After three-quarters of a century on the PGA Tour Champions schedule, the Firestone Country Club is about to lose its spot.

The Senior Players Championship, now the Kaulig Companies Championship, is moving to Newport Beach Country Club in 2027. It will be renamed the Hoag Senior Players Championship and played in late March under a five-year agreement through 2031.

That shift closes a huge chapter in Akron golf history. Firestone first hosted the Rubber City Open, a PGA Tour event, in 1954. And over the decades, the South Course became one of the most revered courses, hosting the PGA Championship three times, the World Series of Golf, and later the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Golf outlet Last Word On Sports reported that the recent move is being driven mainly by sponsorship and scheduling. Hoag is taking over as title sponsor, while Kaulig Companies reportedly did not renew its sponsorship of the event.

Attendance played a role, too. Golf Digest reported that crowds at Firestone’s South Course have thinned since the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational left in 2019.

For players who grew up with Firestone as part of the golf calendar, the change lands hard. Ernie Els called the move “crushing” and said he still could not believe the tour would not be coming back.

“I still can’t believe that we’re never going to come back here. It was one of my first professional events in 1992," Els told Golfweek. "Thirty-four years ago. The guys in the locker room, the workmen on the course, you don’t get a better crew than this crew. I just hope the community … hopefully something happens."

What's Next for Firestone Country Club?

With the tour departing, the bigger question hanging over Akron is whether professional golf ever comes back — and in what form.

Ryan Armour, a Silver Lake native who played at Walsh Jesuit and Ohio State, said the community needs to step up if it wants golf to stay in town, pointing to the PGA Tour’s planned 2028 structure with its Championship Series and Challenger Series as a possible opening for Firestone to host a lower-tier event.

“If you could get that Tier 2 PGA Tour event … you have 144 players, 144 caddies, trainers, dieticians, spouses, girlfriends spending money in Northeast Ohio," he told Golfweek. "I think that’s a no-brainer. That’s a huge economic impact for a week. If Akron could show up and guarantee some crowds, I think you could do it.”

Kenny Perry, who first played Firestone in the 1991 NEC World Series of Golf, said he doesn't see why a Tier 2 event couldn't land there. He called the course as demanding today as it ever was.

Whatever comes next, Firestone's place in golf history is already secured. Ninety-six professional tournaments have been played there since 1954. For now, the gates close on professional golf in Akron after 72 years.

Read more at Club Golf!

Written by

Md Saife Fida