Kapalua's new chapter confirmed after shock PGA Tour departure

Kapalua may be disappearing from the PGA Tour schedule, but the famous Maui venue is not disappearing from professional golf.

Instead, the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort has found a new home on the LPGA Tour, with the Lotte Championship moving to the iconic venue for the 2027 season.

The tournament will be played from March 18-21, one week after the inaugural Nanea Cup on Hawaii's Big Island, with the purse remaining at $3 million.

The move comes after the PGA Tour confirmed that The Sentry will move from Kapalua to Torrey Pines in 2027, bringing an end to the Plantation Course's long association with the event.

The Sentry was played at Kapalua from 1999 through 2025, helping establish the Plantation Course as one of the most recognisable venues on the PGA Tour schedule. 

But the relationship between Kapalua and the PGA Tour had already been put on hold. 

The PGA Tour cancelled The Sentry in 2026 due to severe drought conditions and mandatory water restrictions on Maui that left the Plantation Course unable to meet Tour agronomic standards.

And Kapalua has played host to some of the most memorable PGA Tour moments down the years.

Arguably none was bigger than Tiger Woods' titanic playoff victory over Ernie Els in 2000. Woods and Els went head-to-head in a dramatic duel at the event, with Woods eventually prevailing after the pair had finished tied at 16-under par.

Now, it is the LPGA's turn.

The move gives Kapalua another chance to remain on the professional golf calendar while bringing the world's best female players to one of Hawaii's most spectacular layouts.

For the Lotte Championship, it represents a significant change of scenery after five years at Hoakalei Country Club on Oahu. World No.2 Jeeno Thitikul won the 14th edition of the tournament there, but the event will now head to Maui for 2027.

There is also some history between Kapalua and the LPGA. The Kapalua LPGA Classic was played on the resort's Bay Course in 2008, with Morgan Pressel taking the title. That tournament carried a $1.5 million purse.

The return to Kapalua comes at an important time for Maui, too.

The island was devastated by wildfires in 2023, while the subsequent drought and water restrictions put further pressure on the Plantation Course. 

With the course now green again and the resort continuing its recovery, the arrival of the LPGA offers another high-profile chapter for Kapalua.

Hideki Matsuyama set a tournament record score of 35-under par when Kapalua hosted its final PGA Tour event in January 2025. 

“We are thrilled to have Kapalua Resort and The Plantation Course serve as the venue for the Lotte Championship in 2027,” LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler said.

For Hawaii native and U.S. Women's Open champion Allisen Corpuz, the move is particularly significant. Corpuz grew up attending the Lotte Championship and believes Kapalua provides an ideal stage for the tournament.

“I think Kapalua is an incredible venue to showcase the beauty of Hawaii and everything that makes the islands so special,” Corpuz said.

So while Kapalua's long association with The Sentry is coming to an end, the venue is hardly being left behind.

After decades of hosting some of the game's biggest names and most memorable moments, the Plantation Course will simply have a new set of stars to welcome in 2027.