For generations, Firestone Country Club has been a familiar stop for some of the biggest names in the sport. From Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer to Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas, the Akron, Ohio venue has served as the backdrop for countless memorable moments. Now, that connection appears to be coming to an end.
A reported sponsorship change involving the Senior Players Championship will move the tournament from Ohio to California beginning in 2027. The decision not only relocates one of the PGA Tour Champions’ major championships but also leaves Firestone without a professional tournament for the first time in more than 70 years.
“We’ve had a tremendous run in Akron at Firestone Country Club. We are really excited to be there in July. Such a great historic golf course, the players love it, but all good things come to an end, and it’s time for us to move to a new venue,” Miller Brady, President of PGA Tour Champions, said.
A New Beginning for the Senior Players Championship
The upcoming move is tied to a new title sponsorship agreement that will reportedly see healthcare provider Hoag take over the event. Under the arrangement, the tournament will be played at Newport Beach Country Club in California and carry a new identity moving forward.
Tournament organizers are also expected to shift the championship’s date on the calendar, moving it into the spring. Rather than occupying a traditional summer slot, the event is set to be contested in late March.
For the PGA Tour Champions circuit, the move represents an opportunity to strengthen the event’s commercial future and establish a fresh presence in Southern California. For Ohio golf fans, however, it signals the loss of one of the region’s most recognizable sporting events.
The tournament had become Firestone’s last remaining connection to the professional game after several previous PGA Tour events departed over the years.
More Than a Golf Course
Originally developed by the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in the late 1920s, the property was designed as a recreational space before eventually becoming one of America’s premier championship venues. Over time, it transformed into a destination capable of attracting the sport’s biggest stars and most prestigious competitions.
Its reputation grew steadily throughout the middle of the 20th century. Major championships, high-profile tour stops, and elite invitationals all found a home at Firestone, helping elevate the club’s status on a national scale.
Few courses can claim the level of consistency that Firestone maintained. While many venues rotate on and off professional schedules, Akron’s signature club became a near-permanent fixture in professional golf.
“Are we sad? Of course we’re sad,” Danielle Thompson, executive director of Northern Ohio Golf Charities and Foundation, said. “Professional golf has been here for 73 years. We, of course, wanted another four-year contract and to continue it going. …
“We’ve given out $34 million in charitable donations. You bring in fans from around the country to come and watch golf at this course. They want to be a part of everything that’s happening in Akron.”
Generations of Legends Walked These Fairways
The list of champions who have succeeded at Firestone reads like a Hall of Fame roster.
Nicklaus announced his arrival as one of golf’s future superstars with an early victory at the venue. Decades later, Woods would turn Firestone into one of his personal playgrounds, repeatedly dominating elite fields and producing some of the most memorable performances of his career.
For many fans, Woods’ success became inseparable from the course. Year after year, his victories reinforced Firestone’s place among the game’s most recognizable tournament destinations.
The club also played a key role during golf’s global expansion era. When World Golf Championships events became a staple of the schedule, Firestone was entrusted with hosting one of the circuit’s premier tournaments.
Even after the World Golf Championships departed, the Senior Players Championship ensured the course remained relevant on the professional stage.
According to News 5 Cleveland, there will be “a town hall meeting on the transition will be held June 2 at 6 p.m. at Firestone Country Club’s media center, 440 East Warner Road, Akron, OH 44319.”
End of an Era: Firestone’s Historic Run in Professional Golf Is Coming to a Close