PGA Tour to abandon Hawaii Swing from 2027
The PGA Tour has officially announced it will abandon the Hawaii Swing from 2027, bringing to a close a beloved tradition that has marked the beginning of each season for decades, reports BritPanorama.
Both The Sentry at Kapalua and the Sony Open at Waialae will no longer feature on the tour’s calendar. This decision marks a significant shift for professional golf, ending Hawaii’s long-standing role as the sport’s seasonal curtain-raiser.
Tour officials have indicated that further details regarding the 2027 schedule will be released in due course, though the confirmation has already sparked considerable reaction from the golfing community. Hawaii’s connection to professional golf stretches back to 1965, with The Plantation Course at Kapalua welcoming players as the season’s opening venue since 1999.
The 2026 edition of The Sentry, which featured a prize fund of $20 million as a Signature Event, was scrapped late last year due to issues with water supply infrastructure on Maui. The tour cited “logistical complexities unique to staging a tournament on the island of Maui” as the reason for the permanent departure, making golf the second major American sport to exit Hawaii after the NFL’s relocation of the Pro Bowl to Orlando in 2016.
In a statement to Sports Business Journal, the PGA Tour expressed gratitude for the support received over the years, thanking The Plantation Course at Kapalua, Kapalua Resort, Maui County, and the State of Hawaii, as well as fans and volunteers from Maui. Stephanie Smith, Sentry’s chief marketing and brand officer, reflected positively on the partnership: “We are proud to have sponsored The Sentry in Kapalua for eight years.”
The announcement prompted a wave of criticism on social media. One fan wrote on X, “This is a horrible move. Serious nostalgia whenever it got to January and I’d see all of the beautiful shots of Kapalua, I knew golf season was back. PGA had a shocker here.” Another user acknowledged the financial logic of the decision but lamented the outcome, stating, “I get the business decision but there is no way of dressing this up as good news.”
Some observers have drawn comparisons with the NFL’s Pro Bowl, which has struggled since leaving Honolulu, indicating concern over the potential loss to golf’s standing in Hawaii. The Sony Open may yet survive as a PGA Tour Champions event, though this remains unconfirmed. Meanwhile, the American Express, won by world number one Scottie Scheffler last year, could potentially become the new season opener, with dates of 21-24 January 2027 already secured.
As the Hawaiian tournaments fade away from the PGA Tour calendar, fans and players alike are left to ponder what this means for the sport’s identity moving forward; change in professional golf can feel like losing a familiar friend.
