PALM BEACH GARDENS (Fla.) — Jack Nicklaus is positive that the rebranded Honda Classic will make a comeback.
Nicklaus stated Sunday that the PGA Tour would make major changes to the 2024 schedule. This will help the tournament. The schedule’s position has caused problems for Honda’s fields in recent years. In 2024, the event will have a new title sponsor.
Nicklaus says that a Mexican event will be held between the Genesis Invitational, and the new Honda Classic. The Pebble Beach Pro-Am will also replace the WM Phoenix Open in 2024, meaning that only one event with a purse of $20 million will be played during the three weeks before Honda.
Nicklaus stated, “The tournament’s going be just fine.” The tournament is fine. This town supported the event, even though it didn’t have a huge field. They supported it and stayed with the event. They’ve done a great job.
The 2023 Honda Classic was attended by fans at PGA National, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Andres Leiva/Palm Beach Post
“Are you a major market?” No. We handle it charity-wise like a major market, and the tour considers our contributions very important.”
Since 2007, the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation is the main charitable beneficiary of the tournament.
The purses for the two events preceding and following Honda increased this year. This was the weakest field since the tournament moved to PGA National in 2007. Honda’s purse stands at $8.4million.
Locals have a problem with the large number of professional golfers who frequently skip the tournament. Nicklaus stated that he has never appealed to the locals to play in the event.
He said, “I don’t do what I have never done.” “I have never done it for Memorial Tournament. It’s not something I have done for any tournament. It was something I did not like when others did it to me. You can’t play if you don’t want to.
