PGA Tour’s The Sentry Tournament of Champions to take place Kapalua Plantation Course despite tragic Maui wildfires

The Sentry, formerly known as The Sentry Tournament of Champions, will be the first tournament on the PGA Tour in 2024. There was no certainty of this, given the fire that ravaged Maui in July, but a statement from the PGA on Thursday confirmed that the tournament will take place as planned.

PGA Tour Chief Competitions Officer Tyler Dennis issued a memo Thursday to announce that the tournament will be played as scheduled. The document states that both the PGA Tour and Hawaii officials hope The Sentry can contribute now and in the future to the recovery from the devastating fires on the island of Maui six weeks ago.

Part of the memorandum released about the event read:

"Working in cooperation with state, county and community officials, the PGA TOUR is committed to playing The Sentry in 2024 at The Plantation Course at Kapalua. Hawaii Governor Josh Green has been emphatic in his support of our event and others."

It added:

"There is no other organization in sport which rallies around those in need like the PGA TOUR. Given the overwhelming support for playing the tournament, [we] are currently working on plans to further raise awareness and assist with fundraising and community service to Maui in a thoughtful and respectful manner."

The memorandum further stated:

"Your participation and support [referring to players and fans] of The Sentry will allow the TOUR to help showcase the ongoing recovery efforts in Lahaina and Maui, while inspiring our fans around the world."

Maui is one of the 137 islands that make up the state of Hawaii. Between July and August, several fires broke out and destroyed part of the island. The village of Lahaina, where the Kapalua Resort is located, was severely affected. The disaster claimed the lives of more than 100 people.

The Sentry, Venue, Format and More

The tournament was founded in 1953 as the Tournament of Champions. It was originally limited to players who had won at least one event on the PGA Tour during the previous season.

The qualifying format changed slightly in 2020. Starting that year, players who qualified for the TOUR Championship in the previous season were also invited. As a result, The Sentry 2024 field will consist of fewer than 40 players.

The field is not yet official, but it is already generating controversy. Brooks Koepka is eligible to play in the tournament as he won the 2023 PGA Championship, but his participation is still unclear as he is currently playing in LIV Golf.

Since 1999, the tournament has been played on the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort, a 7596 yard, par 73 course. Previously, the tournament was played at other venues in the United States, including Desert Inn Country Club and Stardust Country Club, both in Las Vegas, Nevada, and La Costa Resort and Spa in California.

Jack Nicklaus has won the tournament five times, higher than any other golfer. Gene Littler, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and Stuart Appleby have each won the tournament three time. Eleven players have finished in first place twice.