The European Tour’s Golf for Good initiative, which underpinned the 2020 season, has raised over €1 million for charitable causes during the campaign, also donating close to 20,000 golf balls to the grassroots game as the Tour gave back to local communities during the pandemic.
Golf for Good is a charitable initiative set up by the European Tour upon the resumption of the 2020 Race to Dubai. It is a narrative which underpinned the UK Swing and the whole season with the aim of giving back in three areas: supporting the Communities where the European Tour plays; rewarding the true heroes, such as frontline workers; and promoting the many health benefits that golf offers.
Since July’s return to golf, a total of €1,033,771 has been raised through the Golf for Good initiative, with much of that going to charitable causes local to the European Tour’s 2020 host venues.
The European Tour’s six-week UK Swing culminated in £500,000 from the European Tour being distributed equally between charities local to the tournament venues – awarded during the relevant tournament week – and charities chosen by each of the leading ten players in the mini Order of Merit which ran across the six tournaments.
Rasmus Højgaard, who finished top of the UK Swing Order of Merit, donated his £60,000 bonus prize to the Danish branches of the Children’s Cancer Foundation and the Ronald McDonald House.
At the Betfred British Masters hosted by Lee Westwood, an additional £87,385 was raised to make it a total of £137,385 for Close House’s chosen charity the Sir Graham Wylie Foundation. Meanwhile, Thomas Bjørn’s Wentworth to Wales charitable walk raised an additional £35,750 in August, donating the money to UNICEF and the Golf Foundation.
Golf for Good also supported local grassroots initiatives, donating approximately 19,200 Callaway Chrome Soft balls to 22 different golf organisations local to European Tour host venues.
Additionally, ten local heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic were rewarded with money-can’t-buy prizes, announced to them via a Zoom call with a European Tour star. Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton and Graeme McDowell were among the players to surprise the winners who all operated on the front lines in the depths of the pandemic – including a medic, a postman and a care nurse.
Keith Pelley, the European Tour’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Our Golf for Good initiative was introduced in July to make a real difference as we returned to golf during a very challenging time globally. It was important that we gave back to those communities which hosted the European Tour and I am extremely proud of what Golf for Good has achieved.
“With the support of our players, partners and host venues, we have raised over €1 million for worthy charitable causes, donated close to 20,000 golf balls to grassroots golf and rewarded those true, real life heroes of the pandemic. It is a fantastic achievement and we thank all of those involved throughout the campaign.”