(Reuters) -The PGA Tour’s season-opening event will have to find a new home for 2026 as drought conditions on the Hawaiian island of Maui forced organizers to abandon plans to stage the January tournament at Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course. According to the PGA Tour, more than 90% of Maui County is experiencing significant drought that […]
Sports
Golf-PGA Tour says drought-hit Kapalua unable to host 2026 season opener
Audio By Carbonatix
(Reuters) -The PGA Tour’s season-opening event will have to find a new home for 2026 as drought conditions on the Hawaiian island of Maui forced organizers to abandon plans to stage the January tournament at Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course.
According to the PGA Tour, more than 90% of Maui County is experiencing significant drought that has affected over 140,000 residents and triggered water conservation mandates that have left the golf course in no shape to host The Sentry.
Additional details about the tournament, which features the top 50 players from the previous year’s FedExCup standings as well as winners of PGA Tour events from the preceding calendar year, will be shared when available.
The PGA Tour said its agronomy team made a site visit in early September and concluded that the Plantation Course had been “significantly compromised” by both the drought and water limitations.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in TorontoEditing by Toby Davis)