The state of Hawai‘i has been a PGA Tour staple for decades, particularly when it comes to kicking off the calendar year.
In every year since 2002, the PGA Tour has started its calendar year with a tournament in the Islands. Typically, the Tournament of Champions would take place on Maui, then the Sony Open would begin on O‘ahu a week later.
In October, the PGA Tour announced it was canceling The Sentry Tournament of Champions in 2026, citing water issues on Maui's Kapalua Plantation Golf Course.
While the future of the Sentry on Maui remains in limbo, the 2026 PGA Tour will begin with the Sony Open, which takes place from Thursday to Sunday at Waialae Country Club. The concept of having two tournaments in Hawai‘i has long appealed to golfers. Uncertainty surrounding the Sentry has led to uncertainty around the PGA coming to Hawai‘i altogether, since the Sentry and Sony are close in date and location.
Competitors in the 2026 Sony Open will be sure to cherish the experience, just in case it's the last time they get to do so.
"You just got to appreciate where you are. It's hard to do that because our season, even though it's the beginning of the season, will go by very quickly. You play a lot of the same places you've been before," PGA star Collin Morikawa said at Wednesday's Sony introductory press conference. "You just share a little bit of gratitude and appreciation for the people that come out, the volunteers that are out here. The amount of people even through three days that have said "Thanks for coming back,' it means more than you know. For me, someone who has ties to Hawai'i, you never want to see something go away for good.
"It just makes you realize, stay present this week and enjoy it as much as you can and see what kind of memories we can make, and hopefully finally find a way to win on the Islands out here."
Though Morikawa hails from California, his grandparents are from Lahaina. That led to frequent trips throughout his life and a genuine connection to the Islands.
"It's awful to see what has happened over the last three years with the fires, seeing the loss of Front Street, obviously us not being there. I know we provide probably a good amount of attention to the island and for that side of the island for Kapalua," Morikawa said. "Hopefully we'll be back. The crowd out here, the fans, the culture, I love coming out here. It's nice to be back at the Sony Open."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
