Hoag Classic to become Senior Players Championship in 2027

The Hoag Classic has long been a favorite for both players and fans alike on the PGA Tour Champions.

Starting next year, professional golf in Newport Beach will be even bigger and more prestigious.

The PGA Tour announced Tuesday that Hoag will become the title sponsor for the Senior Players Championship, one of five major championships contested annually on PGA Tour Champions.

“We are thrilled to usher in this new era of the Senior Players Championship with our longtime partners Hoag and Newport Beach Country Club,” PGA Tour Champions President Miller Brady said in a statement. “The Hoag Classic has long been a best-in-class event on the Champions Tour, and it’s great to know we will be adding to that legacy with a senior major championship starting in 2027.”

The newly named Hoag Senior Players Championship will still take place at Newport Beach Country Club, from March 22-28 in 2027. A five-year agreement is in place to ensure the tour will remain at the club through 2031.

As a major, the tournament will no longer be three days and will become a four-round, 72-hole tournament. Brady said the prize money will also increase, to a total purse of $3.5 million. The purse at this year’s Hoag Classic was $2.2 million.

Charitable beneficiaries for the Hoag Senior Players will remain the same as they were for the Hoag Classic. The Hoag Classic raised more than $25 million in total proceeds for Hoag programs and services, as well as local educational and military charities.

A press conference featuring Brady, World Golf Hall of Famer and Newport Beach resident Fred Couples, Hoag executive vice president and CFO Andrew Guarni and Newport Beach Country Club CEO Kevin Martin was held Tuesday morning to announce the news.

More to come on this story.