Sony Open moving Waialae sponsorship to Champions event

Field Level Media|published: 07/01/2026, 10:17pm EDT

Jan 18, 2026; Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; Chris Gotterup holds the championship trophy after winning the Sony Open in Hawaii. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-Imagn Images

Waialae Country Club in Honolulu has hosted a PGA Tour event since 1965, but on Wednesday, the Tour and Sony Group Corporation announced that the event will switch over to a PGA Tour Champions event starting in January 2027.

The Sony Championship Hawaii, to be held on Jan. 11-16, will feature a $3 million purse.

"We are excited to welcome the Sony Championship Hawaii to PGA Tour Champions," PGA Tour Champions president Miller Brady said in a statement. "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."

Among the past winners at Waialae Country Club are Hall of Famers Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino, along with current Champions Tour standouts Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, Zach Johnson and K.J. Choi. Chris Gotterup won the Sony Open in Hawaii at 16 under in January.

The Sony Championship Hawaii, which will mark the sixth PGA Tour Champions event to be held on a course that formerly hosted a PGA Tour event, will feature a field of 78 PGA Tour Champions players. Pro-Ams are scheduled for Jan. 12 and 13, with three competition rounds slated for Jan. 14-16.

--Field Level Media