LPGA revives Corning Classic 2027

The LPGA said on August 5 that it will return to Corning, New York, in 2027 with The Classic, reviving a tournament that last appeared on the schedule in 2009. Corning Incorporated will present the event, which is set for May 27-30, 2027, at Corning Country Club. The tour said the purse will be $5 million, putting it among the biggest non-major events on the LPGA calendar. ### Why is this return getting attention beyond a normal schedule addition? The date gap is a big part of the answer. The LPGA said the event will mark the tournament’s first appearance in Western New York since 2009, while Golf Digest described the comeback as the return of a long-loved stop after an 18-year absence. (lpga.com) Golf Digest said the old Corning Classic had deep ties to the tour’s history, with past winners including JoAnne Carner, Patty Sheehan, Pat Bradley, Betsy King, Beth Daniel, Rosie Jones, Juli Inkster and Annika Sorenstam. The last winner in 2009 was Yani Tseng, when the purse was $1.5 million. (lpga.com) ### What exactly is coming back in 2027? The LPGA is bringing back the event under the name “The Classic,” according to the tour and Corning Incorporated. The tournament will be played at Corning Country Club, the longtime home associated with the old Corning stop, and will run over four days from May 27 through May 30, 2027. (golfdigest.com) The $5 million purse is a central part of the relaunch. The LPGA called it one of the largest purses on the tour outside the majors, and Corning said the event will sit among the LPGA Tour’s premier tournaments. ### Why is Corning Incorporated involved again? Corning Incorporated is not a new partner to this tournament. (lpga.com) Golf Digest said the company is reuniting with the LPGA as a presenting sponsor, and linked the return to the event’s legacy in the region and to Corning’s 175th anniversary in 2026. The company’s own release framed the event as a continuation of that local relationship. Corning said the tournament’s return opens “a new chapter” for one of women’s golf’s most recognized events in the Southern Tier and Western New York. (golfdigest.com) ### What does the LPGA say this means for the tour? The LPGA’s announcement presented the move as both a restoration and an expansion. By attaching a $5 million purse to a revived legacy event, the tour is not simply restoring a former stop; it is relaunching it at a higher financial level than when it last ran in 2009. That comparison is based on the LPGA’s current purse figure and Golf Digest’s reporting on the old $1.5 million purse. (corning.com) Golf Digest said the relaunch leans on legacy and long-term partner trust rather than novelty. That framing came from the publication’s assessment of the move, not from the LPGA itself, but it helps explain why this particular return stands out in a crowded sports calendar. (lpga.com) ### What should readers watch next? May 27, 2027, is the next concrete date on the calendar. The LPGA and Corning have already identified Corning Country Club as the host site, and future updates on field, ticketing and tournament operations are expected to appear through LPGA and Corning event announcements. (lpga.com) (golfdigest.com)