The PGA Tour Champions 2026 season kicks off this week at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai in Ka'upulehu-Kona, Hawaii. Forty-two players, including several World Golf Hall of Famers, will compete at the event marking its 30th anniversary at Hualalai Golf Course. Defending champion Ernie Els headlines a strong field chasing the Charles Schwab Cup.
The Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai serves as the opening event for the 2026 PGA Tour Champions season, drawing a competitive field to the par-72 Hualalai Golf Course, which measures 7,107 yards. This tournament celebrates its 30th year at the venue, with a purse of $2 million and a winner's share of $340,000.
Six World Golf Hall of Fame members are in the lineup, led by defending champion Ernie Els. Bernhard Langer, a three-time winner here in 2009, 2014, and 2017, adds to the prestige. Other notable past champions include Steven Alker, who took the 2024 title, and Miguel Angel Jiménez, victor in 2015, 2020, and 2022. Jiménez and Alker finished second and third, respectively, in the 2025 Charles Schwab Cup standings.
Stewart Cink, the 2025 Charles Schwab Cup champion, joins Hall of Famers Fred Couples, Retief Goosen, Davis Love III, and Vijay Singh in the field. Historical scoring benchmarks include a low 18-hole round of 60 by Steve Stricker in 2023's second round, a 36-hole total of 127 last achieved by Russ Cochran in 2011, and a 54-hole score of 191, most recently by Alker in 2024.
Fans can watch the action on Golf Channel from Thursday through Saturday, 7-10 p.m. ET. The event sets the stage for the season-long pursuit of the Charles Schwab Cup in a picturesque Hawaiian setting.
