The PGA Tour confirmed this Wednesday what had seemed inevitable for weeks: The Sentry will not be held in 2026. The American circuit has decided to cancel the season’s inaugural tournament after confirming that there are no viable alternatives to replace the Plantation Course at Kapalua in Maui, affected by a severe drought and water use restrictions.
A few days ago, you could read on Ten Golf that doubts were increasing and that the scenario of a possible cancellation was more than just a rumour. After several weeks of searching for solutions, the PGA Tour has concluded that logistical difficulties—transportation, infrastructure setup, and supplier support—made it impossible to hold the tournament at another venue, not even outside of Hawaii. Thus, the new season will begin directly with the Sony Open in Oahu, from 12 to 18 January, which will take on the role of the first event of the calendar.
The cancellation of The Sentry also alters the competitive dynamics at the start of the season. The tournament was supposed to bring together the top 50 players of the FedEx Cup 2025, as well as all the winners of the PGA Tour from the previous year. To compensate these latter—those champions who did not finish among the top 50—the circuit has announced that they will have direct access to the RBC Heritage. This measure also affects players who finish between 51st and 60th after the FedEx Fall Series.
“The Sentry is a jewel of the PGA Tour calendar,” acknowledged Stephanie Smith, brand and golf manager at Sentry Insurance, the tournament’s main sponsor until 2035. “We tried to keep the event alive, but it proved impossible to do so with the quality it deserves.”
The decision is a symbolic blow for Hawaii, which temporarily loses one of its two PGA Tour tournaments. Despite everything, the circuit will maintain its opening in the archipelago with the Sony Open and the Mitsubishi Electric Championship of the PGA Tour Champions, scheduled from 22 to 24 January in Hualalai.
