PGA Tour cuts Hawaii events in 2027, dealing a $150M blow to state

The PGA Tour confirmed on Monday that its two Hawaii golf tournaments — the Sony Open in Hawaii and The Sentry at Kapalua — will not be included in the 2027 tour schedule, representing a more than $150 million annual loss in visitor industry revenue for the islands.

The Kapalua event is estimated to have a $50 million annual economic impact on Maui. Direct revenue generated by the Sony Open is estimated at $100 million a year, according to the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, plus about $1 million a year to Friends of Hawaii charities.

Most of the $100 million comes from visitor spending, according to data from the state Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism. In January, 16,162 people came from out of state to attend the Sony Open in Hawaii. They spent an estimated $29.69 million while here, generating $54 million in statewide economic impact during a week considered a slow period for the visitor industry.

In addition to lost revenue, the two professional golf tournaments, which were played in January, provided Hawaii’s tourism industry with invaluable publicity as the events showcased the islands’ beauty in the middle of a cold winter for much of the TV audience.

“For many years, these events have delivered significant economic benefits to our communities — supporting local jobs, businesses and visitor spending,” DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka said in a written statement. “They have also given local youth the chance to see world‑class athletes up close and in person, like Michelle Wie, Tadd Fujikawa and Allisen Corpuz.”

Corpuz, a U.S. Women’s Open winner, is an LPGA pro who plays annually in the Lotte Championship at Hoakalei Country Club on Oahu. That tournament appears to be on solid ground. Its economic impact is a fraction of what the state receives from PGA Tour events, but it does bring in millions each year in direct revenue and marketing exposure.

Monday’s news that the Hawaii tournaments will not be included on the PGA Tour’s 2027 schedule was no surprise. But now that it is confirmed, it raises questions about how the state makes up the financial loss, and whether the tournaments will ever return after a more than 50-year history of PGA events in Hawaii.

“Golf and surfing are sports that showcase the beauty of our islands in every camera angle,” said state Senate Majority Leader Glenn Wakai, an advocate of sports tourism. “It’s unfortunate that we are losing the PGA. It was a fantastic run. There are six professional golf tours in Asia. We should be teeing them up to stop in Hawaii.”

State Sen. Lynn DeCoite, chair of the Senate’s Economic Development and Tourism Committee, said the PGA Tour is important to Hawaii, and she will work toward making its absence temporary.

“Of course, as much as we hoped to salvage these events, we knew it was coming. It was a long shot (to retain them),” DeCoite said. “I don’t plan on giving up on this. The challenges are multifaceted, but I believe we can work through them. I’m disappointed, but I hope we can get things fixed within the next few years. We are trying to work with all of the partners.”

Mark Rolfing, the golf broadcaster known as “Mr. Hawaii,” isn’t giving up either, despite his proposal to keep the Sony Open in Hawaii on the PGA Tour schedule not getting approved. Rolfing said he was meeting with PGA Tour officials Monday night.

A PGA Tour spokesperson said in an email Monday, “We can confirm that the PGA TOUR is having conversations about the Sony Open in Hawaii becoming a PGA TOUR Champions event.” The PGA Tour Champions is for senior tour players, ages 50 and up.

If played the same week as prior Sony Opens, such an event would become the new season opener for the Champions Tour.

The Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalei is played on Hawaii island each year, the week after the Sony Open. The Four Seasons Resort at Hualalei is contracted with Mitsubishi and the PGA Tour Champions through 2030.

Rolfing has spoken often about the huge costs involved in broadcasting golf events, especially when people and equipment must be transported to Hawaii. Events are much more viable in the islands if they are back to back.

Even if broadcast costs are mitigated, the PGA Tour’s new scheduling philosophy might override everything else.

The tour’s new CEO, Brian Rolapp, has consistently spoken of a shorter schedule that does not include tournaments in January which compete against the NFL for viewership. The PGA Tour had started its season each year at Kapalua and Waialae Country Club in early January, on the same weekends as NFL playoffs.

Rolapp, who previously worked for the NFL, wants the PGA Tour schedule to eventually start after the Super Bowl is over in early February. So if the PGA Tour ever returns to Hawaii, it would not be in January under Rolapp.

Hawaii’s PGA troubles began last fall when The Sentry in Kapalua was canceled for 2026 after drought and water rights issues on Maui left the tournament golf course parched. Compounding the problem for Hawaii, 2026 was Sony Corp.’s last year of sponsorship for the Waialae tournament.

In a statement Monday, tour officials said, “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.”

Sentry Insurance has a partnership deal with the PGA Tour through 2035. It is not known yet if and where it might be a title sponsor, except that it will no longer be at Kapalua.

“We are proud to have sponsored The Sentry in Kapalua for eight years. We have said from the beginning, we love Maui and Maui is a Sentry community not unlike our hometown of Stevens Point, Wisconsin,” Stephanie Smith, Sentry’s chief marketing & brand officer and chief golf partnership officer, said in a written statement. “We cherish the friends and partnerships we have formed over the past several years. Our commitment to the island runs deep, and we remain committed to being active in the community.”

Tokioka’s written statement expressed similar sentiments.

“The state of Hawaii deeply appreciates the PGA Tour’s decades‑long partnership and its meaningful presence across our islands. While we are saddened to see the tour conclude its longstanding event on Maui, we understand the factors that contributed to this decision. We remain committed to supporting opportunities that showcase Hawaii as a premier destination for world‑class sporting events. Gov. (Josh) Green and I also want to extend our sincere thanks to Mark Rolfing for his tireless efforts to keep these tournaments in Hawaii.

“We look forward to continued conversations with the PGA Tour and our community partners to ensure that professional golf maintains a strong and positive presence in our islands for many years to come.”

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Star-Advertiser staff writer Allison Schaefers contributed to this report