‘”Any time you cancel an event, it is a difficult decision and we appreciate how hard our title partner (Blue Bay), IMG, the China LPGA and the China Golf Association have worked to host an incredible event,” LPGA said in a statement The health and safety of our players, fans and everyone working on the event is always our highest priority.

While we are disappointed that the tournament won’t take place this season, we look forward to going back to Blue Bay in 2021 and for many years to come.

The session was also conducted by Nagoya’s  Haruya Fuji and  Akira Yoshida. Thai youngsters were trained with advanced  technical programme used for junior level in Japan, both practical and theoretical aspects.

After the training, there was a closing ceremony attended by President of Nagoya Grampus FC Koki Konishi and Chayut Boonyawart, Deputy General Manager/Commercial Vehicle Marketing Department,Toyota Motor Thailand Co Ltd.

For perspective, this average purse size is up nearly 50 percent from $121,000 in 2015. In addition, this is the seventh consecutive season to see an increase in the average purse size.

“This past weekend’s LPGA Tour win by 2016 Symetra Tour Player of the Year, Madelene Sagstrom, truly represents the readiness of Symetra Tour professionals when they make the jump to the big stage,” said Mike Nichols, the Chief Business Officer of the Symetra Tour. “We continue to make strides in providing our players with opportunities throughout the United States by collaborating with partners who share in the vision of growing women’s professional golf.”

More than 300 players from at least 40 different countries hold Symetra Tour membership in 2020.

TWO NEW EVENTS ENTER VOLVIK RACE FOR THE CARD

A minimum of six tournaments will feature a total purse of $200,000 or more, including two new events on the Symetra Tour calendar.

The first newcomer is the Circling Raven Championship from August 28-30 in Worley, Idaho. Circling Raven Golf Club—an amenity of the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort Hotel—serves as the host venue and is ranked as the No. 1 public course in the Gem State. Meanwhile, the other addition is the Copper Rock Championship at Copper Rock Golf Course in Hurricane, Utah from September 3-5. This will be the first time the Symetra Tour will compete in the Beehive State since the Park City Classic at Park City Golf Club in 1987. Both new tournaments feature $200,000 purses.

“Even though we anticipate still adding another event or two, it is important for our players and fans to have the preliminary schedule to plan their upcoming season accordingly,” Nichols said. “The Circling Raven and Copper Rock communities have been extremely welcoming in the process of working to bring them on board, and we are excited they are now part of the Symetra Tour family.”

At the end of the season, the top-10 players on the official Volvik Race for the Card money list graduate to the LPGA Tour for the 2021 season. Every year since 2008, the top-10 players have been awarded LPGA Tour membership. That will happen once again in 2020 as players look to join the 157 graduates before them who made the leap to the LPGA Tour.

Those who finish from Nos. 11-35 on the official Volvik Race for the Card money list will advance to Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina for the third annual LPGA Q-Series presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. The first four rounds will be contested October 21-24 on the Rees Jones-designed Pinehurst Course No. 7, while the last four rounds take place at Jack Nicklaus-designed Pinehurst Course No. 9 from October 28-31.

POTAWATOMI CUP BACK FOR SEVENTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

A unique aspect to the Symetra Tour schedule is the Potawatomi Cup, back for a seventh straight year in 2020. The contest highlights the contributions of four member tribes from the Potawatomi Nation that host tournaments throughout the Midwest.

Events are split between June, July and August, with the ninth annual Four Winds Invitational set to open the series in South Bend, Indiana at Blackthorn Golf Club from June 12-14. Then from June 19-21, Sweetgrass Golf Club in Harris, Michigan hosts the 10th annual Island Resort Championship. Potawatomi Cup play continues July 24-26 with the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship in Battle Creek, Michigan at Battle Creek Country Club. Finally, the PHC Classic hosted at Brown Deer Park Golf Course in Glendale, Wisconsin concludes competition from August 7-9.

