PGA Tour announces no Sentry at Kapalua, needs new tourney venue

The PGA Tour needs a fill-in venue for its season-opening event.

The Tour announced on Tuesday that The Sentry will not be played at The Plantation Course at Kapalua in January due to ongoing drought conditions on the island of Maui.

The Plantation Course, with its massive elevation changes and dreamy ocean views, has long been a famous first stop on the new year’s schedule, but current water conservation efforts due to Maui County drought conditions have forced the Tour to move the event, which is scheduled for Jan. 8-11, 2026.

According to state data, more than 90 percent of Maui County and over 140,000 residents have been impacted by the drought, which includes Kapalua Resort, host of The Sentry.

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The Tour said its agronomy team conducted a site visit earlier this month and decided course conditions, due to water limitations, have been compromised. It also cited logistical issues, which forced the Tour to make a decision months in advance.

The Tour released the following statement on Tuesday: “Following discussions with the Governor’s office, as well as leadership from Sentry Insurance, 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. Additional event information will be shared when appropriate.”

The resort previously announced it would close its Plantation and Bay courses for 60 days beginning on Sept. 2.

“This decision was not made lightly,” Alex Nakajima, general manager of Kapalua Golf and Tennis, said in a statement at the time. “Closing at this time will allow us to begin careful recovery and restoration so that the courses may once again meet the standards of playability our guests deserve.”

The Sentry is not only the first event of the year, but the first of nine Signature Events of 2026, which means a bigger purse ($20 million) and more star power in the field.

The Tour’s second event of 2026, the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, remains unchanged.

No information on a replacement venue for The Sentry has been released, although the next five tournaments after the Sony are either in California (four events) or Arizona (one), so the Tour could decide to stick with a West Coast venue for logistical purposes or create a mini extension of the West Coast swing.