Sompo Secures Title Sponsorship for New 2028 PGA Tour Championship Series Event

Sompo enters a multiyear agreement with the PGA Tour, beginning with a 2027 tournament at Silverado Resort before joining the elite Championship Series in 2028.

Sompo, the global insurance and financial services provider, has finalized a multiyear agreement to serve as the title sponsor for a new tournament within the PGA Tour’s elite Championship Series starting in 2028. Before this transition, the partnership will debut at the Silverado Resort’s North Course in Napa, California, for a full-field event scheduled from July 29 through August 1, 2027. This initial California-based competition serves as a bridge before the tournament relocates to a different market and assumes its permanent position on the premier schedule the following year.

Key details

The announcement, made this Tuesday, follows closely on the heels of Monday’s confirmation that the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands will also be integrated into the 2028 Championship Series. PGA Tour Chief Commercial Officer Dhruv Prasad highlighted that Sompo is the first new sponsor to join this revamped competitive framework. While the 2027 dates are locked for the Napa Valley venue, the specific 2028 calendar slot and geographic location for the subsequent iteration remain under finalization.

Under the newly unveiled tour model, the Championship Series is designed to feature the world’s top-ranked golfers across a condensed window running from February to August. This elite tier will encompass approximately 23 to 24 total events annually. The schedule is anchored by the four major championships and The Players Championship, alongside high-stakes playoff tournaments. Depending on the specific year, the calendar will also integrate biennial international team competitions such as the Ryder Cup or the Presidents Cup.

Running parallel to this premier track is the Challenger Series, which functions as the primary developmental pathway for professional golfers. This secondary circuit provides the mechanism for athletes to earn their way into the top-tier events. A key feature of this promotion system allows any player who secures two victories within the Challenger Series to receive an immediate in-season elevation to the Championship Series, ensuring that performance-based mobility remains a core component of the tour's structure.

Latest developments

The restructuring aims to organize the professional golf calendar into distinct segments that separate the highest level of competition from the qualifying ranks. By securing Sompo as a title partner, the PGA Tour fills a critical slot in its 2028 vision, which seeks to concentrate star power in a more streamlined broadcast window. The move to Silverado Resort in 2027 provides a prestigious backdrop for the brand's entry into golf sponsorship before the event moves to its long-term home.

Silverado’s North Course, a frequent host of tour events, will provide the 2027 field with a par-72 layout known for its narrow fairways and challenging green complexes. Following that four-day stroke-play event, the focus shifts entirely to the 2028 Championship Series format. This elite series is intended to maximize fan engagement by ensuring the most recognizable names in the sport compete against one another more frequently throughout the spring and summer months.

Further details regarding the 2028 venue and the specific prize purse for the Sompo-sponsored event are expected in future communications from tour headquarters. This partnership represents a significant investment in the tour's new business model, which emphasizes a clear hierarchy of tournaments. The transition from a full-field event in Napa to a limited-field Championship Series event in 2028 reflects the broader strategy of creating a more exclusive environment for the tour's top performers while maintaining a meritocratic path for those rising through the Challenger Series ranks.