PGA Tour event left fighting for survival as search for a title sponsor continues: Report

It has been closer to a year since PGA Tour pro Nick Dunlap won the 2024 Barracuda Championship. Before he starts his title defence at Old Greenwood on July 17, reports indicate that the Tour event is searching for a title sponsor from 2026.

According to Sports Business Journal, Barracuda Networks is not expecting to renew its title sponsorship for the event beyond this season. The upcoming PGA Tour event will be running for the 27th consecutive time this year.

However, the chances of the event putting up a fight to survive amid uncertainty with Barracuda Networks remain large. Journalist Josh Carpenter recently shared on X (previously Twitter) that Chris Hoff, the Barracuda Championship tournament director, confirmed this development.

With just two weeks remaining for the PGA Tour event, Hoff's words have pointed towards the hunt for a new title sponsor. Carpenter shared a post on X confirming a probable split with the Silicon Valley-based company.

This PGA Tour event debuted back in 1999 as the Reno-Tahoe Open. For the first 15 editions, this tournament went completely without any title sponsors. The event is the only one on the Tour to hold a contest in a modified Stableford Scoring Format (since 2012).

Barracuda Networks stepped up in the role back in 2014, when Geoff Ogilvy clinched the win. They provided the tournament with much-needed stability as a title sponsor. Although there have been no clear figures, full-field PGA Tour events usually draw title sponsors around $13-15 million.

Two years ago, back in 2023, the Tour announced a multi-year extension with Barracuda Networks, Inc. This golf event is also a well-recognised FedEx Cup event on the Tour schedule for years now.

Even though multiple reports indicate that this can be the last season for the Barracuda Championship, the Tour event can receive a new Title Sponsor before the 2026 schedule gets announced. In that case, the event might get rescheduled to a later part of June.

PGA Tour event's tournament director shares honest take amid search for title sponsor

While talking with the media, tournament director Chris Hoff admitted the current situation regarding the title sponsor of the Barracuda Championship. In his statement, he highlighted the PGA Tour event for its rich history and the nature of the field. He said (as quoted by Nevada Sports Net):

"They want to see professional golf stay in Northern Nevada, Lake Tahoe... We have 27 years track record. The Tour and specifically the players love coming out here, and that's reflected... in our strength of field."

Hoff also recalled the time with Barracuda Networks as their title sponsors and hinted towards a new title sponsor.

"We've had over 12 years with Barracuda... that's a longer-than-average lifespan of a title sponsor... if it's not going to work for them, I feel there's a good chance that it could work for somebody else," Hoff added.

The 2025 Barracuda Championship at Truckee will feature a $4,000,000 total prize purse.