There are 8 signature events on the PGA Tour. The Pebble Beach Pro-Am is 88 years old and was first held in 1937. The Genesis Invitational is just one year shy of a century. They create the reputation of the PGA Tour. But the tournament that stood as a January staple for more than seven decades now faces a future clouded with doubt after Brian Rolapp and the board’s harsh decision.

The Sentry was first held in 1953 in Las Vegas, Nevada. From there, the organizers moved the event to Kapalua, Maui, and it has been held there since 1999. But the PGA Tour had to cancel it for the 2026 schedule due to the drought conditions in Maui, Hawaii. And now, former PGA Tour pro and golf analyst Notah Begay III believes it may not be limited to 2026, at least not in Maui.

“I don’t know that the Sentry will ever go back, unfortunately, to Maui. I think it was ever since the days that it was hosting the Lincoln Mercury Championship and watching Freddy win that like it was his playground. And it’s just the new era of the tour. I mean, we’ve got to take the circus where we’re going to,” Notah Begay III told Trey Wingo.

Kapalua hosted the Lincoln-Mercury Kapalua International from 1982 to 1997 before The Sentry was moved there in 1999. However, Begay III feels that it may not host any more PGA Tour events.

The tour initially announced that the event would not be played at The Plantation Course at Kapalua in September. However, no replacement was found, and Brian Rolapp had to decide to cancel it altogether.

“Since it first became a possibility that the PGA TOUR would not be able to play at The Plantation Course at Kapalua due to the ongoing drought conditions on Maui, we worked closely with our partners at Sentry to assess options for contesting The Sentry in 2026,” PGA Tour Chief Competitions Officer Tyler Dennis said. “While it is unfortunate to arrive at this decision, we are appreciative of the collaboration and dedication from Sentry Insurance, a tremendous partner of ours.”

Since the announcement, many golf analysts have said that the PGA Tour schedule may not include The Sentry any longer. In fact, some analysts said that Brian Rolapp might cancel a few more events from the start of January.

When talking on the 5 Clubs podcast, Taylor Zarzour said that Brian Rolapp would like to get out of the way of the NFL.

One of the key reasons that the PGA Tour season ends in September is to give way to the NFL. But the NFL season is at an even higher buzz in January because of the playoffs. And because of Brian Rolapp’s NFL background, Zarzour feels that he would want to cut some more events and start after mid-January.

But Notah Begay III doesn’t want to see any more cuts on the schedule.

“Not a lot of people could get out to Maui to watch a golf tournament, but I don’t know that Sony will go away. I think that’s a great place for us to start the West Coast swing. I would love to see that be the springboard into the new season. And then, we just go from there,” Begay III said.

The Sony Open is the second event on the PGA Tour schedule. Hosted in Hawaii, the event has seen many elite golfers play. From Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus to Paul Ezinger and Vijay Singh, the event has been won by notable golfers.

Meanwhile, Notah Begay III also hinted at a few events Tiger Woods can be playing after returning from his back injury.

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Notah Begay III hints at events Tiger Woods can play in 2026

Tiger Woods underwent his seventh back surgery in October 2025, a lumbar disc replacement. This followed an earlier ruptured Achilles tendon surgery in 2025. These surgeries pose significant challenges given his age and injury history.

Yet, Notah Begay III, a close friend and former Stanford teammate, hinted that Woods may target venues with flatter terrain to accommodate his current physical condition.

From his talks with Woods, Begay III determined that walking the 72 holes is his biggest health concern. Thus, Notah Begay III identified two possible venues where Woods may not have much trouble walking.

Both Hilton Head and Colonial have flatter terrain. And ironically, Tiger Woods has never played much on either of these courses.

While the future of The Sentry remains uncertain, the conversations around it reveal how quickly the early-season landscape may shift.