The opening event of the 2026 PGA TOUR calendar, The Sentry, will not be held at The Plantation Course at Kapalua in January due to severe, ongoing drought conditions.
The event was set to be held at Kapalua but as a result of drought conditions in the region, more than 140,000 residents on the island of Maui are believed to have been impacted with water mandates being imposed.
Officials from the PGA TOUR visited the site of the course earlier this month and stated that conditions were “significantly compromised.”
An official statement from the PGA TOUR read: “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.”
Chief marketing and brand officer and chief golf partnership officer at Sentry Insurance, Stephanie Smith, added: “We understand and support the PGA Tour’s decision, given the challenges related to the ongoing drought.
“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.”
A $20 million signature event on the PGA TOUR, the tournament has been a staple event on the professional men’s golf schedule having been the season opener between 1986 and 2013 and then again in 2024.
A new venue or re-scheduled date for the event has yet to be confirmed.