‘Going to Be Losing More’: Golf World Reacts to PGA Tour’s Latest Setback

One of PGA’s long-standing sponsors, Honda, will conclude its sponsorship deal for the Honda Classic following the 2023 tournament. The Japanese automaker has been a loyal patron of the PGA Tour, serving its competition for over 40 years as a title sponsor.

The move will end a deal that made Honda the longest-running uninterrupted title sponsor on the Tour. Insiders believe the reduced marketability of the event in a jam-packed schedule has forced the well-off company to part ways.

Honda’s special connection with the PGA Tour

Japanese automobile brand, Honda, first entered the US market in a bid to become a household name in the country. It sought out a sponsorship deal with the PGA Tour, eventually becoming the title sponsor for one of its events.

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The event was none other than Jackie Gleason’s Inverrary Classic, which was founded back in 1972. Ten years later, Honda became the chief title sponsor, which raised the stakes considerably for the event.

At a winner’s share of $52,000 in 1972, the event was one of the richest stops on the Tour. It even bettered the Masters Tournament, which had a first prize of $25,000 that year. Honda became one of the favorite competitions among top-ranked golfers on the Tour, with 15 of the top 25 in the world on hand in 2015.

Honda’s departure created a lot of chatter among netizens on Twitter. Many felt it was the beginning of the end, while others lamented a reputed brand’s departure. Here’s a selection of those tweets:

Why is Honda cutting ties with the PGA?

Honda released a statement that stated an evolution of marketing strategy and an already fulfilled ambition as the reasons to discontinue as a title sponsor. However, people connected to the story feel PGA’s revamp of schedule didn’t please the offices in Tokyo.

The latest timeline places the Honda Classic between the WM Phoenix Open and the Genesis Invitational, both of which are PGA’s new ‘elevated’ events. To make matters worse, the lucrative Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Players Championship will follow it. In comparison, the Honda Classic will feature a purse worth $8 million, which is significantly lower than the $20 million set aside for elevated events.

A Tour pro, who wished confidentiality, moaned the manner of departure of a long-standing sponsor. “It’s unfortunate that we will lose a loyal sponsor like that, especially one that is pulling out because of the decisions we made, not because their business is struggling or don’t see the value but because we’re sandwiching them in between these elevated events,” the golfer said.

“They’re like, ‘You did us wrong and now we’re gone.’ They’re probably really mad. I’d be.”

Do you think the PGA Tour should have persuaded the Honda management to reconsider their decision? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

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