Golfweek learned that Honda Motors will end its longest-running title sponsorship deal on PGA Tour.
Multiple sources confirm that the Japanese automaker will not renew its current deal after the 2023 Honda Classic in February.
The tournament was founded in 1972 as the Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic. Honda has sponsored it since 1982. Since 2007, the tournament has been held at PGA National Golf Club, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Children’s Healthcare Charity was chosen as the tournament’s host in 2007. Barbara Nicklaus served as the tournament’s chairperson. The tournament’s primary charity beneficiary is the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation.
Over $50 million has been donated to charities across the country, including Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation. This year, a record $6.45million was raised. As long as there is a new title sponsor, the tournament will likely continue. Honda is being replaced by a new title sponsor.
The Honda Classic was a beloved Tour vehicle and has enjoyed one of the most successful fields in recent years. 2015 saw 15 of the 25 top world ranking riders present, making it the third strongest field of non-majors, WGCs and FedEx Cup playoffs qualifiers. This was behind the Memorial and the Players Championship.
Brooks Koepka autographs after playing at the 2021 Honda Classic Pro-Am, Palm Beach Gardens. (Photo by Allen Eyestone//The Palm Beach Post).
Honda was unable to attract top-notch talent due to the 2019 decision to reduce the primary schedule to nine months and wrap up FedEx Cup before the college football and NFL seasons. The Honda was left with a difficult date when the Players Championship was moved to March 2019. In Los Angeles, Tiger Woods was named tournament host. Only five of the top 50 players were represented in 2021, with two remaining in the top 20. This year, 12 of the top 50 players were in the tournament. However, four of the top eight residents of northern Palm Beach County decided not to participate.
The Honda will now have two higher-level events — the WM Phoenix Open, and the Genesis Invitational — before it. There will also be two after it — the Arnold Palmer Invitational or the Players Championship. This makes it a difficult recruiting process as the top players have committed to the higher-level events, where purses will be $20,000,000 compared to $8 million for Honda Classic. Ironically, the event’s lower prize money is what caused its decline. The original winner, who received $52,000 in 1972, made it one the most important stops on Tour. This was more than any of the majors and more than twice the amount of the Masters which has a first prize at $25,000.
A Tour pro said, “It is unfortunate that we will lose such a loyal sponsor, especially one that is withdrawing because of the decisions that we made. Not because their business is in trouble or doesn’t see the value, but because they’re sandwiching them between these elevated events.” They are probably mad. I’d be.”
