Sony Open in Hawaii
A professional golf tournament held at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
The Sony Open in Hawaii is a professional golf tournament played at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii. It began in 1965 as the Hawaiian Open and became part of the PGA Tour, establishing itself as one of the first significant events on the American professional golf calendar each year. The competition is traditionally staged in January, following the Tournament of Champions on Maui, and has generally served as the first full-field event of the PGA Tour season. The tournament's schedule has changed during its history. Its first five editions were held in mid-autumn, but the event was not played in 1970 while organizers moved it into a winter position. It returned in February 1971 and eventually settled into its present mid-January position. At Waialae Country Club, the PGA Tour configuration reverses the usual front-nine and back-nine order, with the competition finishing at the course's dogleg ninth hole. United Airlines became the tournament's first lead sponsor in 1991. Sony assumed title sponsorship in 1999, giving the event the Sony Open in Hawaii name that became internationally associated with the tournament. The event has been organized by Friends of Hawaii Charities, linking the professional competition with charitable activity in Hawaii. The tournament has produced several notable moments in professional golf. In 1983, Isao Aoki became the first Japanese winner on the PGA Tour after holing a wedge for eagle on the 72nd hole to defeat Jack Renner by one stroke. In 1998, John Huston set a then-PGA Tour record relative to par by finishing 28 under par. Justin Thomas established the principal tournament scoring records in 2017, including a 59 in the opening round and a 72-hole total of 253. The event also attracted attention through sponsor invitations given to Michelle Wie. She received four consecutive invitations beginning in 2004, when she was 14, although she missed the cut in each appearance. The tournament was also the setting for Tadd Fujikawa's 2007 breakthrough as an amateur: at 16 years and four days, he became the second-youngest player at that time to make the cut in an official PGA Tour event. The 2018 tournament was briefly affected by a statewide false ballistic-missile alert. Tournament personnel and media were instructed to seek shelter or evacuate while players discussed the incident publicly. The alert was later identified as an error. Before the final round that year, Golf Channel camera personnel also staged a walkout, according to the tournament's historical account. In 2026, the PGA Tour announced that the tournament would leave the regular PGA Tour schedule along with The Sentry in Maui. A later announcement placed the event on the PGA Tour Champions senior circuit and changed its name to Sony Championship Hawaii, with a stated purse of $3 million. The canonical subject therefore encompasses both the long-running Sony Open in Hawaii identity and its announced senior-tour continuation.
History
The event originated in 1965 as the Hawaiian Open and became a fixture of professional golf in Hawaii. Its first five editions were held in mid-autumn. The tournament was then skipped in 1970 as organizers repositioned it in the winter calendar, returning in early February 1971. It later moved to its established mid-January slot at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Waialae is central to the tournament's identity. For the regular PGA Tour version, the front and back nines are reversed, producing a finish at the dogleg ninth hole. The course's coastal setting, scoring opportunities, and position early in the calendar have made the tournament a regular destination for professional players and a visible annual event in Hawaii. United Airlines became the first lead sponsor in 1991. Sony took over title sponsorship in 1999, after which the competition was widely known as the Sony Open in Hawaii. Friends of Hawaii Charities has organized the event, giving it a charitable dimension in addition to its sporting and sponsorship functions. Several tournament milestones are particularly associated with the event. Isao Aoki's 1983 victory made him the first Japanese winner on the PGA Tour. He secured the title by holing a wedge for eagle on the final hole to defeat Jack Renner by one stroke. In 1998, John Huston shot 28 under par, surpassing the then-existing PGA Tour scoring benchmark relative to par. The tournament later became the site of Justin Thomas's extraordinary 2017 performance: he opened with a 59 and finished with a tournament-record 253, while also establishing the 36-hole and 54-hole records listed in the tournament's historical record. The event has also served as a platform for young players. Michelle Wie received four consecutive sponsor invitations beginning in 2004, at age 14, although she did not make the cut in those appearances. In 2007, amateur Tadd Fujikawa made the 36-hole cut at age 16 years and four days, then the second-youngest player to achieve that feat in an official PGA Tour event. His eagle putt on Waialae's 18th hole was a defining moment of the performance. The 2018 edition experienced an unusual public-safety interruption when a false statewide alert warned of an incoming ballistic missile. Tournament employees and media personnel were instructed to take protective action, and players used social media to discuss the confusion. Officials later determined that the alert had been transmitted accidentally. The event's final-round preparations also included a reported walkout by Golf Channel camera operators. In 2026, the PGA Tour announced a structural change: the tournament, together with The Sentry in nearby Maui, would be removed from the regular-season schedule. A later announcement transferred the event to PGA Tour Champions and renamed it Sony Championship Hawaii, with a reported $3 million purse. This change marks a transition from a long-running regular PGA Tour event to a senior-tour tournament while retaining its Hawaii location and Sony-linked identity.
