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The Honda Classic has been a staple of the PGA Tour for 42 years. That will not be the case moving forward. The tournament will still exist, but the name is going to change. It was recently confirmed that Honda would no longer be the sponsor.
It's long been one of the top tournaments on the Tour, but that's changed of late. It's no longer the priority it once was and it's put in between two rather large tournaments and often forgotten about.
Tiger Woods' Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational bookend it, so it's easily ignored. These two are signature events, and the Honda Classic is not.
For now, the tournament has tentatively been renamed The Classic in The Palm Beaches. That is subject to change depending on which sponsor emerges, but it will no longer be the Honda Classic.
Honda Classic no more, to undergo new name change
A tournament director said via Golf Magic:
"The Tour thought it had a replacement waiting in the wings that was willing to pay the 15 they were asking but they backed out."
A Tour spokesperson said:
"The PGA Tour is in the final stages of securing a title sponsor and transitioning operators, where the longstanding commitment to charitable giving – working closely with Children's Health Care Charity, Inc., will remain a pillar of the event. We look forward to presenting the best version of the PGA Tour’s South Florida event in 2024."
Reports suggest a new title is arriving with a new company soon, but there's no confirmation of who that will be or when that will take place. Chris Kirk won the Honda Classic the last time around, which also happens to be the last time anyone will win the tournament under that name.
The tournament is expected to remain exactly the same, with the same field qualifications, schedule and more, just under a brand new name. Jack Nicklaus and his wife said via Palm Beach Post:
“This event has been a staple in South Florida for 50 years, including the last 20 years in Palm Beach County, where it has made an incredible impact on local charities. We are happy to hear that there will be a continued commitment to helping countless important causes, including our Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation.”
The Honda Classic often sees golfers like Shane Lowry, Sepp Straka, Justin Suh, and Zach Johnson participate. That's not expected to change in the future, although the competition for better events in the same general time frame does hurt.
The PLAYERS Championship, the aforementioned tournaments, and more all occur in the same time frame as the tournament formerly known as the Honda Classic. With every event not being played by every single golfer, there are some that get skipped by the big names. That could be the Classic, but a new name change might excite the sport enough.
