Changes are coming for the start of the PGA Tour season.
PGA Tour making significant change to start of next season
The PGA Tour is making a change to the start of their season
It has often been said that the PGA Tour should look to start up proper once the Super Bowl is over, the NFL dominates all attention until then, and they could lean right into that. We all know though that they begin play in January and typically do so in Hawaii. According to the Sports Business Journal this is coming to an end.
The PGA Tour has now officially decided not to hold its season-opening events -- The Sentry and Sony Open -- in Hawaii in 2027, according to people with knowledge of the plans.
The Sentry officially will not return in 2027, while Sports Business Journal learned on Monday that the tour is in the beginning phases of possibly transitioning the Sony Open to a PGA Tour Champions event, which would still give the tour a multi-event presence in the state.
The tour had played its season-opening tournament, The Sentry, at the Plantation Course at Kapalua dating to 1999, but canceled the 2026 tournament due to water delivery issues on Maui. In its press release announcing that move, the tour mentioned the “logistical complexities unique to staging a tournament on the island of Maui.” It isn’t the only major sports league to leave Hawaii; the NFL nearly a decade ago moved the Pro Bowl to Orlando.
It is unclear if this is an issue related to Hawaii specifically, to reference the NFL’s Pro Bowl leaving the area, or if the PGA Tour simply does not want to begin their season as early as they have in recent years. Brian Rolapp has overseen significant changes since taking over as CEO and it would appear that this is part of all of that.
We will see what happens in the future. Literally.
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