Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Tiannick, NJ – PGA Tour, Children's Healthcare Charity, Inc) and Cognizant (NASDAQ***CTSH) today announced a long-term agreement (2024-2030) under which the professional services firm will be the new crown sponsor of the PGA Tour's long-running South Florida event, which will be rebranded"Cognizant Classic"。
As part of the 2024 FedEx Cup regular season, the Cognizant Classic returns to the championship course at PGA National Resort during the week of February 26 to March 3. The tournament will be broadcast on NBC, Golf Channel and PGA Tour Live on ESPN+. Under the agreement, Cognizant will have access to a number of brands** across the U.S. and globally, including through experiential events and unique live events at the Cognizant Classic.
On behalf of the PGA Tour, we thank Cognizant for its commitment to the PGA TOUR South Florida event through 2030," said PGA TOUR President Jay Monaghan, "Through this partnership, the Cognizant Classic will continue to be one of Palm Beach's premier sporting and recreational events while maintaining its role as a community philanthropic leader." ”
With the support of Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, the Children's Healthcare Charity has been hosting the Cognizant Classic since 2007. The main beneficiary of the competition remains The Nicklaus Children'S Health Care Foundation), which supports activities to advance and enhance the diagnosis, prevention, and prevention of childhood illnesses and disorders, as well as other nonprofit programs and programs that address children's health care and health-related services.
"Cognizant Classic provides our customers with a great brand experience and aligns with our current sponsorship commitment to diversity, inclusion and social responsibility," said R**i Kumar S, Cognizant's Chief Executive Officer. ”
Cognizant became a Global Partner and PGA TOUR Corporate Marketing Partner for the first time in 2021, and this renewal expands the PGA TOUR's partnership with it. Cognizant is also a national partner in the John Shippen Cup and the Charlie Sifford Centennial Cup, two of which create golf opportunities for Black men and women.
We are thrilled to welcome Cognizant to Palm Beach as the title sponsor of the PGA Tour for the next era in our community," said Joe Russo, President of Children's Healthcare Charities, Inc. "This event has made a proud history through charitable donations and exciting competition, and we are confident that this partnership will allow us to further these efforts while providing our fans with a golf week not to be missed." ”
The Cognizant Classic debuted in 1972 as Jackie Gleeson in Lauderhill, Florida under the name of Jeffrey Classic. Since 2007, the tournament has been held at the Champions Course at PGA National Resort. Originally designed by Tom Fazio and Giorgio Fazio, the Championship Course has been redesigned several times by Nicklaus, most recently in 2002.
In a 1990 redesign, Nicklaus created "The Bear Trap," a famous combination of par 3 15, par 4 16 and par 3 17, which has been one of the toughest three on the PGA Tour and is staged every year.
In 2023, Chris Cork scored his fifth career PGA Tour victory with a dramatic victory over Eric Cole in a playoff and his first in eight years. World Golf Hall of Fame members have won 14 Cognizant Classics, including two each by Nicklaus (1977, 1978) and Johnny Miller (1980, 1983). Other multi-time champions include Mark Kakavicja (1987, 1998) and Padrigo Harrington (2005, 2015).
The Cognizant Classic will be run by the PGA TOUR Championship Administration, which oversees a number of events including The Players Championship, Tour Championship and ** Cup.