This Week in Golf: Sony Open Kicks Off 2026, Fall Schedule Revealed, and TGL Action Continues
In this week’s “The Starter,” PGA professional Brendon Elliott, a three-decade industry veteran, gives his thoughts on the week that was in golf for R.org. The 2026 PGA Tour season officially begins this week in Hawaii, the tour unveils its fall schedule featuring exciting new events, and TGL presented by SoFi continues with Jupiter Links Golf Club making its season debut.
Sony Open in Hawaii: The Season Begins
The 2026 PGA Tour season opens Thursday at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu with the Sony Open in Hawaii. With The Sentry canceled due to course conditions at Kapalua Resort — a drought and water dispute with the Maui Land & Pineapple Company left the golf course in poor condition — the Sony Open becomes the first official event of the new year.
Nick Taylor returns as defending champion after his playoff victory over Nico Echavarría in 2025, where he claimed the $1,566,000 winner’s share from the $8.7 million purse. The Canadian will face stiff competition from a field that includes major champions and rising stars alike.
Notable Names in the Field
The tournament features several major champions, including Collin Morikawa (PGA Championship/U.S. Open winner), J.J. Spaun (2025 U.S. Open champion), Hideki Matsuyama (Masters winner), and Brian Harman (Open Championship winner). Russell Henley, Kurt Kitayama, and a host of recent tournament winners round out the elite field.
Recent winners making appearances include Keegan Bradley, Chris Gotterup, Nick Dunlap, Austin Eckroat, and Taylor Pendrith, among many others. Past Sony Open champion Si Woo Kim also returns to defend his previous title at the venue.
The field includes several international players who earned their spots through various exemption categories, including leading players from the DP World Tour such as Kristoffer Reitan, Adrien Saddier, John Parry, Haotong Li, Keita Nakajima, Jordan Smith, and Dan Brown.
Course Setup and History
Waialae Country Club plays as a par-70 measuring 7,044 yards. The front and back nines are switched for the PGA Tour event, finishing at the dogleg ninth hole. The course has been the home of this tournament since its present-day inception as the Hawaiian Open in November 1965.
The tournament record belongs to Justin Thomas, who shot an astounding 253 (27-under par) in 2017, including a final-round 59 that set the 18-hole record. John Huston holds the scoring record to par at 28-under, set in 1998 when he broke Ben Hogan’s record that had stood since 1945.
The Sony Open has produced memorable moments over the years, including Isao Aoki becoming Japan’s first PGA Tour winner in 1983, when he holed out with a wedge for eagle on the 72nd hole. In 2007, amateur Tadd Fujikawa became the second-youngest player ever to make a 36-hole cut in an official PGA Tour event at just 16 years and 4 days old.
Coverage of the Sony Open will be available throughout the week as players compete for 500 FedExCup points and the $1.566 million winner’s share.
PGA Tour Unveils 2026 FedExCup Fall Schedule
The PGA Tour recently revealed its 2026 FedExCup Fall schedule, a slate that performs a vital role in finalizing eligibility for the 2027 PGA Tour season. The schedule is highlighted by two previously announced new events in Asheville, North Carolina, and Austin, Texas, as well as a new PGA Tour Mexico swing across Vallarta and Los Cabos.
“The PGA Tour is pleased to unveil its 2026 FedExCup Fall schedule, introducing exciting new U.S. events in addition to the global appeal of stops in Japan, Mexico, and Bermuda,” said Tyler Dennis, PGA Tour Chief Competitions Officer. “Fans can expect rich storylines to unfold across the FedExCup Fall as players look to secure or improve their status for the following season.”
The Schedule
The FedExCup Fall begins for the first time in North Carolina with the Biltmore Championship (September 14-20) at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in Asheville. The event, sponsored by Biltmore Estate, brings professional golf to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Also occurring during the FedExCup Fall calendar is the 16th edition of the Presidents Cup (September 21-27) at Medinah Country Club in Chicago, featuring the United States Team against the International Team.
The fall continues with the Zozo Championship (October 5-11) at Yokohama Country Club in Japan, followed by the Butterfield Bermuda Championship (October 19-25) at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda.
The tour then heads to Mexico for back-to-back events: the Vidanta Vallarta Mexico Open (October 26-November 1) at VidantaWorld Golf and the World Wide Technology Championship (November 2-8) at El Cardonal at Diamante in Los Cabos, the Tiger Woods-designed course.
The PGA Tour returns to Austin, Texas, for the inaugural Good Good Championship (November 9-15) at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa. The event, sponsored by the popular entertainment and lifestyle brand, marks the tour’s return to Austin after a three-year hiatus.
The FedExCup Fall concludes with The RSM Classic (November 16-22) at Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simons Island, Georgia, where the FedExCup Fall standings are finalized.
All eight FedExCup Fall events offer 500 FedExCup points and a $6 million purse, except for the Zozo Championship ($8 million).
Challenge Season
Following the FedExCup Fall, the tour’s Challenge Season offers fans three events in unique formats: the Tiger Woods-hosted Hero World Challenge (November 30-December 6), the mixed-team Grant Thornton Invitational (December 7-13) co-sanctioned with the LPGA, and the PNC Championship (December 14-20).
TGL Match 4: Jupiter Links Makes Season Debut
TGL presented by SoFi continues Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET with Jupiter Links Golf Club teeing it up for the first time in 2026, matched up against the New York Golf Club. Both teams are looking to capture their first win of the season after New York dropped its opener 6-4 against Atlanta Drive Golf Club.
The Lineups
Jupiter Links will feature two-time PGA Tour winner and Jupiter, Florida, resident Akshay Bhatia as an alternate, joining Max Homa and Kevin Kisner. Tuesday night marks the first appearance of the season for Tiger Woods, who is still recovering from a back procedure but plans to be at SoFi Center in a non-playing role for every Jupiter match until he’s ready to play again. Woods will be mic’d up throughout the night to interact with fans, teammates, and ESPN broadcasters.
New York Golf Club counters with Rickie Fowler, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Cameron Young.
Singles Matchups
The singles matches feature intriguing head-to-head battles:
Bhatia vs. Fowler begins at the par-5 “Boomerang.” While Fowler has more pop off the tee, Bhatia’s iron play should shine at the par-4 13th, “Straight Up,” which is all about the second shot.
Homa vs. Fitzpatrick tackles the risk-reward par-5 11th, “Loot on the Line,” followed by “Cenote,” the par-3 14th, where players can bang driver into a massive backstop that feeds tee shots back to the green.
Kisner vs. Young face off at the par-3 12th, “Set in Stone,” before finishing at “Sterling,” a shorter par-5 where Young’s distance advantage will be decisive.
Course Setup
The match begins at “Hatchet,” a par-4 with a generous fairway that can create awkward approach shots. The new-look “The Spear” plays as the fourth hole, while “The Jup Life” — a tribute to Jupiter’s professional golf community — features surrounding boats and a lighthouse with a fairway that pinches in at 300 yards.
The par-4 eighth, “Stinger,” returns to the rotation, where players are just 2-for-6 getting it under the rock and in play off the tee. New York gets its second crack at their team hole, “Big Apple,” at the ninth, a 604-yard par-5, where they picked up a point with a tap-in par against Atlanta.
Coverage airs Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.