Notable LPGA sponsor drops Founders Cup for 2025; $3M-event likely to get a purse cut

Cognizant will not be sponsoring the Founders Cup next year, Golfweek reported Monday. Cognizant, one of the world’s leading professional services and consulting companies, has sponsored the Founders Cup since 2021. It has also sponsored the John Shippen Cognizant Cup.

Before 2021, the prize purse at the Founders Cup was $1.5 million. Following Cognizant's coming in as a sponsor, it doubled to $3.0 million. The purse was significant as it was among the highest in non-major events. However, the Founders Cup will likely see a purse cut now without the company's sponsorship.

LPGA said in a statement (via Golfweek),

"We are very appreciative of our partnership with Cognizant and the support they gave to our athletes for the past three years.

We look forward to providing more information on the 2025 Founders Cup as well as additional exciting news about the 2025 LPGA Tour season, including new events and record-breaking purses, during the CME Group Tour Championship," the statement read.

Meanwhile, a statement from Cognizant read:

"While Cognizant's sponsorship of the LPGA's Founders Cup has expired, our commitment to dovetail global brand awareness campaigns with a strong voice in promoting diversity and inclusion through world-class sporting events and leagues remains unchanged."

Cognizant is also the sponsor of the PGA Tour's Presidents Cup till 2026 and Cognizant Classic.

The inaugural season of the Founders Cup was played in 2011. The tournament was started in homage to the founders of the LPGA. The tournament has had five sponsors thus far in its history.

• 2011–2013: RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup
• 2014–2016: JTBC Founders Cup
• 2017–2019: Bank of Hope Founders Cup
• 2020: Volvik Founders Cup (Not played because of COVID-19)
• 2021–2024: Cognizant Founders Cup

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Who won the 2024 Cognizant Founders Cup?

In May, Rose Zhang won the 2024 Cognizant Founders Cup by two strokes over Madelene Sagstrom. She won a prize money of $450,000 at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, New Jersey.

This was Zhang's second victory on the LPGA Tour. She scored 63 and 68 in the first two rounds to make the cut. This was followed by scores of 67 and 66 from her. Zhang's aggregate score was 24-under 264.

Talking about her win, Zhang said (via LPGA),

"Honestly today has been a roller coaster. I think from the start of the day just coming out, it was raining, it was cold. I knew it was going to be a grind. I think coming out I had those expectations of today I really have to find it in me to even play well, let alone win.

"And Madelene has been playing rock solid golf. She's been blowing away the field so just been trying to keep up. I think that was the mindset going in. I didn't have any expectations because I knew coming out here there was going to be a lot of golf to play."

Madelene Sagstrom, 31, was also looking for her second win on the LPGA tour.

The Founders Cup has been won thrice by South Korean golfer Jin Young Ko. She won the tournament in 2023, 2021 and 2019. Here's a look at the past winners of the tournament:

• 2024: Rose Zhang
• 2023: Jin Young Ko
• 2022: Minjee Lee
• 2021: Jin Young Ko
• 2019: Jin Young Ko
• 2018: Inbee Park
• 2017: Anna Nordqvist
• 2016: Sei Young Kim
• 2015: Hyo Joo Kim
• 2014: Karrie Webb
• 2013: Stacy Lewis
• 2012: Yani Tseng
• 2011: Karrie Webb