The LPGA is returning to Corning in 2027 with a $5 million purse, reviving a beloved event and instantly elevating it among the Tour’s richest stops.
The LPGA Tour is heading back to Corning, New York, and it’s not returning quietly.
The Classic will be played May 27–30, 2027, at Corning Country Club with a $5 million purse, immediately making it one of the richest non-major events on the LPGA schedule. That’s a dramatic leap from the $1.5 million offered when the Tour last visited Corning in 2009.
For a tournament with deep roots in women’s golf, this comeback feels less like a reunion and more like a full-scale relaunch.
Corning Incorporated will present the event as the company continues celebrating its 175th anniversary. The partnership reconnects the LPGA with a community that hosted the tournament for more than three decades and built a reputation as one of the Tour’s most player-friendly stops.
The original event produced a long list of memorable champions, including Annika Sorenstam, who won in 2004 during a career that featured 10 major championships and 72 LPGA victories. Yani Tseng captured the final edition in 2009 before the tournament disappeared from the schedule.
Now, nearly two decades later, Corning is back with considerably more financial muscle.
A $5 million purse doesn’t just create a headline. It sends a message about where the event expects to sit in the LPGA hierarchy. Bigger prize money should attract elite fields, increase television interest and make The Classic an important stop during the heart of the season.
It also gives the LPGA another established market with a proven appetite for women’s golf. The Finger Lakes region embraced the tournament for years, and that community connection could help the revived event stand apart from newer Tour stops still trying to build an identity.
LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler called the return a bridge between the Tour’s history and future, while Sorenstam praised the community support that once made Corning a favorite among players.
IMG will manage and operate the tournament, giving the event experienced backing as it prepares for its 2027 comeback.
The LPGA has spent years pushing for larger purses, stronger corporate partnerships and better experiences for its players. The return of The Classic checks every box.
Corning isn’t simply bringing back an old tournament. It’s bringing it back bigger, richer and ready to matter again.
Follow Timm Hamm on X at @IndyCarTim.
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