The PGA TOUR and its tournaments surpassed $3 billion in all-time giving, TOUR officials announced Tuesday. The TOUR Championship is proud to play a role in this incredible milestone by helping positively impact lives throughout Atlanta as the tournament has generated more than $29 million for community charities since it was first staged at East Lake Golf Club in 1998. The charitable total from the 2019 tournament will be announced at a later date.
The PGA TOUR’s charitable total, which includes a record $204.3 million in 2019 to bring the all-time total to $3.05 billion, includes donations made by tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Korn Ferry Tour, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and PGA TOUR Series-China.
“It’s truly a pleasure to thank our fans, sponsors, tournaments, players and volunteers for helping us generate over $3 billion for charity and positively impact millions of lives,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “As remarkable as this milestone is, what really matters are the countless stories like Amy’s [Bockerstette] that every tournament has. Together, we look forward to continuing to reach – and celebrate – millions more.”
In the Atlanta community, several stories and people were celebrated during the 2019 tournament. The Drew Charter School boys’ golf team, who made history in May by becoming the first all-African American team to win a state championship in the state of Georgia, was honored during Thursday morning’s opening ceremony and recognized by NBC with a special feature during Saturday’s telecast.
Zane Hampton, an autistic member of the First Tee ® of Metro Atlanta and his brother Zach had the opportunity to meet Jordan Spieth during Coca-Cola’s Golf Day in June and were surprised by an invitation from Spieth to enjoy a VIP experience at the TOUR Championship. On Wednesday of tournament week, fellow TOUR player Tony Finau took the boys inside the ropes for an unforgettable experience as they walked the first hole at East Lake with the PGA TOUR champion.
Finally, Hailey Fisher, a current junior at the Drew Charter School and a member of the girls’ golf team, was surprised by her favorite player Dustin Johnson with the opportunity to hit the Hope tee shot on Thursday morning during the tournament’s opening ceremony to officially commence the competition.
The TOUR Championship’s four charitable beneficiaries are the East Lake Foundation, First Tee® of Metro Atlanta, Grove Park Foundation and Purpose Built Schools Atlanta.
The PGA TOUR and its more than 100 tournaments across all Tours achieved the $3 billion mark just six years after surpassing $2 billion in 2014. The TOUR achieved the $1 billion mark in 2005. In addition, the record $204.3 million in 2019 bests the previous record of $190 million in 2018. The TOUR’s first charitable donation of $10,000 was at the 1938 Palm Beach Invitational. These dollars positively impact more than 3,000 nonprofits each year, such as the First Tee, which was introduced more than 15 million young people to its character-building programs through the game of golf.
Each PGA TOUR tournament provides individuals an opportunity to give back to the community in one of three ways – attending an event, volunteering, or donating money. Not-for-profit tournaments under the PGA TOUR umbrella donate their net proceeds to support local organizations, totaling more than $3 billion in donations to date. The impact these tournaments make throughout the year is possible thanks to more than 100,000 volunteers who commit their time to ensure each event is a success.
To learn more about the PGA TOUR and the positive impact of its tournaments, volunteers, players, sponsors and fans, please visit PGATOUR.com/IMPACT.
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Style Reminder for Media: Proper style for the name of the tournament is the TOUR Championship. Please refrain from referring to it as the “PGA TOUR Championship,” “PGA Championship” or “TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola.”
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About the TOUR Championship
The top 30 players in FedExCup standings after the BMW Championship qualify for the TOUR Championship, the finale of the FedExCup Playoffs, and will be awarded starting strokes for round one based on their position. The player with the lowest stroke total including starting strokes in the TOUR Championship after 72 holes of competition will be named winner of the FedExCup and will be awarded an official PGA TOUR victory. The TOUR Championship is annually contested at Atlanta’s renowned East Lake Golf Club, the formative home of the legendary Bobby Jones. The 2020 tournament will be played Aug. 26-30. The tournament proudly supports the East Lake Foundation, the Grove Park Foundation, Purpose Built Schools Atlanta and The First Tee® of Metro Atlanta. The Coca-Cola Company and the Southern Company are the exclusive Proud Partners of the TOUR Championship.
The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands and nearly 3,900 beverage choices. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most valuable and recognizable brands, our company’s portfolio features 21 billion-dollar brands, 19 of which are available in reduced-, low- or no-calorie options. These brands include Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, Fanta, Sprite, Dasani, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Del Valle, Georgia and Gold Peak. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, we are the No. 1 provider of both sparkling and still beverages. More than 1.9 billion servings of our beverages are enjoyed by consumers in more than 200 countries each day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world’s top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo, visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com or find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.
About Southern Company
Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the Official Energy Company of the PGA TOUR and presenter of the Payne Stewart Award. Southern Company is America’s premier energy company, with 46,000 megawatts of generating capacity and 1,500 billion cubic feet of combined natural gas consumption and throughput volume serving 9 million customers through its subsidiaries. The company provides clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy through electric operating companies in four states, natural gas distribution companies in seven states, a competitive generation company serving wholesale customers across America and a nationally recognized provider of customized energy solutions, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and affordable prices that are below the national average. Through an industry-leading commitment to innovation, Southern Company and its subsidiaries are inventing America’s energy future by developing the full portfolio of energy resources, including carbon-free nuclear, 21st century coal, natural gas, renewables and energy efficiency, and creating new products and services for the benefit of customers. Southern Company has been named by the U.S. Department of Defense and G.I. Jobs magazine as a top military employer, recognized among the Top 50 Companies for Diversity by DiversityInc, listed by Black Enterprise magazine as one of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity and designated a Top Employer for Hispanics by Hispanic Network. The company has earned a National Award of Nuclear Science and History from the National Atomic Museum Foundation for its leadership and commitment to nuclear development and is continually ranked among the top energy companies in Fortune’s annual World’s Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.
