Could the PGA Tour have saved The Sentry? The shocking cancellation of the tournament back in September left many wondering if the decision was made too hastily, especially considering the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort is now reportedly back in competitive playing condition. This is Part III of our deep dive into the PGA Tour's relationship with Hawaii, and it raises some serious questions about foresight and decision-making.
(Editor’s Note: As you know, The Sentry, the traditional kickoff to the PGA Tour season, was scheduled to be held this week at the renowned Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort. However, due to severe water issues affecting the course's condition, the event was canceled last September. You can read more about the initial water restrictions and the event cancellation here: [https://golfweek.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/pga/2026/01/08/pga-tour-sentry-kapalua-hawaiian-course-water-rights-fight/88081032007/]. Despite the earlier concerns, the resort management team has worked hard and successfully restored the course to a level suitable for competitive play. More on that turn around here: [https://golfweek.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/pga/2026/01/08/pga-tour-sentry-kapalua-hawaiian-course-water-rights-fight/88081032007/] and here [https://golfweek.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/pga/2026/01/06/no-pga-tour-2026-kapalua-plantation-golf-course-sentry-open-public-play/88026850007/]. This article continues Golfweek.com's exploration of the situation unfolding in Hawaii.)
Back in March, Mark Rolfing, a respected voice as a longtime NBC/Golf Channel analyst and a Maui resident, raised a red flag during a four-hour meeting with PGA Tour staff during the Players Championship week. Rolfing, who lives on Kapalua’s Bay Course (the sister course to the Plantation Course) and is a paid ambassador for The Sentry – an event he’s been deeply involved with since its inception – expressed serious concerns about the drought in West Maui. He warned that the necessary water conservation measures, vital for ensuring water access for the community, could jeopardize the tournament. His warning proved prophetic. The local water crisis became entangled in legal battles, ultimately leading to the Tour's announcement on September 16th that The Sentry would not be held at Kapalua this year.
"I said, 'Potentially we have a problem unfolding here,' ” Rolfing recalled. “You guys really need to pay attention.” But here's where it gets controversial... Did the PGA Tour act swiftly enough on Rolfing's early warning?
The PGA Tour declined to comment for this story, referring back to its previous statement citing the "severely impacted" agronomic conditions due to drought and water restrictions. The Hawaii Water Service had begun issuing Tier 4 water curtailment notices as early as March. To clarify, Tier 4 restrictions mean non-potable water usage is strictly limited to fire protection.
The Tour's typical procedure involves relying on their agronomy team's communication with the host facility throughout the year to track course conditions. Kapalua's general manager, Alex Nakajima, stated that he held bi-weekly and monthly check-in calls with various stakeholders. These included Max Novena, the Sentry's executive director and a PGA Tour vice president in the championship management division. Interestingly, Novena's home is located along the Plantation Course, allowing him to witness firsthand the course's deteriorating condition as watering restrictions took effect.
Reportedly, as early as spring, the Tour informed the tournament's title sponsor, Sentry, about the lack of rainfall in West Maui and the potential ramifications. They were aware of the situation and monitoring it, yet continued to assure Sentry that the course would recover. That assurance evaporated in mid-August when the water supply was completely shut off. Within two weeks, the course was parched and showing severe signs of distress.
Typically, the Tour conducts a site visit eight weeks before the event to assess the course and file a report. In this critical situation, head agronomist Paul Vermillion took over for Mike Crawford, who had been responsible for The Sentry for several years. Vermillion made an emergency inspection trip to Kapalua on September 3rd. Less than two weeks later, the Tour officially announced the cancellation.
"Nobody had come for three or four months after I sounded the alarm," Rolfing lamented. "I live here and have been at this tournament for 40 years. I know enough to know that we were really headed for trouble. I couldn't get anybody's attention. I even called (original course architects) Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. And I monitored it very closely, even to the point where I talked to Mike Crawford, the Tour agronomist, as late as July, and he told me everything was fine.” And this is the part most people miss... The timeline suggests a disconnect between the on-the-ground reality and the information reaching decision-makers.
The unspoken question, because Rolfing refrains from direct blame, is this: Could TYManagement Corporation (Kapalua's owner, led by Tadashi Yanai, the founder of Uniqlo), Troon Golf (the resort's course operator), or the PGA Tour have acted more decisively and earlier? Given that 16 holes of the Plantation Course reopened on November 10th and are now considered to be in "tour-caliber condition," was the Tour's decision premature? This is a legitimate point of contention, and one that warrants further exploration.
Nakajima, Kapalua's general manager, chuckled when asked this question, indicating he's heard it frequently. He emphasized several factors, including the logistical challenges of the Hawaiian Islands' remote location. Everything needed for the tournament setup had to be shipped by boat by October 1st, and there was no guarantee they would have any water available for the course. [Kapalua ultimately decided to divert water rations from the Bay Course to the Plantation Course]. "They waited to the last minute and made the only call they could," Nakajima stated. "I don’t blame them at all.”
Following the cancellation, the focus shifted to finding an alternative location. Efforts were made to keep the tournament in Hawaii. Royal Kaanapali on Maui, a former PGA Tour Champions venue, was considered but deemed too short. King Kamehameha Golf Club, a private club on Maui with a stunning Frank Lloyd Wright clubhouse, was also explored but didn't materialize. The possibility of holding consecutive weeks at Waialae Country Club on Oahu, home of the Sony Open in Hawaii, was discussed. Several options in California and Florida, including Trump Doral, were assessed, but a suitable course and date couldn't be found.
"The Sentry is a jewel in the PGA Tour schedule," explained Stephanie Smith, chief marketing and brand officer and chief golf partnership officer at Sentry. "We were determined to find a way to play a signature-level event in 2026 — one that honored the tournament’s tradition and provided the quality of competition that players and fans have come to expect. Despite the tour’s best efforts, it became impossible to do that. Sentry is committed to our long-term relationship with the tour … and The Sentry’s place as a prominent event.”
After the Tour announced the cancellation in October, Sentry, the Wisconsin-based insurance company, committed to sending a team to Kapalua to "give Maui a hug," along with donating $1 million to local charities. However, with next year's tournament looming, uncertainty surrounds The Sentry's future at Kapalua's Plantation Course. Sentry's Smith declined to comment on the record to Golfweek but told Wisconsin.Golf: “I’m confident the tournament will be back in 2027. I can’t say with certainty where.”
Next: What is the future of the Hawaii Swing?
So, what do you think? Did the PGA Tour jump the gun in canceling The Sentry? Could more have been done to save the tournament? And what does the future hold for the PGA Tour's presence in Hawaii? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
