In 2025, Black Desert Resort could boast of being the lone venue that hosted both a PGA Tour and LPGA event in the same year after hold in inaugural LPGA Black Desert Championship in May. Yet that distinction will be short-lived after the LPGA Tour and the Ivins, Utah, facility agreed to change the nature of their partnership.
LPGA officials informed players on Friday that Black Desert will no longer be a title sponsor for a tour event but will now become one of the tour’s official marketing partners. Sources told Golf Digest that the financial terms of the deal remain essentially the same, but the way the money will be utilised will change.
The LPGA Tour released the following statement from Ricki Lasky, Chief Tournament and Business Officer, on Friday:
“Through this marketing partnership, Black Desert will help advance our mission by increasing opportunity, visibility, and growth across the Tour for the remainder of our agreement. Their continued partnership represents a powerful step forward in our collective effort to elevate the women’s game globally. We are deeply grateful to Black Desert for recognising the goals we are working towards as a tour—and for aligning their support to help us achieve them.”
It’s unknown if a new event will be added to the LPGA schedule in place of the Black Desert tournament. Earlier this week, the LPGA announced it would co-sanction a new tournament with the LET sponsored by Golf Saudi that would be played at Shadow Creek Golf Club in Las Vegas, essentially replacing the LPGA’s match play event also held at Shadow Creek. LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler is expected to reveal the tour’s 2026 schedule later this month at the CME Group Tour Championship.
The inaugural playing of the Black Desert Championship came with much fanfare as it was held the week after the Chevron Championship, the first major on the LPGA schedule. To help out the players, charter planes were made available to take them from Texas to Utah, and players all stayed on property at the resort. South Korea’s Haeran Ryu won the tournament by five shots over Esther Henseleit and Ruoning Yin.
The course, designed by Tom Weiskopf, is a visual stunner, laid out among black lava dunes and a sprawling mountain skyline.
Sources tell Golf Digest that as part of its marketing deal with the tour, a partners summit will be held at Black Desert sometime in 2026 to bring together tour stakeholders.
In a statement, officials with Black Desert Resort said they look forward to expanding their support of the LPGA Tour “beyond a single tournament week” and help drive “greater opportunity, visibility and growth across the tour.”
“Black Desert is proud to have hosted the inaugural Black Desert Championship, a milestone for the LPGA Tour and for women’s professional golf in Utah. Building on that success and our shared commitment to advancing the future of women’s golf, we’ve worked closely with the LPGA to shape a new framework for our partnership that creates broader, year-round impact for the tour and its players.”
The second edition of the PGA Tour event, now dubbed the Bank of Utah Championship, was played last month with Michael Brennan winning the title after gaining entry into the field as a sponsor’s exemption.
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Main Image: Sean M. Haffey
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