Corning Classic's Bold LPGA Comeback

A blockbuster comeback

The LPGA Tour is about to get a serious injection of nostalgia - and cash. The Corning Classic, dormant since 2009, will roar back onto the schedule in May 2027 with a staggering $5 million purse. That's more than triple the $1.5 million on offer when the event last took place.

Scheduled for 27-30 May 2027 at Corning Country Club, the revived tournament will be branded simply as "The Classic." The name change is no accident.

Why rebrand?

Corning executive Lewis Steverson has been blunt about the reasoning. The company wants to shake off its outdated reputation as a cookware manufacturer. Modern Corning is a technology powerhouse, recently inking a multi-billion dollar deal with Amazon and partnering with Nvidia to create American jobs.

Calling it "The Classic" is designed to broaden community engagement and signal that this isn't your grandmother's Corning.

Small town, massive footprint

Here's what makes this story remarkable. The town of Corning has roughly 11,000 residents - and nearly half of them, about 5,000, work for the company. This isn't just corporate sponsorship. It's an entire community wrapping itself around a sporting event.

IMG will handle promotion and operations for the tournament.

A storied history

The original Corning Classic ran for an extraordinary 31 years. Yani Tseng claimed the final title in 2009. Legends like Annika Sorenstam have voiced genuine excitement about the event's return after an 18-year absence.

With one of the richest non-major purses on the LPGA Tour, The Classic is clearly designed to attract the sport's biggest names back to upstate New York.