Chris Kirk, the winner of the 2023 Honda Classic. | Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
The PGA Tour has struck a sponsorship deal for its annual South Florida event, formerly known as The Honda Classic.
When Chris Kirk defeated Eric Cole in a playoff last February at the Honda Classic, it not only marked a triumphant victory for Kirk but also served as the end of an era.
Since 1982, Honda has served as the title sponsor of this event, which has always been held in South Florida. Yet, last year, the Japanese auto manufacturer terminated its contract with this tournament, thus leaving the PGA Tour to scramble and needing to fill a void.
But on Tuesday, after months of speculation, the PGA Tour announced the new title sponsor for its annual event in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Cognizant, a large information technology company, will now sponsor this tournament, and thus, beginning in 2024, the event will be known as the Cognizant Classic.
“On behalf of the PGA Tour, our thanks to Cognizant for their commitment to the PGA Tour’s South Florida event through 2030,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement.
“Through this partnership, the Cognizant Classic will continue to be one of the premier sports and entertainment events in the Palm Beaches while maintaining its role as a charitable leader within the community.”
Cognizant will continue to sponsor this PGA Tour event for the remainder of the decade while supporting The Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation.
Founded by Jack and Barbara Nicklaus in 2004, the foundation helps diagnose and enhance pediatric diseases and disorders. It also bolsters initiatives for children’s health care. The Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami is the only healthcare system exclusively for children in the region, which the foundation supports.
Nicklaus and his wife reside in North Palm Beach, Florida, and the 18-time major champion designed PGA National’s Champion Course—the host course of the Cognizant Classic.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
The Bear Trap statue and plaque at PGA National.
PGA National features a three-hole stretch, known as ‘The Bear Trap’ in an ode to Nicklaus, which is often regarded as one of the most challenging stretches on Tour.
The par-3 15th, the par-4 16th, and the par-3 17th all feature plenty of water, thus creating plenty of drama at the end of each round. At the 2023 Honda Classic, 63 double bogies or worse were recorded at ‘The Bear Trap.’ Players carded 263 bogies, too, as all three holes played over par.
The Honda Classic rarely disappoints, as the 2023 iteration may have been the best tournament of the season.
Presumably, the Cognizant Classic will continue that tradition of high-drama and brilliant play in the future.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