- 2026
Event moves to PGA Tour Champions
[1]The tournament is announced for the senior circuit under the renamed Sony Championship Hawaii, with a reported $3 million purse.
- 2018
False missile alert disrupts tournament operations
[1]A mistaken statewide emergency alert causes temporary shelter and evacuation procedures during tournament preparations.
- 2017
Justin Thomas establishes tournament scoring records
[1]Thomas records a 59 and completes the tournament at 253, setting the listed 18-hole, 36-hole, 54-hole, and 72-hole records.
- 2007
Tadd Fujikawa makes the cut as a young amateur
[1]At 16 years and four days, Fujikawa becomes the second-youngest player at that time to make a 36-hole cut in an official PGA Tour event.
- 2004
Michelle Wie receives first consecutive sponsor invitation
[1]The tournament grants Michelle Wie the first of four consecutive sponsor invitations, beginning when she is 14.
- 1999
Sony becomes title sponsor
[1]Sony succeeds United Airlines as title sponsor, creating the Sony Open in Hawaii identity.
- 1998
John Huston sets scoring mark
[1]Huston finishes 28 under par, breaking the then-current PGA Tour scoring record relative to par.
- 1991
United Airlines becomes lead sponsor
[1]United Airlines becomes the tournament's first identified lead sponsor.
- 1983
Isao Aoki becomes first Japanese PGA Tour winner
[1]Aoki holes a wedge for an eagle on the 72nd hole and defeats Jack Renner by one stroke.
- 1971
Winter scheduling resumes
[1]The tournament returns in early February before eventually settling into its January calendar position.
Products and positioning
A January Hawaii-based professional golf tournament combining elite competition, a distinctive Waialae Country Club setting, Sony title sponsorship, and charitable organization through Friends of Hawaii Charities.
Professional golf tournament · 1965
Sony Open in Hawaii
The long-running Hawaii-based professional golf event traditionally held at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu during January. It became a regular full-field PGA Tour tournament and carried Sony's title sponsorship from 1999.
PGA Tour Champions tournament · 2026
Sony Championship Hawaii
The announced senior-circuit continuation of the Hawaii tournament following its removal from the regular PGA Tour schedule. The renamed event is associated with a reported $3 million purse.
Brand decisions
2026
Transfer the event to PGA Tour ChampionsStrategyBackground
The PGA Tour announced that the tournament and The Sentry would no longer appear on the regular PGA Tour schedule.
Action taken
The tournament was moved to the senior circuit and renamed Sony Championship Hawaii.
Aftermath
The event retains its Hawaii setting and Sony-linked identity while changing its tour affiliation and competitive field.
Purse. $3 million (2026 announcement)
1999
Sony takes over title sponsorshipOtherBackground
United Airlines had served as the tournament's lead sponsor since 1991.
Action taken
Sony becomes title sponsor and the event adopts the Sony Open in Hawaii name.
Aftermath
Sony's name becomes the tournament's principal commercial identity for the following decades.
1970
Move the tournament into the winter calendarStrategyBackground
The tournament had originally been played in mid-autumn, but its organizers sought a winter position.
Action taken
The 1970 edition was skipped and the event returned in early February 1971 before later settling into a January slot.
Aftermath
The winter placement became a defining feature of the tournament and its role as an early-season professional golf event.
Recent events
- 2026
Tournament scheduled to move from the PGA Tour to PGA Tour Champions[1]
Other
The PGA Tour announced that the tournament would no longer be part of the regular PGA Tour schedule. A subsequent announcement moved it to the senior circuit under the name Sony Championship Hawaii and specified a $3 million purse.
- 2018
Sony Open tournament affected by false Hawaii missile alert[1]
Other
A false emergency alert stating that a ballistic missile was headed toward Hawaii disrupted tournament preparations. Staff reportedly sought shelter, the media center was ordered to evacuate, and players commented on the incident before officials confirmed that the alert had been sent in error.
Sources2 sources
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