Marquee LPGA Tournament Finds New Title Sponsor

The Founders Cup's future was in question after Cognizant pulled its title sponsorship last year, but now a new sponsor is stepping in.

Founders Cup will have a new title sponsor, Fortinet. / Mike Lang / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler is off to a good start. 

On Tuesday, the LPGA announced a multiyear agreement with cybersecurity company Fortinet to sponsor the Founders Cup, one of the tour’s marquee tournaments. 

The event will be staged at Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club in Menlo Park, California, on March 19-22, 2026.  The purse will be $3 million, an increase from $2 million in 2025.

Sign Up Now. SI Golf Newsletters. Sports Illustrated’s Free Golf Newsletters. dark

The tournament has become one of the LPGA’s top events, honoring the circuit’s 13 Founders, and boasted one of the biggest non-major purses on tour. However, after 2024, Cognizant pulled its title sponsorship and the tournament was held in Florida this year with the LPGA backing the event financially. 

The inaugural Founders Cup was in 2011 with a mock purse, meaning the players didn’t get paid—all the money went to charity. 

It was then played in Arizona before moving to New Jersey. Now, it’ll be in California, and there’s excitement for the tournament’s next iteration. 

"We’re fired up to welcome Fortinet as the title partner of the Founders Cup and grateful for their commitment to elevating this historic event," Kessler said. "The Founders Cup is about honoring the 13 women who built the LPGA from the ground up, and there’s no better stage for that than Sharon Heights—a world-class course that will challenge and showcase our players. Many of our athletes have deep ties to Northern California, and this partnership with Fortinet allows us to celebrate that connection."

---

More Golf Coverage on Sports Illustrated

feed