Report: PGA Tour considering eliminating two events in 2027

The PGA Tour's West Coast swing may be in big trouble, according to a report. 

Golf Digest are reporting there are serious discussions to eliminate The Sentry and Sony Open from the schedule as early as 2027. 

The Sentry, previously known as the Tournament of Champions, kicks off the PGA Tour season every January. It has been held in Maui since 1999. 

It was cancelled this year as drought conditions rendered the Plantation Course at Kapalua completely unplayable. 

The PGA Tour attempted to find an alternative venue but made the decision to cancel it entirely.

A spokesperson confirmed they faced "logistical challenges - including shipping deadlines, tournament infrastructure and vendor support". 

Next week's Sony Open, which has been played in Honolulu since the 1960s, will now be the first event of the year from 15-18 January. 

Some PGA Tour members had expressed hope they would be able to play The Sentry next season. 

But it appears that the signature event, and the Sony Open, are on the chopping block. 

The primary reason, the report states, are the high operational costs. 

It states:

Even with minimal infrastructure compared to events in the continental U.S., multiple sources with intimate knowledge of tour productions identify the Hawaiian stops as among the costliest on the calendar. Maui's sparse population, compounded by Kapalua's mountainous terrain, yields meager galleries and one of the tour's smallest corporate footprints. Waialae benefits from Honolulu's denser population base and draws respectable crowds, yet it has never emerged as a revenue engine.

Significant change expected

That this is being discussed is not a complete surprise. 

In August, the PGA Tour created the future competition committee. It is being chaired by 15-time major champion Tiger Woods. 

Adam Scott, Patrick Cantlay, Maverick McNealy, Keith Mitchell and Camilo Villegas are the other PGA Tour players on the committee.

They meet with business executives Joe Gordor, John Henry and Theo Epstein. 

They are being tasked with applying a "clean sheet" approach to creating a more compelling PGA Tour. 

Drastic changes are being considered, with "parity, scarcity and simplicity" are the forefront of their approach. 

PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp has said nothing has been decided yet, but he stressed the goal is not incremental change. 

He said the Tour wants to "honour tradition" without being bound by it. 

It may be the case the PGA Tour begins each season in February to avoid clashing with the NFL. 

A reduced schedule of around 20-22 premier events may be introduced, with the $20m signature events changes or phased out. 

Several changes have been made elsewhere. The number of fully exempt PGA Tour members has been reduced to 100, down from 125.