SCOTTSDALE — Golf is the catalyst but generating charity dollars is the driving force behind the Waste Management Phoenix Open and other PGA Tour events.
Those efforts have helped the Tour reach a milestone as it announced on Tuesday that it has surpassed $3 billion in charity giving, just six years after reaching the $2 billion mark. The Open, hosted by the Phoenix Thunderbirds, has generated $147 million of that total in its 85-year history.
The $3 billion total includes $204.3 million in 2019, a single-year record. It 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.
“From the Thunderbirds standpoint, we are so proud to be associated with the PGA Tour and the players and with the other tournaments that are all part of this,” Waste Management Phoenix Open tournament chairman Tim Woods said. “We’re all in it for the right reasons, and to play a role in reaching $3 billion is absolutely staggering.
“Even if you just take our event and look at the fact that we are going to surpass $160 million this year, but in the last 10 years we have gone north of $80 million, it speaks to the exponential growth we are achieving and also the tour as a whole.”
The Open raised a record $13.2 million in 2019 and was named the tour’s Tournament of the Year for the second consecutive year and fourth time in the past five years.
In announcing the milestone, Monahan cited the excitement generated last year at TPC Scottsdale when Special Olympian Amy Bockerstette teamed up with tour pro Gary Woodland during a pro-am event and made a par with a bunker save on the iconic par-3 16th hole.
Bockerstette has Down Syndrome and her par-saving putt has been viewed nearly 44 million times across various digital platforms in addition to being featured on NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, the Today Show and countless other platforms beyond golf.
“What really matters are the countless stories like Amy’s that every tournament has. Together, we look forward to continuing to reach – and celebrate – millions more,” Monahan said.
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