HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — After three years on the tour schedule, the Korn Ferry Tour will not return to Huntsville in 2024.

City officials announced Tuesday that Huntsville would not be on the 2024 Korn Ferry Tour. In 2023, the tour’s appearance had an estimated $1.3 million economic impact for Huntsville and raised nearly $200,000 for area nonprofits.

“Knight Eady took great pride in our work on this tournament, its community impact, and our corporate partnerships,” said Michael Eady, president of Knight Eady, the agency that owned and operated the tournament. “The PGA TOUR faced many difficult decisions when finalizing the 2024 schedule. The removal of the tournament from the schedule does not minimize the outpouring of support we’ve received from the Huntsville community over the past several years.” 

Originally named the Huntsville Championship, the tournament changed names to the HomeTown Lenders Championship in 2023 when national Huntsville-based mortgage brokerage firm HomeTown Lenders came on as title sponsor. The title sponsorship was a part of a five-year agreement.

The impact of the tournament is something that local businesses hope to continue in the future.

“This event had a huge impact on the community. We were able to see direct, financial benefits not only on local businesses but on our local philanthropies as well,” said Melissa Thompson, CEO and President of the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville. “The tournament was having a real impact on real people right here in our own backyard. While it may look different in the future, we hope that we can continue to work with Knight Eady to leverage sports as a vehicle for impact right here in Huntsville.” 

While the Korn Ferry Tour is not returning, Eady did not rule out a potential return of a golf-related event to the Ledges.

“We’ve got great partners in the city of Huntsville, many of our sponsors and our host course, The Ledges. Huntsville is a special city with an incredible appetite for sports,” said Eady. “There’s a very real possibility that the Huntsville Championship could come back as some other golf-related event. It may look different, but it’s still going to be something that the Huntsville community can be a part of and can be proud of.” 

City officials said Huntsville residents should continue to follow the tournament’s social media pages or visit their website for updates on what the 2024 Huntsville Championship may look like.