PGA to Leave Hawaii Next Year...Opening Event Relocated Due to Drought

The Sentry to Change Venue for the First Time in 27 Years
Stage 2 Water Shortage Restrictions Begin in Maui
Plantation Course Closed for Two Months, Grass Discolored

The venue for the season-opening event of the U.S. Professional Golf (PGA) Tour, The Sentry, will change for the first time in 27 years next year.

On September 16 (local time), the PGA Tour announced that The Sentry will not be held at the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort on the island of Maui, Hawaii, next year. The reason the tournament cannot be held at Kapalua Resort next year is due to the severe drought affecting Maui. Since 2023, rainfall on Maui has dropped significantly, and starting this month, the island has entered "Stage 2 Water Shortage," implementing water use restrictions.

Hideki Matsuyama is celebrating with the trophy immediately after winning the PGA Tour season opener, The Sentry. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

As water cannot be supplied to the golf course, the Plantation Course has already been closed for two months, and the fairway grass has turned brown. The PGA Tour explained, "With the ongoing drought and the difficulty in maintaining the turf, we have concluded that it is simply not possible to hold the tournament here." The PGA Tour is currently searching for an alternative venue.

The Sentry, which is held annually during the first week of the new year, is scheduled to begin on January 9 next year. Kapalua Resort has hosted The Sentry for 26 years, from 1999 through this year. Since its inception in 1953, The Sentry has been held in locations such as Las Vegas, Nevada, and Carlsbad, California, before being held exclusively at the Plantation Course starting in 1999. The defending champion is Hideki Matsuyama of Japan.