The LPGA game is getting a top-tier upgrade: Starting in 2027, the LOTTE Championship will move to the iconic Kapalua Resort on Maui, giving the Hawaii swing a major boost. This announcement, made on Monday, October 5, 2026, landed like a perfectly struck drive, promising to significantly enhance the Tour's presence in the golf paradise.
The move to the world-renowned Plantation Course is more than just a venue change. It's part of a strategic realignment to establish a true Hawaii swing with the new Nanea Cup on Big Island. This aims to attract an even stronger field of players and make the Tour on the islands a premium destination. The schedule change from October to March, starting in 2027, underscores this ambition.
Kapalua Calls: A New Chapter for the LPGA
Kapalua, a name that stands for absolute excellence among golf fans, will thus become the new home of the LOTTE Championship starting in 2027. The $3 million prize purse remains untouched. This is a real coup for the Tour, as Kapalua Resort became available after the PGA Tour moved its Tournament of Champions, The Sentry, to Torrey Pines starting in 2027. A stroke of luck for the LPGA, which is thereby securing one of the sport's most prestigious greens. Insiders are already talking about a five-year contract extension with LOTTE until 2031.
The 2026 Event and Looking Ahead
Anyone who thinks Jeeno Thitikul recently clinched her fourth seasonal win on Maui is mistaken: The 2026 LOTTE Championship still took place traditionally at Hoakalei Country Club on Oahu. The move to Kapalua is therefore a look into the future, a statement for the coming years that is likely to make the LPGA even hotter. This isn't a rumor; this is an announcement!
