Brendon Todd, the inaugural champion of the Bermuda Championship in 2019, will return to defend his title at this year’s tournament scheduled for October 26 to November 1 at Port Royal Golf Course.

Tournament officials announced yesterday that in addition to Todd returning, Danny Willett of the United Kingdom, the 2016 Masters champion, and Harold Varner III of the US are also scheduled to compete in Bermuda.

“We are proud to announce Brendon Todd will defend his title at the 2020 Bermuda Championship,” said Sean Sovacool, Tournament Director.

“Brendon has been a great ambassador for Bermuda and the Bermuda Championship over the past year and we look forward to welcoming back our champion.

“He will be joined in the field by Danny Willett and Harold Varner. Danny has won seven times worldwide, including the 2016 Masters and Harold is one of the most promising young stars on the PGA Tour. These three players are a great foundation for our field this year.”

Todd, from Athens, Georgia, won the last year with a dominant final round performance, firing a nine-under par 62 on the Sunday to win by four shots. It was his second PGA Tour win after the 2014 HP Byron Nelson Championship.

Todd then went on to win his next event two weeks after Bermuda, the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

“I will always be the first Bermuda champion, and that is still awesome to say,” said Todd, who flirted with a final round 59. “I tell people how beautiful Bermuda is.

“It’s an amazing island that’s not difficult to get to. Really, it’s a special place. I’m excited to return to Port Royal Golf Course for another great week.”

After a period of struggling before the Bermuda Championship, Todd definitely found his groove last season, making the cut in 18 of 25 tournaments starts.

He finished with two victories and four top-ten finishes. He recorded 12 straight rounds of 68 or better, becoming only the second player since 1983 to accomplish that feat.

Willett, from Sheffield, England, turned pro in 2015. He won the 2016 Masters, becoming only the second Englishman to do so.

He has posted six international victories, including the 2019 BMW PGA Championship. He also has two top-ten finishes in eight appearances in the Open Championship.

Varner, from Gastonia, North Carolina, has made the FedExCup playoffs in each of his five seasons since joining the PGA Tour.

The fan favourite scored his first professional win at the 2016 Australian PGA Championship after finishing runner-up the previous year.

Tournament officials and the Bermuda Tourism Authority jointly announced on Monday the Bermuda Championship will be the first PGA Tour event since March to welcome general admission spectators. Permission was granted by the PGA Tour and the Bermuda Government for a limited number of spectators to attend each day.

Fans are encouraged to act fast, as general admission tickets are beginning to sell quickly already.

Gates will be open to the public from Thursday, October 29 to Sunday, November 1 and daily general admission is $35.

Tickets can be purchased online through the tournament website at www.bermudachampionship.com/tickets.