PGA Tour surpasses $2 billion in charitable giving

Steve DiMeglio | USA TODAY Sports

SAN DIEGO – In 1938, the PGA Tour made its first charitable donation, $10,000 coming at the Palm Beach Invitationals.

Wednesday, commissioner Tim Finchem announced the Tour will surpass $2 billion in charitable giving at this week's Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, with more than $133 million coming last season. By comparison, the NFL has awarded nearly $370 million to charity in the last 40 years, according to the NFL Foundation.

"I cannot overemphasize the importance of giving back," said K.J. Choi, a veteran Tour player with 20 pro wins worldwide.

Verlyncia Alvarado of Dallas has been one of the recipients of the Tour's giving. Pregnant at 16, she was scared and "needed help. I knew I couldn't do it myself."

She found support at the Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers in Dallas, where mental health and education programs, training and research programs are shared with thousands of teachers and mental health professionals to help the public.

During her counseling, Alvarado realized that college was within her grasp and she received a scholarship from the Salesmanship Club, funded by the PGA Tour's HP Byron Nelson Championship. Now working toward her master's degree in social work, Alvarado works as an executive assistant at El Centro College.

"When I received my bachelor's degree, it was big. I can't even explain," said Alvarado, whose third-grade daughter, Jada, is now a student at the Salesmanship Club's school. "Now I'm helping to give others the chance to change their lives, just as I changed mine."

The vast majority of the Tour's more than 100 events are non-profit organizations that donate to more than 2,000 organizations, including hospitals, youth programs and food banks. The HP Byron Nelson Championship and the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am each have exceeded $100 million in giving.

"Our players have endorsed the idea of leaving behind a significant amount of money in the communities," Finchem said.

That includes charity foundations created by players, including Choi and Adam Scott.

"There is going to be a young kid out there who is going to benefit so much from someone's donation, no matter what form or amount," Choi said. "I know, because that's what got me this far. One set of golf clubs that I received when I was young started a spark inside of me. ... And it's the driving force behind what I'm doing (with my foundation)."

Brian Sellers discovered a similar spark. While serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Sellers suffered a serious throat injury in Iraq in 2004 and was unsure if he would be able to speak again.

During his recovery, Sellers decided to seek a career in the medical field and he is now an emergency room nurse at the North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville, Fla. During the 2013 Players Championship, he was recognized by the Tour when he received the keys to a mortgage-free home in Gainesville through the Military Warriors Support Foundation, which is a part of the Tour's Birdies for the Brave outreach initiative.

"It means the world to me," Sellers said when receiving the keys. "It's a blessing to think I spent all the time in the military to protect and try to provide the American dream for everybody. And to come back and have someone provide for me, with a home – which is one of the American dreams – means a lot."