San Diego’s annual PGA event names Sentry Insurance as new tournament sponsor
Credit: Don De Mars Photography / EVT Sports
Formerly the Farmers Insurance Open, Torrey Pines Golf Course retains a spot on the PGA Tour, newly renamed The Sentry
Despite some speculation and worry amongst local San Diego golf fans, Torrey Pines is here to stay.
The PGA Tour, Sentry Insurance, and the Century Club of San Diego announced on Monday that Sentry is officially the new title sponsor of San Diego’s annual PGA tournament. The event is now renamed The Sentry after it was previously known as the Farmers Insurance Open for the last 17 years.
View this post on Instagram
“For 75 years, the PGA Tour has hosted elite competition in San Diego, including the last 60 at revered Torrey Pines, and we are proud to build upon that legacy and longtime philanthropic impact with our partners at Sentry Insurance,” said PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp in a press release. “We are pleased to have the support of Sentry and the Century Club of San Diego to further grow what fans and players have long recognized as one of our game’s most celebrated venues and events.”
Sentry is no stranger to the PGA, however.
The 120-year-old Wisconsin-based mutual company has been the sponsor of the Plantation Course at Kapalua in Hawaii since 2018. It was also the PGA’s season-opening event. Despite pulling out of that sponsorship in April, Sentry CEO Pete McPartland is eager for new beginnings in San Diego.
“It’s a beautiful day in America’s finest city,” McPartland said. “We look forward to working closely with the San Diego community to shine a spotlight on everything that makes the region so special and continue our longstanding dedication of strengthening the communities we’re a part of.”
The driving factor of this new sponsorship was clear: community.
The Century Club of San Diego, which has been the tournament host organization for the last 65 years, wasn’t looking for just anybody to take over as sponsor. They wanted a company that directly aligned with who they want in a partner, which is excellence.
“We didn’t want somebody to just slap their name on the tournament, and that just doesn’t work in the model we have … We strive for excellence,” said Marty Gorsich, CEO of the Century Club of San Diego. “We wanted somebody else who embraced what we do here, all coming together to run a great event. I’m very excited to say we are fortunate to have found that accurate partner.”
Torrey Pines needed a partner of this stature because it isn’t just known in the local golf scene; it’s known on a national level.
San Diego’s historic golf course has not only hosted a PGA Tour event for 59 straight years, but it has also hosted the U.S. Open in 2008 and 2021, won by Tiger Woods and Jon Rahm, respectively. Not to mention, Woods has had his fair share of success at Torrey throughout his golf career, winning eight professional events and six amateur events.
As a venue that has been home to pivotal moments throughout time, there is a standard: pristine conditions.
The City of San Diego invites this year-round task to ensure that it’s in peak form for anyone who sets foot on the premises, making it “the best municipal course in the country,” as Council President Joe LaCava expressed.
“The City of San Diego is committed to ensure that Torrey is maintained and continually improved to meet the expectations of the PGA Tour, our sponsors, pro and amateur golfers, the first-time visitor, and those who return year after year,” LaCava said.
One unique trait that the PGA Tour admires about Torrey Pines is that it is a municipal golf course, meaning it’s run by a publicly-owned facility, or in this case, the City of San Diego. This also means it’s open to the public for both residents and non-residents to play, allowing anybody to experience the historic grounds.
“That’s really an amazing story, because very, very few PGA Tour events are a municipal course,” Gorsich said. “There’s a lot of challenges with that. Many places where you host an event, and they own all of their rights and all of their assets, it’s just through one person. But there’s power in numbers when you have those numbers working together.”
“We’ve been at the iconic Torrey Pines for the last 59 years. Looking ahead, we wanted to make sure that that became 60 years,” he added.
The Sentry at Torrey Pines will make its debut as the second tournament of the 2027 season on Jan. 25-30 to officially mark the 60th straight year of San Diego’s annual PGA Tour event taking place at the city’s most well-known golf course.
“San Diego is a Sentry community. There’s absolutely no doubt about that,” McPartland said.
Nick is a San Diego State graduate and was the former sports editor for The Daily Aztec, where he consistently covered SDSU men’s basketball and golf, while occasionally covering football and volleyball. He has continued his SDSU men’s basketball coverage for the East Village Times, but also wants to contribute golf and Padres stories. He’s a lifelong sports fan and is eager to cover whatever opportunities are presented to him.