Jack Nicklaus, present Sunday in Palm Beach Gardens for the last round of the Honda Classic at PGA National, revealed that the schedule of the PGA Tour will change in 2024. This tournament in South Florida, even if it loses its current title sponsor, will have the means to once again attract the best players in the world.
None of the 17 best players in the world have taken part in this year’s Honda Classic, won Sunday in the play-off by the returning Chris Kirk, after eight years of scarcity. But according to the Golden Bearstill very active and influential on the North American circuit, everything will change in 2024: the Pro-Am AT&T de Pebble Beach will be a “boosted” tournament then the circuit will stop at Mexico before starting the Florida swing » au PGA Nationalwith a new title sponsor to replace Honda.
The downgraded Phoenix Open?
Still according to the winner of 18 Majors, who turned 83 in January, the Genesis Invitational au Riviera of The Angels will remain a “boosted” tournament, with a purse of 20 million dollars. But this will no longer be the case for the WM Phoenix Openwon two years in a row by Scottie Scheffler. This season, the Honda Classic was really badly placed: it was preceded on the calendar by two boosted tournaments, the Phoenix Open and the Genesis, and it will be followed by two others. « elevated events »the Arnold Palmer To Bay Hill and the Players Championship, richly endowed too. This prompted the best players in the world to take a little break.
The PGA Tour is in the process of completely “revamping” its calendar, to face competition from LIFE Golfthe Saudi circuit led by Greg Norman. Jack Nicklaus and his wife Barbara live very close to the PGA National. They have very strong ties with this tournament which has already yielded, like the Memorial Tournament To Dublin (Ohio)millions of dollars for their Foundation dedicated to children’s health.
Jack does not lobby…
Many high-level players have consistently missed the Honda Classic for several years, while some live very close to PGA National. But Jack Nicklaus does not wish to lobby them: “I don’t do it for the Memorial Tournament, and I don’t do it for any tournament, because I didn’t like it when people insisted on me playing a tournament”explains the Golden Bear, well informed and always above the fray.
Photo: Masters
