The PGA Tour Cancels The Sentry in 2026
The PGA Tour has announced the cancellation of its inaugural tournament, The Sentry, instead of seeking an alternative venue for the event in Kapalua, Maui, affected by water scarcity. This decision marks the first time a tournament has been canceled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Sony Open in Honolulu will take over as the first tournament of 2026, scheduled from January 15 to 18. This date represents the latest start of a year 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 aimed at PGA Tour winners and the top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings. However, they opted for the total cancellation of the tournament.Kapalua was forced to close its two courses in Maui due to severe water restrictions caused by a dispute with the company in charge of the water supply system, which is more than a century old. The Sony Open is in its final year of main sponsorship, raising doubts about Hawaii’s continuity on the PGA Tour calendar after this year. The announcement of The Sentry’s cancellation coincided with the news that Kapalua’s Plantation course will reopen on November 10, with the possibility of booking tee times from Thursday at a promotional rate of $399. It was reported that two of the 18 greens are still in the process of restoration. Several PGA Tour winners, including Aldrich Potgieter and Min Woo Lee, failed to qualify among the top 50 in the FedEx Cup. The tour has confirmed that, to compensate for the absence in Kapalua, these players will be included in the RBC Heritage at 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 has 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 about alleged violations related to the water supply system, with fines that could amount to $11 million. MLP has until November 8 to respond. Meanwhile, the two Kapalua courses went from an emerald green to yellow due to water restrictions, leading to a closure in September for at least two months to try to save them. The tour announced on September 16 that it would not be possible to hold The Sentry at Kapalua. The tour issued a statement explaining that after evaluating alternative venues in Hawaii and beyond, 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 future of The Sentry in Kapalua for 2027 is still to be determined, in a year in which significant changes are expected due to a renewed calendar. Tiger Woods leads a “Future Competition Committee” to shape the tour, which is about to meet for the first time. When asked about the future of The Sentry in Maui in 2027, Smith replied: “It’s hard to say at this moment.”“I am very proud of what The Sentry has become; I didn’t want ’26 to be less,” stated Stephanie Smith, Sentry’s director of marketing and brand, who oversees the golf partnership initiated in 2018. The sponsorship extends until 2035.
Stephanie Smith, director of marketing and brand of Sentry
The Sony Open becomes the seventh tournament to start the year since the tour began.“We are committed to playing The Sentry,” she affirmed. “We know from our conversations with the tour that The Sentry will be on the schedule. There are many factors at play right now. What is happening on the island? Will the water problem be resolved? Will the course be playable? What about the resolution of the lawsuits?”
Stephanie Smith, director of marketing and brand for Sentry
