PGA Tour sparks furious backlash after 'horrible' decision to change tradition

Jack Otway
Tue, 21 Apr 2026 11:26:32 +0000

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.

Sports Business Journal reports that both The Sentry at Kapalua and the Sony Open at Waialae will no longer feature on the tour's calendar.

The 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.

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Hawaii's connection to professional golf stretches back to 1965, establishing a relationship spanning six decades.

The Plantation Course at Kapalua has welcomed players as the season's opening venue since 1999, becoming synonymous with the new year in golf.

However, the 2026 edition of The Sentry, which carried a prize fund of $20 million as a Signature Event, was scrapped late last year owing to problems with water supply infrastructure on Maui.

The tour cited "logistical complexities unique to staging a tournament on the island of Maui" as the reasoning behind the permanent departure, making golf the second major American sport to exit Hawaii following the NFL's relocation of the Pro Bowl to Orlando in 2016.

In a statement to Sports Business Journal, the PGA Tour expressed appreciation for the support received over the years: "We are grateful to The Plantation Course at Kapalua, Kapalua Resort, Maui County and the State of Hawaii for their longtime support of our season-opening PGA Tour event, as well as the fans, partners and volunteers across Maui who have supported the event throughout the years."

Stephanie Smith, Sentry's chief marketing and brand officer, also reflected on the partnership: "We are proud to have sponsored The Sentry in Kapalua for eight years."

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She added that the company's bond with the island remains strong, describing Maui as "a Sentry community not unlike our hometown of Stevens Point, Wisconsin."

The announcement prompted a wave of criticism from supporters 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 whilst lamenting the outcome: "I get the business decision but there is no way of dressing this up as good news.

"We lose two (popular) tournaments and get nothing in return."

Some observers drew unflattering comparisons with the NFL's Pro Bowl, which has struggled since leaving Honolulu.

The Sony Open may yet survive as a PGA Tour Champions event, though this remains unconfirmed.

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.