For the first time in a quarter-century, the PGA Tour will not start it season at Kapalua Resort's Plantation Course in Hawaii.
The Tour announced Tuesday that the 2026 edition of The Sentry will not be played at that property due to an ongoing legal dispute over the sourcing of water for the property that has forced the resort's owners to stop water the iconic course for several months.
An ongoing drought on Maui has exacerbated the situation, as well. More than 90 percent of the county and more than 140,000 residents have been impacted, and water-conservation mandates were implemented to prioritize water usage.
This month, members of the PGA Tour's argonomy team visited the resort to assess the situation and determined "the condition of the Plantation Course had been significantly compromised by the drought and water limitations," according to an announcement by the Tour. Though conditions could improve throughout the fall and early winter, the Tour believes the months-long preparation window makes it impossible to assure expected conditions for the tournament, scheduled to be played Jan. 8-11.
“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,” the PGA Tour said in a statement. “Additional event information will be shared when appropriate."
“We understand and support the PGA Tour’s decision, given the challenges related to the ongoing drought,” said Stephanie Smith, chief marketing and brand officer and chief golf partnership officer at Sentry Insurance. “We love Maui and the people who make the community such a special place. As we’ve said for years, Maui is a Sentry community not unlike our hometown of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and that remains the case. Our communities are connected. We’ve built meaningful friendships throughout the island, and those relationships are bigger than the tournament.”
Hawaii Governor Josh Green met virtually on Monday with PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp to discuss the decision and the larger situation.
"We support the PGA Tour’s decision, given the drought conditions Maui is facing," said Governor Green. "Protecting our water and supporting our communities come first. The Sentry has long showcased Maui’s beauty while giving back to local nonprofits, and we’re grateful to the Tour, Sentry Insurance, Kapalua Resort and Maui County for their partnership."
The Sentry is a limited-field, $20 million Signature event reserved for the PGA Tour's event winners in the last season, as well as those who finished in the top 50 in the prior season's FedEx Cup standings. The 2026 location of the event will be announced in due course.
The Sony Open in Hawaii, the first full-field event of the year that's played the week after The Sentry, will be played at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, as scheduled.
