NASSAU, The Bahamas – Professional golf returns to paradise this week when the Korn Ferry Tour opens its 2026 campaign starting with the Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island, Jan. 12-15, at the Ocean Club Golf Course. The event will be televised worldwide by The Golf Channel with more than 12 hours of live programming.

bdG Sports, a global event management company, will manage the tournament on behalf of the PGA TOUR. bdG Sports has been managing two Korn Ferry Tour events in The Bahamas since 2017. This will be the second year the first event has been played at the Ocean Club Golf Course at Atlantis.

Below are details regarding the four-day tournament and several additional happenings promoting the game of golf and the event.

ABOUT THE BAHAMAS GOLF CLASSIC AT ATLANTIS PARADISE ISLAND

The Bahamas Golf Classic at Paradise Island is the first of 25 events across seven countries and seven U.S. states during the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season. More than 150 golfers will compete for $1 million purse at this week’s event. The top-20 players on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour Points List will earn 2027 PGA TOUR membership, with the season-long standings finalized after the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by Virginia’s Richmond Region in mid-October.

Tournament rounds begin each day at sunrise, 6:50 a.m. ET. Prior to the cut being made, action will conclude the first two days at dusk, approximately 5:40 p.m. ET. Final-round play should conclude at approximately 3:45 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14, with a trophy presentation to follow on the 18th green.

ABOUT THE OCEAN CLUB GOLF COURSE & ATLANTIS

After dazzling in its debut, a year ago, Atlantis and The Ocean Club Golf Course will again welcome competitors and golf enthusiasts alike to the Korn Ferry Tour’s opening event for 2026.

The Tom Weiskopf-designed course spans over 7,100 yards along the eastern shore of Paradise Island. While Atlantis, one of the world’s most iconic destination resorts, boasts a lush, oceanside location anchored by five distinct hotels, the world’s largest open-air marine-life habitat, a 141-acre waterpark, the renowned Atlantis Casino, and a variety of restaurants led by more globally recognized, Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-winning chefs than any other resort or destination in the region.

TELEVISION COVERAGE ON GOLF CHANNEL

Both of the first two Korn Ferry Tour events in The Bahamas – the Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island and the Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club – utilize the unique Sunday-Wednesday format, given the flexibility in the early season scheduling. The format allows for both events to be the only live sports broadcasts during the day throughout North America. The Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island is one of 10 featured events on the 2026 Korn Ferry Tour season televised by the Golf Channel. The network will provide three hours of live coverage during each round with daily replays in prime time windows. The television schedule follows:

• Sunday, Jan. 18 – 2-5 p.m. ET
• Monday. Jan. 19 – 2-5 p.m.
• Tuesday, Jan. 20 – 2-5 p.m.
• Wednesday, Jan. 21 – 1-4 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets to the Bahamas Golf Classic at Atlantis Paradise Island are available for purchase at the following link: https://tickets.thebahamasgolfclassic.com/.

The Daily Grounds Pass ($25.00) entitles the purchaser general admission access for a single day of golf. Gates open at 7 a.m. ET.

The Daily Hospitality Pass ($125.00) entitles the purchaser admission for a single day of golf plus admission to the 18th Green Hospitality Tent where complimentary snacks and beverages can be enjoyed from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

PARKING INFORMATION

General parking is complimentary and available at Casuarina Beach on Paradise Island, which is just to the left after exiting the bridge. A complimentary shuttle service is available to the Ocean Club Golf Course. There is no public parking at the golf course.

EVENTS SURROUNDING THE TOURNAMENT

Youth Pro Am – Thursday, Jan. 8: Five Bahamian boys and five girls will be paired together with five professional golfers to play a four-hole event. It’s an incredible opportunity for these high-school-aged young people to play and walk alongside one of the pros in the event. The event will begin at 3:30 p.m. and conclude between 5-5:30 p.m. at the 18th green. Awards will be presented to the winning team immediately following the event.

Youth Clinic – Friday, Jan. 9: Nine professional golfers from the tournament will guide the group of 60 young people through skills needed in each aspect of the game, then put the youth through drills while providing valuable instruction. TaylorMade has donated hats and gloves to all the kids, who are a part of the Fourteen Clubs Foundation. The clinic will take place on the practice range.

Public Exhibition – Saturday, Jan. 10: Several professional golfers will demonstrate a variety of golf shots at the Bahamas Golf Federation Driving Range near the SportsCentre beginning at 9 a.m. ET.

Youth Day at the event – Wednesday, Jan. 14: Local youth from area schools are invited to attend the final round of the tournament. Play should conclude around 3:30-3:45 p.m.

LOOKING BACK AT LAST YEAR’S WINNER

Hank Lebioda outlasted S.H. Kim with a birdie on the first playoff hole to claim his first Korn Ferry Tour event at the 2025 The Bahamas Golf Classic at Paradise Island. The victory, along with four additional top-five finishes during the season helped Lebioda secure a sixth-place finish on the final Korn Ferry Tour Points List.

UP NEXT

The Korn Ferry Tour heads to Abaco next week for the 2026 Great Abaco Classic at the Abaco Club, Jan. 17-21. The Golf Channel will provide live coverage of each round.

Sudarshan Yellamaraju won the 2025 The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at the Abaco Club by five strokes, pulling away from the field on the final day to claim his first Korn Ferry Tour event. The Canadian also posted two other top-five finishes and ranked 19th on the final Korn Ferry Tour Points List.