The Canceled Sentry: A Hard Setback for the PGA Tour
The PGA Tour has made the decision to cancel its inaugural tournament, The Sentry, scheduled to be held in Kapalua, Maui. This unprecedented measure since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 is due to the impossibility of finding an alternative course for the event, due to the water scarcity affecting Kapalua. The Sony Open in Honolulu will become the first tournament of 2026, starting from January 15 to 18. This date marks the latest start of a season since the PGA Tour was established in 1969. The organization and Sentry Insurance, based in Wisconsin, had considered other fields to host the event, which has a prize pool of $20 million and is intended for PGA Tour winners and the top 50 of the FedEx Cup. However, it was decided to cancel the tournament altogether.Smith, supervisor of the golf association that began in 2018 and extends to 2035, explained that they didn’t simply look for a place on the calendar or a course that could host the event. The priority was to keep The Sentry as a special jewel. Given the impossibility of achieving this, cancellation was the only option. Kapalua was forced to close its two courses due to severe water restrictions imposed by a dispute with the company in charge of the water supply system, dating back a century. The Plantation course, which has hosted the PGA Tour since 1999, was affected by this situation. The cancellation of The Sentry was announced on the same day that Kapalua announced the reopening of the Plantation course on November 10, with the possibility of booking tee times at a promotional rate of $399. It was reported that two of the 18 greens were still being restored. The Sentry has been the PGA Tour’s opening event each year since 1999, with the exception of 2001, when the season began in Australia with a World Golf Championship. Several players who competed at Kapalua used to participate in the Sony Open in Oahu. Seven PGA Tour winners, including Aldrich Potgieter and Min Woo Lee, failed to qualify among the top 50 in the FedEx Cup. To compensate for their absence at Kapalua, they will be added to the field of the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, the week after the Masters. Tadashi Yanai, the Japanese billionaire owner of Kapalua and founder of the clothing brand Uniqlo, along with the homeowners of Kapalua and Hua Momona Farms, filed a lawsuit in August against Maui Land & Pineapple, alleging that it had not maintained the water supply system. MLP filed a counterclaim, and both parties have exchanged accusations since then. The Hawaii Water Resource Management Commissioner notified MLP two weeks ago about alleged violations of the water supply system, with fines that could amount to $11 million. MLP has until November 8 to respond.I am very proud of what The Sentry has become; I didn’t want the 26th to be any less.
Stephanie Smith, Director of Marketing and Brand at Sentry
Meanwhile, the two Kapalua courses, which once looked emerald green, turned yellow due to water restrictions, leading to their closure in September for at least two months to try to save them. On September 16, the tour announced that it would not be able to hold The Sentry at Kapalua.
Smith did not reveal which other fields were considered as alternatives. The previous year’s Genesis Invitational had to be moved from Riviera in Los Angeles due to the devastating wildfires in Pacific Palisades. The event was relocated to Torrey Pines, which still retained all its infrastructure after having hosted a PGA Tour event three weeks earlier. The organization stated that after evaluating alternative locations in Hawaii and other places, it was determined that it would not be possible to hold The Sentry in 2026 due to logistical challenges, including shipping deadlines, tournament infrastructure, and vendor support. The Sentry has one of the longest title sponsorship agreements with the tour. It remains to be determined whether it will return to Kapalua in 2027, a year in which significant changes are expected due to a renewed schedule. Tiger Woods leads a “Future Competition Committee” in charge of shaping the tour. This committee is about to meet for the first time. When asked about the future of The Sentry in Maui in 2027, Smith replied that it’s difficult to say at this moment. Smith assured that they are committed to the celebration of The Sentry. They know from their conversations with the tour that The Sentry will be on the calendar. However, there are many factors at play, including the situation on the island, the resolution of the water problem, the condition of the course, and the resolution of the lawsuits. The Sony Open becomes the seventh tournament to start the year since the tour began.
