Sony Championship Hawaiʻi on Oʻahu is a new stop on PGA Tour Champions

While the PGA Tour is permanently eliminating the iconic season-opening Hawaiʻi swing next year, the Sony Open in Hawaiʻi will now be a stop on the PGA Tour Champions.

This is the first time in more than 60 years that the PGA Tour will not host events in the state. Both the Sentry, formerly the Tournament of Champions, in Kapalua, Maui, and the Sony Open at Waiʻalae Country Club on Oʻahu will no longer be part of the main PGA Tour schedule.

However, the Sony Open in Hawaiʻi will live on as a PGA Tour Champions event and is officially rebranded as the Sony Championship Hawaiʻi.

The PGA Tour Champions is a men’s professional senior golf tour for golfers age 50 and over.

The first Sony Championship Hawaiʻi will be held from Jan. 11 to 16, 2027, at Waiʻalae Country Club in Honolulu with a purse of $3 million.

“Sony has been an incredible PGA Tour partner since 1999, and we are looking forward to beginning this new era with the legends of the game competing on a truly iconic venue in Waiʻalae Country Club,” said PGA Tour Champions President Miller Brady.

The Sony Open has been part of the tour’s most memorable moments, producing champions such as Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, and current Champions Tour stars Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, Zach Johnson, and K.J. Choi.

The Sony Championship Hawaiʻi will be the sixth PGA Tour Champions event to be contested on a course that formerly hosted a tour event.

Over its 28-year partnership with the Sony Open in Hawaiʻi, Sony has contributed more than $27 million to Hawaiʻi nonprofit organizations, benefiting hundreds of local charities that serve vulnerable working families, seniors, under-resourced children, and economically disadvantaged communities.

“As we transition to PGA Tour Champions, we look forward to continuing our commitment to the state of Hawaiʻi and also to welcoming back many of the players and champions who have been such an important part of our history,” said Hiroki Totoki, president and CEO of Sony Group Corporation. “We relish the opportunity to create new opportunities to deepen the connection between the tournament, our business community, and the people of Hawaiʻi. Most importantly, this event has always been about giving back.”

“Supporting Hawaiʻi’s charitable organizations remains our highest priority, and we are proud of the positive impact the tournament has made across the islands over the years,” Totoki continued.

The Sony Championship Hawaiʻi will feature a field of 78 players, with pro-ams on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by competition rounds beginning Thursday, Jan. 14, and concluding with a Saturday finish.

All three rounds will be televised on Golf Channel. It will pair with the Mitsubishi Electric Championship held on the Big Island at Hualālai as a two-week kickoff to the Champions Tour season, much as it previously did on the regular tour.

“Welcoming the Sony Championship Hawaiʻi to Waiʻalae is more than hosting a world-class golf event — it’s an opportunity to showcase the spirit of aloha and strengthen the community impact that has uplifted our islands for decades,” said Governor Josh Green. “We are proud to see this next chapter unfold and grateful for partners who share our commitment to Hawaiʻi’s people and future.”

Global sports marketing agency IMG has been appointed as the tournament operator to deliver all aspects of the Sony Championship Hawaiʻi.