As well as the normal purse payout for each event, a total of $40,000 in bonus money is available to players based on their performance including $6,000 to the winner of the Potawatomi Cup. First through fifth place in each of the four tournaments receives a sum of unofficial prize money on top of their earnings. The event winner takes home an additional $3,000 and second place collects $2,500. Third place earns $1,500 with amounts from there for the final two spots decreasing in increments of $500.

“Having the Potawatomi Nation tribes come together with the Symetra Tour to provide this opportunity for the next generation of LPGA Tour stars is really special,” said Matt Wesaw, the Chairman of Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians who host the Four Winds Invitational. “We are thrilled to again be part of the Potawatomi Cup with the first of the four events in the Four Winds Invitational, which continues to impact the South Bend community and grow every year.”

Furthermore, 2020 will mark the second consecutive year the Island Resort Championship serves as the official United States qualifier for The Evian Championship. Since the inception of this relationship in 2016 when the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship was the springboard, the qualifier annually sends the top two finishers to the LPGA Tour’s prestigious major championship. The Island Resort Championship took the reins from the PHC Classic, which provided the exemptions in 2017 and 2018.

“What an honor it is to work with The Evian Championship to provide two deserving individuals spots in the field of this prestigious LPGA Tour major,” said Tony Mancilla, General Manager for Island Resort & Casino. “We strive to make the Island Resort Championship the most welcoming and exciting event on the Symetra Tour, and this platform really elevates us to the next level. It is going to be another fantastic year when the ‘Road to the LPGA’ stops in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan at Island Resort & Casino.”

INSURANCE OFFICE OF AMERICA CONTINUES TITLE SPONSOR PORTFOLIO

Two years after expanding their partnership with the Symetra Tour from two events to three, Insurance Office of America (IOA) is once again set to host three tournaments, demonstrating their commitment to growing women’s professional golf.

The IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa will be the first of the two California tournaments on the schedule, returning to Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon in Beaumont for a fifth time from March 27-29. Then from May 7-9, Atlanta National Golf Club in Milton, Georgia welcomes the third annual IOA Invitational. Rounding out the trio is the IOA Golf Classic in Longwood, Florida at Alaqua Country Club from September 25-27.

“Continuing to partner with Symetra Tour is an easy decision for us because of shared values and goals, especially helping to create a path for young women to strive for their dreams,” said Insurance Office of America (IOA) Chairman and CEO, Heath Ritenour. “Along with being the presenting sponsor at Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions on the LPGA Tour, our platform extends from California to Georgia, down to Florida, as we connect with people and aim to make a difference everywhere in between.”

13 STATES TO WELCOME SYMETRA TOUR WITH OPEN ARMS

On the “Road to the LPGA” in 2020, the Symetra Tour will swing through 13 states. Six will host multiple events including Alabama, California, Florida, Indiana, Michigan and New York.

“One of our priorities was to find more partners out West and we did, with tournaments added in Idaho and Utah,” Nichols said. “The 40th anniversary season of the Symetra Tour is sure to be exhilarating, as the continued growth of purses and talented fields of players will make the Volvik Race for the Card that much more competitive. March will be here before we know it.”

The season opens with the 12th annual Florida’s Natural Charity Classic from March 6-8 at the Country Club of Winter Haven in Winter Haven, Florida. Meanwhile, the second California event is the Windsor Golf Classic at Windsor Golf Club in Sonoma County from April 2-4.

Tour entitlement partner Symetra is set to host two events once again. The first is the ninth edition of the Symetra Classic to be contested May 13-15 for a third straight year in Davidson, North Carolina at River Run Country Club. In addition, the Symetra Tour Championship from October 1-4 will conclude the season at LPGA International in Daytona Beach.

Seven other tournaments return to the Symetra Tour schedule in 2020 including the Zimmer Biomet Championship in Opelika, Alabama (Lake Course at Grand National on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, May 20-23), The CDPHP Open in Albany, New York (Capital Hills at Albany, May 29-31), Prasco Charity Championship in Maineville, Ohio (TPC River’s Bend, June 26-28), Donald Ross Classic in French Lick, Indiana (Donald Ross Course at French Lick Resort, July 9-11), Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic in Rochester, New York (Brook Lea Country Club, July 16-19), Garden City Charity Classic in Garden City, Kansas (Buffalo Dunes Golf Course, August 14-16) and Guardian Championship in Prattville, Alabama (Senator Course at Capitol Hill on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, September 18-20).

