Sony Open To Become Hawaii PGA Tour Champions Event In 2027

Sony Open Flag In The Sunset — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Hawaii will continue to have PGA Tour golf in the future, but it'll be the seniors starring as the Sony Championship Hawaii has just been announced as a PGA Tour Champions event.

The Sony Open was a long-time fixture on the PGA Tour, with the event starting out as the Hawaiian Open way back in 1965 - with Sony taking over sponsorship in 1999.

It was cut from the PGA Tour though, along with The Sentry, to leave the islands of Hawaii without any top professional golf events - but now it's been confirmed that there will in fact be a tournament staged in Hawaii in 2027.

As the Sony Open is transitioning to become the Sony Championship Hawaii, which will be a $3m PGA Tour Champions event taking place January 11-16 next year, and will remain at the famous Waialae County Club in Honolulu.

"We are excited to welcome the Sony Championship Hawaii to PGA Tour Champions," said the senior circuit's president Miller Brady.

"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."

It's a huge boost for both the PGA Tour Champions and Hawaii - with the state having a long and proud tradition of hosting top level golf tournaments.

“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 Hawaii Governor Josh Green.

Waialae Country Club president Meredith Ching added: “Waialae Country Club is proud to continue its 61-year tradition of hosting championship golf, while beginning a new chapter with the PGA Tour Champions."

A golfer holes a putt at Waialae Country Club

Having a headline sponsor such as Sony show faith in the seniors also shows that it's becoming a viable sponsorship option as more big-name players join the ranks.

There's already the likes of Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, Darren Clark and Padraig Harrington on the PGA Tour champions, and they're being joined by top golfers turning 50 all the time - such as Zach Johnson and recently Ian Poulter.

And who know,s Tiger Woods has previously expressed an interest and the PGA Tour Champions could be the perfect way for him to continue his professional career if that one day happens.

There'll be two Pro-Am days at the 2027 Sony Championship Hawaii, with three competition days all being broadcast by Golf Channel.

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.