KAPALUA — The Plantation Course at Kapalua, a PGA Tour staple for 25 years as host of the Sentry from 1999 to 2013 and again from 2024 to 2025, has found a new professional home. The LPGA announced Monday that the Lotte Championship, won Sunday by Jeeno Thitikul, will move to the Plantation Course starting in 2027 with a $3 million purse and will be held in March as part of a new two-tournament Hawaii Swing alongside the recently announced Nanea Cup, after the PGA Tour announced in April it planned to end its tournament presence in Maui.
"We are thrilled to have Kapalua Resort and the Plantation Course serve as the venue for the Lotte Championship in 2027. As we continue to strengthen the LPGA tour schedule, venues with deep-rooted heritage like Kapalua are exactly what we look for," LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler said in a release. "This new chapter would not be possible without the support and commitment to the tour that Lotte and Kapalua provided. We want to thank Hoakalei Country Club for the last five years and look forward to building on the success of the Lotte Championship at its new home in Maui."
The move marks the first LPGA event at Kapalua since the 2008 Kapalua LPGA Classic, which Morgan Pressel won. The new Hawaii Swing is central to Kessler's broader vision to remake the LPGA schedule around routing, courses and purses. "On schedule, hopefully you've heard us talk about routing, courses and purses. We are ruthless on all three of those fronts," Kessler said at last year's CME Group Tour Championship. "We know we've got some more work to do on courses and purses, and we have the mindset of continuous improvement, and every year you should expect us to get just a little bit better on all three of those dimensions."
Kessler and the LPGA have added several heritage and global stops for 2027. The LPGA Corning Classic will return to western New York after an 18-year absence following a 31-year run that ended in 2009. "The return of the Classic brings together the LPGA's history and its future. As we continue shaping the next chapter of our Tour, we're building on the qualities that have defined the LPGA for decades — incredible championships, committed partners, passionate communities and unforgettable experiences for our athletes," Kessler said. The LPGA, LET and Golf Saudi will also co-sanction an event in London in 2027 with a $4 million purse.
The biggest addition is the Nanea Cup at David McLay Kidd's Nanea Golf Club, which will feature 95 LPGA Tour players and 25 of the nation's top college golfers to showcase the sport's present and future before the tour heads directly to Kapalua. The Lotte Championship's move follows Jeeno Thitikul's fourth LPGA win in Hawaii on Sunday, and the full LPGA 2027 schedule is expected to arrive this week.