Almost 75 million pounds crossed the border from the world’s largest exporter of the fruit in the week through Jan. 19, according to the Haas Avocado Board. That’s up 3 percent from the same period in 2019.

The industry is making a concerted push to capitalize on the peak avocado consumption day in the U.S., when consumers across the country buy guacamole in preparation for the game. In 2018, Mexico exported 2.5 billion pounds of avocados to the U.S.

“We expect to see volumes continue to trend upward,” said Alvaro Luque, the president and chief executive officer of industry association Avocados From Mexico. “Even at full production levels, the U.S. cannot fully supply the demand, creating a complementary relationship between U.S. and Mexican avocado farmers.”

Luque added that retailers across the country are promoting avocados heavily during the leadup to the Super Bowl, and that his organization has partnered with hot sauce maker Cholula and beer brand Bud Light for a promotional campaign.

Mexico remains the top supplier to the U.S. with 87% of market share in 2018, according to a December report from the U.S. Agriculture Department. Producers in the Latin American nation are looking to increase yields to meet booming global demand.

The record week is good news for the industry, which has faced issues related to cartel violence as groups seek to muscle in on the increasingly profitable avocado trade. Last year, a potential security incident led the USDA to briefly suspend Mexico’s Haas Avocado Program certification activities in Michoacan state.

The rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak in China is the latest and biggest logistical hurdle to the Overwatch League as it attempts to execute the next phase of its ambitious plan to mirror traditional sports, basing teams and competitions in 19 cities around the globe. The rapid spread of the virus, with now more than 6,000 cases reported in China, has spoiled the league’s planned international debut set for Feb. 15 in the city of Shanghai, just over 500 miles from the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan. The league features teams based in the Chinese cities of Guangzhou, Chengdu and Hangzhou, in addition to Shanghai. Guangzhou was set to host competitions the weekend of Feb. 22, followed by matches in Hangzhou the weekend of Feb. 29.

“We have decided to cancel our February and March matches in China in order to protect the health and safety of our players, fans and staff,” the league wrote Wednesday night, noting that more information about the canceled matches would be forthcoming.

Two of the teams based in China, the Guangzhou Charge and Shanghai Dragons, had earlier announced on Twitter that they would temporarily relocate to South Korea. The Guangzhou Charge specifically noted that they would be relocating for the remainder of pre-season training. The Shanghai Dragons wrote early Wednesday that all players and coaches are relocating to South Korea “effective immediately,” with no specific timeline set for their return.

The Chengdu Hunters will remain in China for the start of the season, according to a statement posted by the team on Twitter. The Hunters are the only Overwatch League team with an entire roster and coaching staff from China.

“We will strictly order our team members to follow the prevention procedures,” the statement reads. “We will check both player and staff members’ body temperature and full sanitize them.”

Given the unpredictable situation and the potential for future travel restrictions on flights out of China, departing the country now may be the only way to assure that the Chinese teams can participate in any of the league’s upcoming contests, as countries have begun taking measures to restrict the admittance of passengers on flights and other means of travel originating from China. Though it does not have an Overwatch team, Hong Kong has already announced measures to restrict people coming from the mainland, closing two railways, ferries and cross-border tour buses and reducing by half its flights to China. Individual visas to Chinese will no longer be issued by Hong Kong starting Thursday.

Several sporting organizations had already canceled previously scheduled events in China out of an abundance of caution. Wednesday morning, the International Ski Federation canceled its World Cup alpine skiing events scheduled to be held in Yanqing on Feb. 15 and 16. Earlier this week the country’s League of Legends competitions scheduled for the coming weekend were postponed, as were WESG’s Asia-Pacific finals, a Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event scheduled to be held in Macao.

