AKRON, Ohio — After more than seven decades of professional golf at Akron’s historic Firestone Country Club, one of the PGA Tour Champions’ premier events is leaving Northeast Ohio.
The Senior Players Championship, most recently known as the Kaulig Companies Championship, will relocate to Newport Beach, California, in 2027, marking the end of a long-running tradition in Akron.
For many families across Northeast Ohio, attending the tournament has been a summer tradition for generations.
The final event at Firestone Country Club will take place July 9–12 before the tournament moves west and is rebranded as the Hoag Senior Players Championship at Newport Beach Country Club.
Firestone’s connection to professional golf dates back to 1954, when it first hosted the tournament under the name Rubber City Open. Over the decades, the course became a familiar stop for some of golf’s biggest names, including during the Bridgestone Invitational era.
Hudson-based Kaulig Companies became the title sponsor in 2019, but that partnership will conclude after this year’s tournament.
“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,” said Miller Brady, President of PGA Tour Champions.
The Northern Ohio Golf Charities Foundation says the tournament has raised more than $34 million for local organizations over the years.
In a statement, the foundation said, “Our work has always been about more than the leaderboard. It is about the organizations throughout Northeast Ohio that benefit from the proceeds of these events.”
The organization also noted that thousands of volunteers have helped support the tournament each summer.
While the event’s departure marks a major change for local golf fans, Northern Ohio Golf Charities says it will continue its mission of supporting community programs and charitable organizations across the region.
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.
