Honolulu: South Korean rookie Lee Seung-taek is set to make his PGA Tour debut this week as the 2026 season kicks off at the Sony Open in Hawaii. He joins a field consisting of four South Korean players at the Waialae Country Club, where the tournament begins on Thursday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the new season was initially scheduled to begin with The Sentry at Kapalua Resort, featuring last year's tour winners, but the event was canceled due to severe drought conditions in the area. As a result, the Sony Open will be the season opener, offering a total purse of $9.1 million on its par-70 course.

Lee, at 30 years old, secured his PGA Tour card by finishing within the top 20 in the points rankings on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2025, notably achieving six top-10 finishes. He was among six players who ranked in the top 20 without a victory. His journey to the PGA Tour began by placing fifth on the Korea PGA Tour's Player of the Year points list in 2024. Despite missing out on a PGA Tour card initially, Lee became the first South Korean player to reach the PGA Tour via the KPGA-Korn Ferry route.

Joining Lee in the field are fellow South Koreans: Kim Si-woo, the 2023 Sony Open champion; Tom Kim, a three-time tour winner; and Kim Seong-hyeon, who finished eighth in last year's Korn Ferry Tour rankings to regain his PGA Tour card after debuting in 2023.

In the absence of top-ranked golfers Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, world No. 5 Russell Henley of the U.S. emerges as the highest-ranked player competing this week. The tournament will also feature reigning U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, 2022 Sony Open winner Hideki Matsuyama, and defending champion Nick Taylor.