The league’s decision to cancel the events comes less than two weeks before the opening of an ambitious, 27-week season with 20 teams preparing to compete in cities across three continents for the first time in league history. The 2020 season is seen as a pivotal one for the league, as it is the first in which its teams were scheduled to host live competitions from all 19 of the league’s markets, which span Asia, North America and Europe. Previously all but a handful of the league’s matches had been held in Burbank, California. The vision of the league’s parent company, Activision Blizzard, is to create an international esports league that resembles the National Football League, tapping into both global and localized sponsorship dollars and developing loyalty among regional fans, much like traditional sports.

Front offices across the league have been preparing for the international travel – flights, visas and hotels – all while coordinating with vendors to host matches in their home regions.

Even before the threat of the coronavirus, the logistics of such a design had already proven challenging to the point of requiring compromise. The OWL’s Paris-based franchise, the Eternal, will make its 2020 home in New Jersey to better accommodate the team’s practice needs and a challenging travel schedule. The team’s home matches will still be held in Paris.

Any aspirations for meeting Activision Blizzard’s dream of a truly international league at the start of the 2020 season have now been tempered to respond to the pneumonia-like virus that has already spread to 14 countries outside of China, including the United States and South Korea – which both have franchises in the league.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its highest travel warning on Monday, urging U.S. citizens to avoid all nonessential travel to China because of the coronavirus outbreak. Several countries, including the United States, are preparing plans to evacuate citizens from the outbreak center in Wuhan, China.

China has quarantined nearly 55 million people in central China. So far, the mortality rate is less than the rate of other severe respiratory coronaviruses. More than 6,000 cases have been confirmed in China and the death toll has risen to 132 people as of Wednesday evening local time. There have been no reported fatalities outside of China.

According to the Games organizing committee, about 40,000 cedar and cypress trees offered by 63 local governments will be used for the single-story wooden structure featuring a floor space of about 5,300 square meters.

A number of the structure’s pillars bearing marks of origin along with the ceiling and portions of the interior were among areas shown to media members.

The facility will be taken down after the Games and local governments will use the wood for the construction of public facilities and other purposes.

A welcoming ceremony for athletes is to be held at the Village Plaza, which will also serve as a media hub for interviews and other activities. A store with assorted goods, a flower shop and a cafe will also be set up there for athletes and shoppers.

The Athletes’ Village covers an area of about 44 hectares, and the construction of a 21-building housing complex, primarily for athletes, was completed at the end of last year. Construction is currently under way on a facility featuring a fitness center and a clinic as well as a main dining room for athletes.

The Thai star enjoyed three top-5s in the early portion of last season but an untimely knee injury slowed him down as he finished in 83^rd place on the FedExCup points list. He also missed out on the International Team for the Presidents Cup which was a massive goal for him.

Kiradech’s world ranking has dropped to 120^th this week – he started 2019 in 37^th position – and with the Olympic Games looming this summer, the burly Thai knows he has a battle on his hands to qualify for Tokyo. He is the second highest ranked Thai after Jazz Janewattananond.

Utmost on his mind now is to ensure he is in good physical shape to compete.

“I have to think my body is much better now but it’s still not 100%,” said Kiradech. “I’m looking for that one good week to bring my confidence back to normal. In the past few months, I’ve been working more in the gym and hopefully it’ll be better for me. I’ve been building the muscles around the knee and I think it’s going in the right direction.”

Kiradech hopes his second full year in the U.S. will be more rewarding. He believes he is more accustomed to the golf courses and requirements to excel against the world’s best players every week.

“I believe I can do better. I started well last year but I didn’t quite manage to play my best golf at all, which is partially due to my injury. I had a lot of missed cuts and I didn’t get used to some of the courses,” said Kiradech.

“My coach Mike (Walker) looks at my stats regularly  and it was obvious my iron play was not as sharp as what I’m used to. The chipping and short game were not good too and there are a lot of things to improve, which I have been working on.”

Kiradech has featured in only one tournament during the fall season, finishing T8 at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES in Korea and knows he has some catching up where he is presently ranked 147^th on the FedExCup points list.

“I think I’m a bit nervous. I want to make my golf game more consistent and while I’ve played great golf over the last four to five years, I have struggled in the last six months. It doesn’t mean it’s the end of my career … I just have to rebuild my game, regain my confidence and have trust again.”

