Korn Ferry Tour announces title sponsorship extension with Bahamas Tourism, return of Golf Channel for season-opening events

NASSAU, The Bahamas – The Korn Ferry Tour and The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, title sponsor of the Tour’s pair of season-opening events in The Bahamas since 2017, announced a three-year contract extension (through 2027) Friday afternoon.

The Korn Ferry Tour will begin its 2025 season at a new venue, as Ocean Club Golf Course, a Tom Weiskopf design stretching over 7,100 yards along the eastern shore of Paradise Island, is set to host the season-opening The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island. The Tour will then head to The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club, which will be played for the eighth time this coming season.

Golf Channel is set to televise both The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island and The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club, marking the first time since 2020 that both events in The Bahamas will be televised. Each event will continue to utilize their traditional Sunday-Wednesday tournament schedule, providing a unique live television window for the Korn Ferry Tour’s season-opening events.

“This extension of our partnership with the Korn Ferry Tour reinforces the growing impact of sports tourism in The Bahamas,” said Director General of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation, Mrs. Latia Duncombe. “By hosting these premier events and welcoming back Golf Channel’s coverage, we continue to elevate The Bahamas on the global stage, showcasing our capability to deliver top-tier experiences for golfers and sports fans.”

The 2025 schedule marks the first time since 2017 the Korn Ferry Tour will open its season at a new venue, with The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island serving as a continuation of The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay, the Korn Ferry Tour’s opening event for the last seven seasons.

For Atlantis Paradise Island and the Ocean Club Golf Course, this marks a return of professional golf to its world-class resort. One of the world’s most iconic destination resorts, Atlantis boasts a lush, oceanside location anchored by five distinct hotels, the world’s largest open-air marine-life habitat, a 141-acre waterpark, the renowned Atlantis Casino, and a variety of restaurants led by more globally recognized, Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-winning chefs than any other resort or destination in the region.

“On behalf of Atlantis Paradise Island and the Ocean Club Golf Course, we are delighted to welcome the return of the Korn Ferry Tour to Nassau,” said President and Managing Director at Atlantis Paradise Island, Audrey Oswell. “The Ocean Club Golf Course is beloved for its challenging design, pristine condition, and breathtaking panoramic views. We look forward to showcasing the best of Bahamas’ golf to the competitors, fans and community.”

bdG Sports, an international sports marketing and event management firm, will continue to serve as the host organization for both Korn Ferry Tour events in The Bahamas.

“We are grateful to continue our long-standing partnership with The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, in addition to welcoming Golf Channel back to The Bahamas,” said Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin. “The Bahamas continue to be an amazing season-opening location for our membership, and we are excited to welcome Atlantis Paradise Island and Ocean Club Golf Course to the Korn Ferry Tour family as we begin the next chapter of these great tournaments.”

Winners of the 2024 events in The Bahamas – Jeremy Paul and Aldrich Potgieter – earned PGA TOUR membership earlier this month, as both finished inside the top 30 of the Korn Ferry Tour Points List upon conclusion of the season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance.

Jeremy Paul, winner of the 2024 The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay, finished No. 21 on the final Korn Ferry Tour Points List and became the fifth player from Germany to earn a PGA TOUR card via the Korn Ferry Tour. Aldrich Potgieter, champion of the 2024 The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club, became the youngest winner in Korn Ferry Tour history (19 years, 4 months, 11 days) and the second-youngest graduate in Korn Ferry Tour history (20 years, 23 days), as he finished No. 29 on the Points List.

Additional past champions of the Korn Ferry Tour’s season-opening events in The Bahamas include PGA TOUR winners Akshay Bhatia (2022 The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic), Sungjae Im (2018 The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic), and Adam Svensson (2018 The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic).

Dates for both The Bahamas Golf Classic at The Atlantis and The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club will be announced next week as part of the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour schedule release.