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There will be a pro golf tournament full of big names familiar to fans in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club in January, sponsored by Sony.
It won’t be quite the same as the previous 60 years with many of the world’s best at their prime, but the Sony Open in Hawaii will transition to a PGA Tour Champions event starting in 2027, according to a news release today from the PGA and Sony.
“The newly named Sony Championship Hawaii will be held the week of January 11-16 at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii,” according to the release. “The tournament will feature a purse of $3 million.”
The final round will be on Saturday, and the tournament will be televised live, in prime time in markets on the mainland.
“We are excited to welcome the Sony Championship Hawaii to PGA TOUR Champions. 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 Waialae Country Club,” said PGA TOUR Champions President Miller Brady in the release.
In April, the PGA Tour confirmed reports from media outlets, including the Star-Advertiser, that the Sony Open would no longer be a regular event, but might become part of the Champions Tour, as part of a two-event swing with the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in Hawaii Island, and that The Sentry at Kapalua on Maui would not return.
New PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp wants a redesigned schedule, with fewer events, but more in larger markets than Hawaii.
The Sentry on Maui was not played this year, due to drought conditions and water rights issues. The Sony Open took its place as the PGA Tour’s first event of the calendar year. Many thought this year’s Sony Open would be the final PGA Tour event of any kind at Waialae, which has hosted the tour every year since 1965.
Past champions include Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino, and current Champions Tour stars Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, Zach Johnson and K.J. Choi.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Mark Rolfing, the Golf Channel broadcaster from Maui who was instrumental in bringing together the various entities. “I almost can’t believe it happened, because the situation seemed so dire to us. I feel like Sony basically saved the PGA Tour’s presence in Hawaii.”
The Sony Championship Hawaii will be played a week before the regular PGA Tour season starts.
“Welcoming the Sony Championship Hawaii to Waialae 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 Gov. Josh Green, who was quoted in the release. “We are proud to see this next chapter unfold and grateful for partners who share our commitment to Hawaii’s people and future. Mahalo to the PGA TOUR Champions and Sony Group Corporation leadership for perpetuating professional golf in the Hawaiian Islands.”
The Sony Championship Hawaii will be the sixth PGA Tour Champions event to be contested on a course that formerly hosted a PGA Tour event, according to today’s release.
The field will include 78 PGA Tour Champions players. There will be pro-ams on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the three-day, 54-hole tournament starting on Thursday.
That means just one day of competing with the NFL for viewers.
“All three rounds will be televised on Golf Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA TOUR Champions,” according to the release. “Internationally, PGA TOUR Champions coverage is available in more than 170 countries and territories via 22 media partners.”
Sony has been signature sponsor for 28 years and, according to today’s release, contributed more than $27 million for Hawaii nonprofit organizations, benefiting hundreds of local charities.
“We are delighted to continue Sony’s longstanding commitment to Hawaii and to the meaningful economic, charitable, and community impact that professional golf brings to the region,” said Hiroki Totoki, President and CEO of Sony Group Corporation. “Since 1999, the tournament has provided a unique opportunity for our employees, clients, and guests to experience the spirit of Hawaii alongside world-class golf competition. As we transition to PGA TOUR Champions, we look forward to continuing our commitment to the State of Hawaii and also, to welcoming back many of the players and champions who have been such an important part of our history.”
Continue reading...
It won’t be quite the same as the previous 60 years with many of the world’s best at their prime, but the Sony Open in Hawaii will transition to a PGA Tour Champions event starting in 2027, according to a news release today from the PGA and Sony.
“The newly named Sony Championship Hawaii will be held the week of January 11-16 at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii,” according to the release. “The tournament will feature a purse of $3 million.”
The final round will be on Saturday, and the tournament will be televised live, in prime time in markets on the mainland.
“We are excited to welcome the Sony Championship Hawaii to PGA TOUR Champions. 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 Waialae Country Club,” said PGA TOUR Champions President Miller Brady in the release.
In April, the PGA Tour confirmed reports from media outlets, including the Star-Advertiser, that the Sony Open would no longer be a regular event, but might become part of the Champions Tour, as part of a two-event swing with the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in Hawaii Island, and that The Sentry at Kapalua on Maui would not return.
New PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp wants a redesigned schedule, with fewer events, but more in larger markets than Hawaii.
The Sentry on Maui was not played this year, due to drought conditions and water rights issues. The Sony Open took its place as the PGA Tour’s first event of the calendar year. Many thought this year’s Sony Open would be the final PGA Tour event of any kind at Waialae, which has hosted the tour every year since 1965.
Past champions include Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino, and current Champions Tour stars Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, Zach Johnson and K.J. Choi.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Mark Rolfing, the Golf Channel broadcaster from Maui who was instrumental in bringing together the various entities. “I almost can’t believe it happened, because the situation seemed so dire to us. I feel like Sony basically saved the PGA Tour’s presence in Hawaii.”
The Sony Championship Hawaii will be played a week before the regular PGA Tour season starts.
“Welcoming the Sony Championship Hawaii to Waialae 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 Gov. Josh Green, who was quoted in the release. “We are proud to see this next chapter unfold and grateful for partners who share our commitment to Hawaii’s people and future. Mahalo to the PGA TOUR Champions and Sony Group Corporation leadership for perpetuating professional golf in the Hawaiian Islands.”
The Sony Championship Hawaii will be the sixth PGA Tour Champions event to be contested on a course that formerly hosted a PGA Tour event, according to today’s release.
The field will include 78 PGA Tour Champions players. There will be pro-ams on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the three-day, 54-hole tournament starting on Thursday.
That means just one day of competing with the NFL for viewers.
“All three rounds will be televised on Golf Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA TOUR Champions,” according to the release. “Internationally, PGA TOUR Champions coverage is available in more than 170 countries and territories via 22 media partners.”
Sony has been signature sponsor for 28 years and, according to today’s release, contributed more than $27 million for Hawaii nonprofit organizations, benefiting hundreds of local charities.
“We are delighted to continue Sony’s longstanding commitment to Hawaii and to the meaningful economic, charitable, and community impact that professional golf brings to the region,” said Hiroki Totoki, President and CEO of Sony Group Corporation. “Since 1999, the tournament has provided a unique opportunity for our employees, clients, and guests to experience the spirit of Hawaii alongside world-class golf competition. As we transition to PGA TOUR Champions, we look forward to continuing our commitment to the State of Hawaii and also, to welcoming back many of the players and champions who have been such an important part of our history.”
Continue reading...
