Kapalua to become new home of Lotte Championship on LPGA schedule

Kapalua’s Plantation Course, a PGA Tour staple for 25 years, will become the new home of the Lotte Championship on the LPGA schedule in 2027.

The Plantation Course hosted the Sentry, the PGA Tour’s season-opening event, from 1999 through 2013 and again in 2024 and 2025. In April, the PGA Tour announced plans to end its tournament presence on Maui.

On Monday, the LPGA announced that the Lotte Championship will move to the Plantation Course in 2027. The tournament, won by Jeeno Thitikul on Sunday, will be played in March as part of a two-event Hawaii Swing alongside the recently announced Nanea Cup. The Lotte Championship will have a $3 million purse next season.

“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,” Kessler added.

Kapalua will host an LPGA event for the first time since 2008, when Morgan Pressel won the Kapalua LPGA Classic.

The newly created Hawaii Swing is part of Kessler’s broader plan to reshape the LPGA schedule around logistical efficiency, golf courses, purses and routing.

“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 also worked this year to improve the schedule’s outlook. The LPGA Corning Classic is returning to western New York after an 18-year absence. It was an LPGA fixture for 31 years before ending 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 of the Corning Classic’s return.

The LPGA, LET and Golf Saudi will also co-sanction an event in London in 2027 with a $4 million purse.

The biggest change in Kessler’s new schedule, however, is the creation of the Nanea Cup. The event will feature a mix of leading LPGA professionals and collegiate women’s golfers to showcase the present and future of the sport. The field will include 95 LPGA Tour players and 25 of the nation’s top college golfers. It will be played at Nanea Golf Club, designed by David McLay Kidd.

The LPGA will leave the Nanea Cup and head directly to Kapalua as Kessler’s new vision takes shape. The full 2027 LPGA schedule is expected this week.

Based on reporting by GOLF.com. Author: Josh Schrock.