SOMPO Holdings, a Japanese company, has put itself forward as the first title sponsor of the new Championship Series structure that the PGA Tour will introduce in 2028. It has also been confirmed as a sponsor of an event near Napa in 2027.
The PGA Tour has announced that, beginning with the 2028 season, it will introduce a two-tier structure consisting of a Championship Series featuring only top-ranked players and a Challenger Series contested by players below that level. Under the new structure, the regular season will comprise 15 events, with a minimum total purse of $20 million, and the annual schedule, including the major events, will be reorganized. Traditional alternates and sponsor exemptions are expected to be eliminated, with the fields comprising players near the top of the points rankings and those promoted from the Challenger Series.
Under the new structure, SOMPO International, which oversees the overseas business of SOMPO Holdings, has announced that it will serve as the title sponsor of the 2028 Championship Series. In 2027, it will also serve as the title sponsor of the Fall Series event that has been held at Silverado Resort. The venue for the event has not been decided, although Chicago is considered the leading candidate.
The relationship between the PGA Tour and Japanese companies dates back many years, when Honda, Nissan, NEC, Bridgestone and Sony, among others, served as title sponsors. In recent years, the number of Japanese corporate title-sponsored events has declined, and Sony’s title-sponsored event had been expected to end after this year. Against that backdrop, the entry of this new sponsor is being positioned as part of an effort to develop new markets.
Amid developments involving LIV Golf and efforts to strengthen ties with Asian markets, the move appears intended to attract fans across Asia, including Japan. SOMPO’s participation is seen as a first step toward building a long-term relationship between the PGA Tour and the company. As more Japanese players make their mark, attention is turning to the PGA Tour’s sponsorship strategy going forward.