Kiradech suffered a partial tear in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of his right knee during the Masters Tournament and subsequently played through the injury with several breaks in between tournaments. In hindsight, he felt it wasn’t the wisest decision.

“I’ve not played with an injury before and it cost me a lot,” reflected Kiradech.

“It’s time to prove what I can do. The top-10 in Korea was a good start and everyone knows I will play in many tournaments. I just need to bring my A-game out and choose the courses to my advantage. In the first two to three months, I will play in as many events as I can. I also aim to play in the smaller events and try to find my first win on TOUR which can make things a lot easier.”

During the break, he moved closer to the home of fellow Thai LPGA stars Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn in Orlando, Florida which he believes will benefit him and wife, Tunyatorn. “I like it so far (in the U.S.). We’ve moved to the same compound as Ariya and Moriya and it feels more like home now. I wanted to be able to walk over to their house as they are like my sisters,” he said.

He will make his third appearance at the Waste Management Phoenix Open where he finished T67 in his debut in 2014 and T33 last year.

The world’s top 70 female golfers will be vying for a prize purse of $1.6 million (about Bt53 million). It will also mark the 14th year of Honda as the title sponsor of the Honda LPGA Thailand. For the first time in the tournament’s history, two special hole-in-one prizes will be awarded – an All-new Honda City, RS variant, worth Bt739,000, and an All-new Honda Accord Hybrid, Hybrid Tech variant, worth Bt1,799,000.

Pitak Pruittisarikorn, Chief Operating Officer of Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co Ltd said “The line-up of superstar female golfers participating in this year’s tournament come from all corners of the world and they include Rolex Women’s world-ranked No 1 Jin Young Ko, Jeongeun Lee and defending champion Amy Yang from South Korea, Nasa Hataoka, Hinako Shibuno and Mone Inami from Japan, Nelly and Jessica Korda from USA, Jodi Ewart Shadoff from England, Ashleigh Buhai from South Africa as well as Shanshan Feng, Yu Liu and Muni He from China. Thai fans will be happy to cheer on Thailand’s iconic golfers including Ariya “May” Jutanugarn, Moriya “Mo” Jutanugarn, and Thidapa “Junior” Suwannapura, Pornanong “Wan” Phatlum, Patty “Meao” Tavatanakit, Atthaya “Jean” Thitikul and the winner of the recently concluded Honda LPGA Thailand National Qualifiers, Rina Tatematsu. We are confident of an exciting competition this year”.

“To mark the 14th year of Honda as the title sponsor of the Honda LPGA Thailand, we have additional bonus prizes for players aside from the prize purse of $1.6 million (Bt53 million). This year, for the first time, we have also prepared two hole-in-one prizes: an All-new Honda City, RS variant, worth Bt739,000 on the 8th hole and an All-new Honda Accord Hybrid, Hybrid Tech variant, worth Bt1,799,000 on the 16th hole,” said Pitak.

The Honda LPGA Thailand 2020 will feature 70 female golfers, including 56 professionals from the 2020 LPGA Priority List; the winner of 2020 Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions (Gaby Lopez from Mexico), the winner of 2020 Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio (Madelene Sagström from Sweden), the winner of 2020 ISPS Handa Vic Open, the winner of 2020 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, eight invited players; as well as the winner from the Honda LPGA Thailand National Qualifiers (Rina Tatematsu), and the winner from the Women’s Amateur Asia Pacific Championship 2020, which is to be staged the week before the Honda LPGA Thailand.

The Honda LPGA Thailand 2020 will once again, fly the inspirational ‘Dream Big’ flag, to inspire golfers from all backgrounds and skill levels to pursue their dreams and achieve their very best in the world of golf. In conjunction with the tournament, there will be a host of activities and a full range of facilities to welcome all visitors. During the tournament week, the players will have the opportunity to taste exquisite Thai cuisine, experience Thai hospitality and participate in traditional Thai Benjarong porcelain painting as part of the official photo call which aims to promote Thai culture and traditions to the world.

