LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. – Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), Lakewood National Golf Club and the Korn Ferry Tour announced an extension Wednesday afternoon for LECOM to continue as the title sponsor and Lakewood National Golf Club – which was named the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Host Facility of the Year – to remain as host facility of the LECOM Suncoast Classic.

The 2026 LECOM Suncoast Classic will be contested this week from Thursday, April 2, through Sunday, April 5.

“We’re grateful to extend our partnership with LECOM, and we’re excited to build upon the relationship we established in 2016,” said Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin. “Lakewood National Golf Club continues to be a terrific host for our Tour, with the club most recently being recognized as the Korn Ferry Tour Host Facility of the Year. We continue to be appreciative of the hospitality and support from the Lakewood Ranch community, and we look forward to the future of the LECOM Suncoast Classic.”

Since its debut in 2019, the event has generated significant charitable and economic benefits for the Bradenton, Florida, community, while offering fans the opportunity to witness the next generation of men’s professional golfers compete for their place on the PGA TOUR. Since its inception, the tournament has generated more than $1 million in charitable impact benefiting the LECOM Student Scholarship Fund and a wide range of local nonprofit organizations.

LECOM’s partnership with the PGA TOUR began in 2016 with the LECOM Health Challenge, contested for four years at Peek'n Peak Resort in Findley Lake, New York, near the company’s Erie, Pennsylvania, headquarters. In January of 2019, LECOM and the TOUR announced the sponsorship of the LECOM Suncoast Classic one month before the event debuted on the Korn Ferry Tour.

"Everything we do is in service of developing the next generation of compassionate, highly skilled doctors, pharmacists, dentists and podiatrists. Extending our title sponsorship of the LECOM Suncoast Classic is a proud reflection of that purpose," said John M. Ferretti, DO, president and CEO of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. "The funds raised through this tournament make a direct and meaningful difference in the lives of our students, supporting the LECOM Student Scholarship Fund and helping to ensure talented, dedicated graduates have the opportunity to pursue their calling — all while providing significant economic and charitable impact to the Bradenton community. We are deeply grateful to the Korn Ferry Tour, Lakewood National Golf Club and all the fans and sponsors who make this event possible."

The LECOM Suncoast Classic features a 156-player field and is a key early-season stop on the Korn Ferry Tour schedule. Notable past champions of the event include Neal Shipley (2025), PGA TOUR winner Andrew Novak (2020) and Mark Hubbard (2019).

Most recently, Neal Shipley defeated S.T. Lee with a birdie on the fifth playoff hole and earned his first Korn Ferry Tour title at the 2025 LECOM Suncoast Classic. Shipley won for a second time at The Blue Championship, which eventually propelled him to a No. 4 finish on the 2025 Korn Ferry Tour Points List and PGA TOUR membership for the 2026 season.

Lakewood National Golf Club, featuring 36 holes of championship golf designed by Arnold Palmer, has been home to the tournament since its inaugural playing in 2019. The Commander Course is highly regarded among the Korn Ferry Tour membership, as are the amenities provided to players and caddies throughout tournament week at Lakewood National Golf Club.

"We are very pleased to extend our partnership with the LECOM Suncoast Classic and continue hosting this premier Korn Ferry Tour event at Lakewood National Golf Club,” said Steve Cooper, president, Lakewood National Golf Club. “This tournament brings added excitement to our community, and our members really enjoy seeing these rising stars compete on one of our two incredible golf courses. Lakewood National is built for championship golf, and it's our honor to showcase it on a national stage once again. We look forward to the coming years of more world-class play and memorable moments here at Lakewood National."