Published on April 1st, 2026

Location: USA

Korn Ferry Tour, LECOM Extend Title Sponsorship of LECOM Suncoast Classic

LAKEWOOD RANCH, Florida (April 1, 2026) – Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), Lakewood National Golf Club and the Korn Ferry Tour announced an extension for LECOM to continue as the title sponsor and Lakewood National Golf Club – which was named the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Host Facility of the Year – to remain as host facility of the LECOM Suncoast Classic.

The 2026 LECOM Suncoast Classic will be contested this week from Thursday, April 2 through Sunday, April 5.

“We’re grateful to extend our partnership with LECOM, and we’re excited to build upon the relationship we established in 2016,” said Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin.

“Lakewood National Golf Club continues to be a terrific host for our Tour, with the club most recently being recognized as the Korn Ferry Tour Host Facility of the Year. We continue to be appreciative of the hospitality and support from the Lakewood Ranch community, and we look forward to the future of the LECOM Suncoast Classic.”

Since its debut in 2019, the event has generated significant charitable and economic benefits for the Bradenton, Florida community, while offering fans the opportunity to witness the next generation of men’s professional golfers compete for their place on the PGA TOUR. Since its inception, the tournament has generated more than $1 million in charitable impact benefiting the LECOM Student Scholar Fund and a wide range of local nonprofit organizations.

LECOM’s partnership with the PGA TOUR began in 2016 with the LECOM Health Challenge, contested for four years at Peek'n Peak Resort in Findley Lake, New York, near the company’s Erie, Pennsylvania headquarters. In January of 2019, LECOM and the TOUR announced the sponsorship of the LECOM Suncoast Classic one month before the event debuted on the Korn Ferry Tour.

"Everything we do is in service of developing the next generation of compassionate, highly skilled doctors, pharmacists, dentists, and podiatrists. Extending our title sponsorship of the LECOM Suncoast Classic is a proud reflection of that purpose," said John M. Ferretti, DO, President and CEO of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.

"The funds raised through this tournament make a direct and meaningful difference in the lives of our students, supporting the LECOM Student Scholarship Fund and helping to ensure talented, dedicated graduates have the opportunity to pursue their calling — all while providing significant economic and charitable impact to the Bradenton community. We are deeply grateful to the Korn Ferry Tour, Lakewood National Golf Club, and all the fans and sponsors who make this event possible."

“The extension of the LECOM Suncoast Classic is a testament to the strength of this partnership and the impact this event continues to have on the Korn Ferry Tour and the Lakewood Ranch community. We’re proud to work alongside LECOM, the PGA TOUR, the Korn Ferry Tour, and Lakewood National Golf Club to ensure this tournament remains a premier early‑season stop for years to come.”

Mike Harmon, EVP of Golf at SPORTFIVE

The LECOM Suncoast Classic features a 156-player field and is a key early-season stop on the Korn Ferry Tour schedule. Notable past champions of the event include Neal Shipley (2025), PGA TOUR winner Andrew Novak (2020), and Mark Hubbard (2019).

Most recently, Neal Shipley defeated S.T. Lee with a birdie on the fifth playoff hole and earned his first Korn Ferry Tour title at the 2025 LECOM Suncoast Classic. Shipley won for a second time at The Blue Championship, which eventually propelled him to a No. 4 finish on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Points List and PGA TOUR membership for the 2026 season.

Lakewood National Golf Club, featuring 36 holes of championship golf designed by Arnold Palmer, has been home to the tournament since its inaugural playing in 2019. The Commander Course is highly regarded among the Korn Ferry Tour membership, as are the amenities provided to players and caddies throughout tournament week at Lakewood National Golf Club.

"We are very pleased to extend our partnership with the LECOM Suncoast Classic and continue hosting this premier Korn Ferry Tour event at Lakewood National Golf Club,” said Steve Cooper, President, Lakewood National Golf Club.

"This tournament brings added excitement to our community, and our members really enjoy seeing these rising stars compete on one of our two incredible golf courses. Lakewood National is built for championship golf, and it's our honor to showcase it on a national stage once again. We look forward to the coming years of more world-class play and memorable moments here at Lakewood National."

The LECOM Suncoast Classic is owned and operated by SPORTFIVE, one of the world’s leading sports marketing agencies. SPORTFIVE is proud to welcome the Korn Ferry Tour’s top players to Lakewood National Golf Club once again this week — and in the coming years.

For more information on the 2026 LECOM Suncoast Classic, including details on how to reserve tickets, please visit lecomsuncoastclassic.com. 

  • About SPORTFIVE

    SPORTFIVE is a global sports marketing agency that delivers customer-centric solutions based on trust and transparency, deep industry experience and global relationships, digital intelligence and innovation. SPORTFIVE strategically and creatively connects brands, rightsholders, media platforms and fans to create and enable contemporary partnerships in sports.

    While creating and growing long-term value for all, SPORTFIVE often leads the sports business into the future through innovative digital solutions and strives to be the most progressive and respected partner in sports.

    Being at the centre of professional sport SPORTFIVE will use its unique position, in order to make a positive contribution to sustainability and to live up to the social and economic duty and responsibility, which sport and consequently all parties involved, also have. SPORTFIVE operates with a global mindset and network of over 1,200 local experts based in 15 countries around the world, active in Football, Golf, Handball, Motorsport, Esports, Cricket, Tennis, American Football, Basketball, Hockey, Rugby, Olympics and Multi-Sport Events, Wintersports and many more.

  • About Korn Ferry Tour

    Founded (1990), owned and operated by the PGA TOUR, the Korn Ferry Tour identifies and develops golf's next stars, preparing them to compete and win on the game's biggest stage. The Korn Ferry Tour, which has served as a path to the PGA TOUR since its inception, annually awards 20 PGA TOUR cards based off its points list, with the No. 1 player earning exemptions into the following year’s PLAYERS Championship and U.S. Open. With more than 700 PGA TOUR titles, 35 major championships and eight FedExCup champions, Korn Ferry Tour alumni make up 77 percent of the PGA TOUR’s current membership. To learn more about the PGA TOUR, the Korn Ferry Tour and to follow the season-long quest for PGA TOUR cards, visit PGATOUR.COM or follow the Korn Ferry Tour on social media. In 2026, 10 Korn Ferry Tour events are televised on Golf Channel in the United States, with tournament coverage available internationally in more than 170 countries and territories via 23 media partners.

  • About LECOM

    Founded in 1992, LECOM has grown to become the largest and one of the most affordable medical schools in the United States. LECOM offers innovative, student-centered pathways to degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, dental medicine, podiatry and health services administration. In 2004, LECOM developed their first branch campus in Bradenton, Florida. Two additional locations followed in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and Elmira, New York. A fifth campus will open this year in Jacksonville, Florida. To date, LECOM has graduated more than 18,000 healthcare professionals who are now serving communities across the country. Committed to excellence in education, research, and community service, LECOM continues to shape the future of healthcare by training the next generation of highly skilled and compassionate professionals.

Press contacts

Other press releases

Subscribe to Media database

Sportfive creates partnerships for

Newsletter Contact

Visit our magazine

loading spinner