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PGA Tour players told The Sentry 2026 likely cancelled as Kapalua course issues grow

Originally posted on HITC | By Jordan Harris | Last updated Oct 15, 2025 4:55 PM ET

The PGA Tour seems to have made a decision about The Sentry for 2026, following confirmation that the tournament will not return to Kapalua next January.

Doubts around The Sentry have been growing for a while. Michael Kim was among those disappointed by the announcement. Drought conditions in Maui left the course unplayable, and there were discussions about moving the tournament to another venue.

Traditionally, it has opened the season and is now a signature event, so relocating it would be a big change. The PGA Tour also had to consider how this move would affect the Sony Open in Honolulu, which takes place the following week.

It looks like the PGA Tour have made up their mind about what to do with The Sentry

The 2026 event is likely to be cancelled, according to Rex Hoggard, who shared the news on the Golf Channel Podcast. He noted that there’s a growing belief that the tournament won’t take place.

“I’m hearing from multiple sources that The Sentry probably isn’t going to be played next year,” he said.

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“Officials are starting to tell players, plan on starting your year, if you want to, at the Sony Open, which means they either couldn’t find a home, or didn’t have a lot of motivation to find a home for The Sentry. Of course, that golf course has endured drought and simply wasn’t playable.”

Hideki Matsuyama’s record-breaking round at The Sentry

Earlier this year at Kapalua, Hideki Matsuyama broke new ground on the PGA Tour, finishing The Sentry at 35 under par – the lowest score ever recorded in a Tour event.

Matsuyama and Collin Morikawa set themselves apart from the rest of the field. Even Rory McIlroy admitted that he would have struggled to keep up had he been playing. However, it’s worth noting that players who finished at 22 under didn’t even crack the top 10.

Many fans felt that The Sentry turned into too much of a birdie-fest. Despite those opinions, it’s still disappointing that Kapalua won’t open the PGA Tour season in 2026. And if the event ends up being cancelled instead of just moved for one year, fans are sure to be frustrated by how it’s been handled.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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