HONOLULU (KHON2) — Governor Josh Green says keeping the PGA’s Sentry Tournament in Hawaii is still up in the air. But he’s looking at the future, and building on the tour’s relationship with the islands, and trying to bring another tournament here.
Green says losing the estimated $50 million the Sentry pumps into Hawaii’s economy is tremendous. But if another fire were to break out in West Maui during the current drought conditions while the tournament was going on, that’d be even worse.
“I think that would have been pretty much an unrecoverable moment, so we had to be careful and they’re understanding,” said Green.
The PGA Tour, which Green says he has been talking to, says they are looking at the future of the Tour staying in the islands.
“I spoke to the head of the PGA,” said Green. “We would love that, long term absolutely, we hope they will stay, they have given us the commitment they’re going to continue to invest in Maui and in philanthropy.”
Check out more news from around Hawaii
That’s great news for non-profits that benefit from the tournament. Like the Lahainaluna athletics department.
“What they’re doing to come here is greatly appreciated, and that’s by not having this tournament here, where we’re going to be hurting for a little bit,” said Jonathan Conrad, Lahainaluna High School Athletics Director.
Conrad says Lahainaluna’s parents would volunteer at the tournament. In return, the Sentry donated tens of thousands of dollars each year, which would help pay for things like travel, equipment and supplies for Luna athletics.
The Sentry is Luna’s big fundraising event. So the department wouldn’t have to continually ask the same families for donations – families who may still be recovering from the fires.
“We are a very proud community, so they are willing to,” said Conrad. “But I understand where we are right now in the communities, so we’re trying to do our best to come up with other creative ways to fundraise.”
The PGA still hasn’t announced its plans for the Sentry. But Green would like to keep it at Kapalua and would also like to add another Hawaii stop. Something that West Maui would greatly appreciate.
“It’s an old community and we’re going to have fresh roots, and we want to keep the traditions and culture alive and relevant,” said Conrad. “So I would hope that they would understand that.”