said that “logistical challenges – including shipping deadlines, tournament infrastructure and vendor support” were the reasons for being unable to find a replacement course for the event restricted to the top 50 in this year’s FedEx Cup playoffs as well as 2025 tournament winners.
It was announced last month that the Tour would need to search for an alternative as water conversation measures left the Plantation Course ravaged.
Concerning images of the bone dry course began to circulate on social media after the Kapalua Resort was forced to shut down for several months.
It led to legal action with resort owner and Japanese billionaire Tadashi Kanai and Kapalua homeowners filing a lawsuit against Maui Land & Pineapple.
The resort and the homeowners argued that the water shortage was due to system failures, while Maui Land & Pineapple disputed those claims, saying the water shortages were the result of naturally low flows rather than delivery issues, and filed a countersuit.
Golf fans around the world were sadden to see the images of a barren Plantation Course, as it has been a fan favourite over the years due to its stunning Pacific Ocean views and the course boasting many entertaining holes, most famously the downhill par 5 18th.
It has also been a birdie-fest in recent times with this year’s champion Hideki Matsuyama finishing -35 to break the PGA Tour scoring record set by Australia’s Cameron Smith at the same course in 2022 by one shot.
But on the same day, the tournament was cancelled, the resort announced that golf will re-open to the public next month with tee times able to be reserved for US$399 (A$615).
Although, allegedly two of the greens are still being restored.
Sentry’s sponsorship of the event is under contract until 2035, but a lot remains unknown about the future of the tournament.
“We are committed to playing The Sentry,” Stephanie Smith, the chief marketing and brand officer at Sentry who oversees the golf partnership, said.
“We know from our conversations with the tour that The Sentry will be on the schedule. There’s so many factors in play right now. What’s going on on the island? Will the water issue be resolved? Will the course be playable? What about the lawsuits being resolved?
“We’ve had good conversations,” she added. “We’re committed to playing The Sentry again at the level we have in the past.”