Fund raising continues to be an integral part of the tournament and the Charity Night, of which the main highlight is the charity auction, which will see various autographed memorabilia contributed by top players auctioned off to the highest bidders. All funds raised will go to the tournament’s long time charity alliance with the Siriraj Foundation as well as the betterment of the Baan Mab Fag Thong School in Chonburi.

Winnie Heng, Vice President & Managing Director of IMG in Thailand, said “Besides the on-course action, there will be a wide variety of activities for the spectators to participate in. Golf fans should look out for the chance to compete with the professional golfers in ‘Beat The Pro’; mum and dads can drop their kids off at our all new Kids Zone; there’ll be an assortment of food offerings and good music in the Chill Zone. Another key feature this year is ‘The Green Village’ a new sustainable space, that will have interactive and informative booths, focused on helping to improve our environment. In line with one of the key ambitions of our tournament – sustainability, we are calling upon all golfers, spectators and tournament staff to take up the cause and join us in reducing single-use plastics and properly separating trash. Other ‘Green’ initiatives by the tournament will include the use of bio-degradable utensils and food packaging , reducing the use of plastic, especially single-use plastic and we will have a composting machine on site which will turn all organic and food waste into fertilizer”.

Atthaya “Jean” Thitikul, a Thai invitee to the Honda LPGA Thailand 2020 said, “The Honda LPGA Thailand is a major tournament that is respected globally, and one that golfers are always excited to compete in, due to the strong player field every year. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in this tournament again and will do my very best for all the Thai fans.”

Phatiyuth Jaiswang, Acting Senior Vice President, Office of Television of MCOT Public Company Limited, said “We are pleased to be the official broadcaster of the Honda LPGA Thailand for three consecutive years. This year, once again, Channel 9 MCOT HD 30, will broadcast the competition for all four days as well as through our online channel on www.mcot.net to 22 million households nationwide.”

Merchandise and tickets including VIP tickets and Premium Grandstand tickets are at www.hondalpgathailand.com. VIP tickets come with access to the Clubhouse hospitality at The Siam Country Club Pattaya, Old Course.

The Honda LPGA Thailand 2020 is organised by IMG with Asian Honda Motor Co Ltd and Honda Automobile (Thailand) Co Ltd as the title sponsor, and supported by many partners including the Sports Authority of Thailand, National Sports Development Fund (NSDF), Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited, Betagro Group, Siam Daikin Sales Co Ltd, EVA Airways Corporation, Siam GS Sales Co Ltd and Siam Country Club.

Nearly 100 people were killed by the historic cyclone, which resulted in more than 85,000 homes damaged, thousands of hectares flooded, and countless landslides created in its wake.

The ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP did its best to provide support to those affected by the typhoon in December, and it made a US$225,000 donation that was channeled toward each Cash Distribution Committee of the affected prefectures and Tokyo Metropolitan government through the Japanese Red Cross Society.

Backed by the aid provided by Japan’s first official PGA TOUR tournament, the TOUR announced this week that it and its tournaments have surpassed US$3 billion in all-time charitable giving.

The charitable total, which included 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 (of impact) that every tournament has. Together, we look forward to continuing to reach – and celebrate – millions more.”

In addition to focusing on relief and recovery efforts in Japan, the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP also donated $25,000 to First Tee Japan for use toward its initiatives. The organization’s mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.

Megumi Hatakeyama, Vice President, Marketing Department, Golf Division, ZOZO Inc said: “We are delighted to provide financial assistance towards the affected people through the Japanese Red Cross Society which not only collects and transfer the cash grants to each Cash Distribution Committee of the affected local government, but also operates various type of disaster relief activities by themselves across the country. The amazing work that their staff and volunteers do brings tremendous relief for the people of Japan who were affected by the recent typhoons.

“It is also our privilege to extend our support towards First Tee Japan. Golf is an amazing sport as it teaches important life skills such as character education through programs conducted by professionally trained life coaches. We hope our assistance will greatly benefit the young people of Japan who are part of First Tee Japan.”

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.

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 the 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.