Overview
- On Wednesday, July 1, 2026, the PGA Tour and Sony announced the Sony Open at Waialae will shift to the PGA Tour Champions and be renamed the Sony Championship starting in 2027.
- Organizers confirmed a $3 million purse, a 78-player field, and that IMG will operate the tournament, though reports conflict on exact January dates for the new event.
- Sony said preserving its charitable program for Hawaii was a top priority and the company has given more than $27 million to local nonprofits since 1999.
- The schedule change follows the cancellation of The Sentry at Kapalua after Maui’s drought left Kapalua unplayable and forced a reworking of Hawaii’s January golf calendar.
- Waialae’s move ends its run as a PGA Tour stop that began in 1965 but keeps professional competition at the course and is likely to draw past Waialae champions now eligible for Champions play, such as Ernie Els and Vijay Singh.