The PGA Tour, Sony Group Corporation (Sony) and IMG gathered today at Waiʻalae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi to kick-off preparations for the newly named Sony Championship HawaiʻI, which will be held January 11-16, 2027 at Waiʻalae Country Club. The tournament will feature 78 PGA Tour Champions, competing for a purse of $3 million. The transition from the Sony Open in Hawaiʻi to the new PGA Tour Champions event is being overseen by an experienced Hawaiʻi-based team, together with executives with leading global sports marketing agency, IMG. IMG has been appointed as the delivery partner for the event.
Today, community leaders, local dignitaries and corporate sponsors were introduced to the new Tournament Director, Travis Steiner. In addition, tournament oOicials announced the appointment of Director of Operations Rhonda Funn, a role she previously held with the Sony Open and Chris Smith as Director of Corporate Sponsorships. A Maui resident, Smith previously served as PGA Tour Manager for The Sentry on Maui. Sony, PGA Tour and IMG have committed to hosting the Sony Championship Hawaiʻi for the next four years.
Response from long-time supporters of the Sony Open has been positive. “First Hawaiian Bank has been proud to support the Sony tournament in Hawaiʻi since its beginning, and we’re excited to continue that tradition with the Sony Championship Hawaiʻi,” said Bob Harrison, Chairman, President and CEO of First Hawaiian Bank. “We look forward to welcoming some of golf’s most accomplished players back to Waiʻalae and continuing a tradition that has become such a special part of Hawaiʻi.”
“Pasha Hawaii is honored to support the 2027 Sony Championship Hawaiʻi,” said George Pasha IV, President and CEO of Pasha Hawaii. “For decades, Pasha Hawaii has proudly served as the oOicial ocean transport company for the Sony Open and has hosted a military hospitality tent at the event for active-duty and retired service members and their families. We are proud to continue this tradition by supporting a world-class professional golf tournament in Hawaiʻi that has raised millions for local charities, while also honoring our military and their families for the sacrifices they make in service to our country.”
Sony has generated approximately $28 million to local non-profits during their 28-year partnership with the PGA Tour. This legacy will remain a key component of the Sony Championship Hawai’i.
Hiroki Totoki, President and CEO, Sony Group Corporation announced, “The Sony Group Corporation, in partnership with PGA Tour Champions and IMG, has committed to a minimum $500,000 donation to be distributed to Hawaiʻi charities, following the 2027 Sony Championship Hawaiʻi. Together, we expect to significantly increase this amount during the event week through matching donations, ticket sales and corporate sponsorships. We are proud to uphold the charitable legacy of the Sony Open and look forward to continuing this important work through the Sony Championship Hawaiʻi.”
Tournament Director Travis Steiner is a seasoned sports and golf executive with nearly two decades of experience leading major professional golf events. During his 19 years with the PGA Tour, he helped launch and deliver marquee events including THE CJ CUP in Korea, the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP and the Baycurrent Classic in Japan.
Steiner commented, “I am looking forward to working with our team to both build on the legacy of the Sony Open and to steer the Sony Championship Hawaiʻi into this new era. While a lot will look familiar in terms of the skyboxes, military hospitality tent, entertainment and food offerings, we are looking to enhance our fan experience by adding in new offerings. We will draw on IMG’s experience and global resources to ensure this cherished event feels both familiar but also delivers an upgraded spectator experience.”
PGA Tour Champions players have been quick to express their excitement about returning to a venue they enjoyed throughout their careers, with many already confirming their intention to play in the inaugural event, which will precede the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai and serve as the opening event of their season.
American Paul Goydos, the winner of the 2007 Sony Open, was also in attendance explaining, “This is so special for us to be returning to one of our favorite places to play and we are so thankful to Sony for giving us this opportunity. I think entertainment is at the heart of the Champions Tour and fans will really enjoy the altogether more relaxed vibe and seeing the players they have enjoyed watching over the years returning to compete at a venue that is so universally loved by all the players.”
Two former world number ones, with seven major titles between them, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh, were amongst the first stars to throw their hats in the ring with Els commenting, “What a perfect addition to the Champions Tour. Sony has been a wonderful sponsor for many years, so many happy memories and I can’t wait to be back in January.”
Fijian Singh, with more than 60 career titles added, “It is one of our player favorite spots and so great to have this on our calendar. A golf course that we all love, such a great place. For me it feels like home and we are ready for January.”
“We are thrilled to add the Sony Championship Hawaiʻi to our Champions Tour schedule. Combined with the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, our two-week swing in Hawaiʻi is the perfect start to the season,” said PGA Tour Champions President Miller Brady.
Historic Waiʻalae Country Club has served as host for PGA Tour tournaments since 1965, when the event was then called the Hawaiian Open. In 1999, the Hawaiian Open transitioned to Sony Open in Hawaiʻi. Waiʻalae Country Club has been the setting for some of the PGA Tour’s most memorable moments, delivering champions such as Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino, as well as current PGA Tour Champions stars Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh, Zach Johnson and K.J. Choi. The Sony Championship Hawaiʻi will be the sixth PGA Tour Champions event to be contested on a course that formerly hosted a PGA Tour event.
The Sony Championship Hawaiʻi will feature a field of 78 PGA Tour Champions players, with proams on Tuesday, January 12 and Wednesday, January 13, followed by competition rounds from Thursday, January 14 through Saturday, January 16. All three rounds will be televised on Golf Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA Tour Champions. Internationally, PGA Tour Champions coverage is available in more than 170 countries and territories via 22 media partners. Global sports marketing agency, IMG, is the tournament operator, responsible for delivering all aspects of the Sony Championship Hawaiʻi. With experience spanning more than six decades delivering leading international golf tournaments, the IMG team also runs the popular PNC Championship on PGA Tour Champions.
For more information on PGA Tour Champions, please visit PGATourChampions.com.
