Professional Sports Events

The World Stage: Hawaii's Premier Professional Sporting Events

Our sports calendar runs on some serious star power. These events bring top talent, huge crowds, and major media attention. Here's what makes headlines each year:

PGA Tour Golf: Paradise Perfected

January kicks off strong with The Sentry on Maui's Plantation Course at Kapalua. Only the best PGA Tour players make this field—previous year's winners and top FedExCup performers. The course is pure drama with its par-73 layout and ocean views that'll make you forget you're watching golf.

Hideki Matsuyama set the tournament record here in 2025. Chris Kirk also claimed victory recently. What I love most? The "Keiki Get in Free" program. Kids 15 and under get free admission with a ticketed adult. The First Tee Autograph Zone near the first tee is where young fans can meet their heroes.

Nick Taylor from Canada and American Grayson Murray won recently. The event gives back too—over $18 million raised for local nonprofits since 1999. Military members and their families get free admission all week. So do kids 15 and under with a ticketed adult.

April brings the women for the Lotte Championship at Hoakalei Country Club. Kim A-lim took home recent victories. The tournament runs Wednesday through Saturday—unusual for golf but perfect for its South Korean sponsor and Asian TV audiences.

The Big Island hosts legends at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. This PGA Tour Champions event features major winners from the last five years. Jack Nicklaus designed the course. Stars like Ernie Els, Steven Alker, and Steve Stricker compete in a relaxed but competitive setting.

Hardcourt Havens: College Hoops in Paradise

When November arrives, college basketball takes center stage. Two ESPN Events tournaments put Hawaii on the national map.

The Maui Invitational might be the best early-season tournament in college basketball. Its origin story is pure magic. December 23, 1982: Chaminade University, a small Division II school from Honolulu, beat the No. 1 ranked Virginia Cavaliers. That upset birthed a tournament that now brings college basketball royalty to the Lahaina Civic Center during Thanksgiving week.

Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, and UConn have all won here. Five times the winner went on to claim the NCAA National Championship that same season. The tournament brings over 4,000 visitors to Maui and generates over $8 million for the local economy. The 2025 field includes North Carolina State, Texas, and USC.

Oahu answers with the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic at the University of Hawaii's SimpliFi Arena. This eight-team tournament happens over Christmas week. USC, Arizona, and Nebraska have claimed recent titles. But the tournament faces uncertainty—the 2025 edition was canceled, possibly marking the end of this holiday tradition.

Echoes of the Past: Hawaii's Professional Sports Legacies

Our current event-based model didn't happen by accident. Past pro teams taught us hard lessons about geography and economics.

The NFL Pro Bowl called Hawaii home from 1980 to 2016 (with a few exceptions). Aloha Stadium hosted the league's all-star game for three decades. The event brought over 20,000 visitors and generated more than $25 million in spending annually during its later years.

It was more than a game—it was a week-long celebration that connected the NFL with our local community through charity events. But concerns over play quality and the NFL's desire to tie the game closer to the Super Bowl led to its departure. Now it's "The Pro Bowl Games"—flag football and skills competitions held in the Super Bowl's host city.

The Hawaiian Islanders were our beloved Minor League Baseball team from 1961 to 1987. This Triple-A Pacific Coast League team achieved remarkable success, winning back-to-back championships in 1975 and 1976. The 1970 squad drew over 400,000 fans and was named one of the greatest teams in minor league history.

But geography and economics were constant battles. Travel costs crushed the entire league. Moving from the beloved but decaying Honolulu Stadium to new Aloha Stadium in 1976 proved disastrous. The new stadium was far from the fan base. A terrible lease deal prevented the team from earning money on concessions or advertising. Attendance dropped. Financial struggles led to relocation to the mainland in 1988.

The Pacific Rim Cup shows how modern events adapt. In 2018 and 2019, this tournament brought MLS and J.League teams to Aloha Stadium. The stadium's closure and the pandemic paused professional matches. But organizers kept the spirit alive through youth soccer clinics led by former Japan National Team star Takuya Yamada. They aim to bring pro matches back by 2029.