LAHAINA, MAUI, HI - The PGA TOUR and Southern Company, the presenting sponsor of THE TOUR Championship and Official Energy Company of the PGA TOUR and SENIOR PGA TOUR, today announced Andrew Magee as the winner of The Citizenship Award presented by Southern Company.
Magee was chosen by a special panel from a field of five PGA TOUR members. The finalists were nominated for their integrity and public citizenship by peers who serve on the Player Advisory Council. The other finalists were Billy Andrade/Brad Faxon, Tom Lehman, Loren Roberts and Tiger Woods.
I am extremely honored to win The Citizenship Award, Magee said. To have your peers recognize the charitable work you do and to have them nominate you is a great feeling.
The award includes a $300,000 charitable contribution that will be donated in the winners name. The money will be distributed evenly among charities designated by the winner, the TOUR and Southern Company.
Magees $100,000 share will go toward three charities: $50,000 to Big Oak Ranch, a Gadsden, AL organization that cares for orphaned, abused and neglected children ages 6 to 21; The Santa Claus Open, which has raised more that $1 million for Arizona children-focused charities in its first five years, will receive $25,000; and $25,000 will go toward the Family Health Center, which is affiliated with the Carrollton/Farmers Branch school district in Texas.
The PGA TOURs $100,000 share will go to The First Tee, a World Golf Foundation initiative dedicated to providing affordable golf access to those who otherwise might not have an opportunity to play, with a special emphasis on kids.
Southern Companys $100,000 share will be split evenly between the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the East Lake Foundation in Atlanta. The M.D. Anderson Cancer Center is one of the worlds most respected centers devoted exclusively to cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. The East Lake Foundation works to revitalize the community through long-term educational, recreational and social programs.
Magee co-hosts two major charitable tournaments: the Santa Claus Open Pro-Am with Gary McCord at the TPC of Scottsdale and the ClubCorp Pro-Am at Brookhaven CC in suburban Dallas with Scott Verplank and Brian Watts. The ClubCorp Pro-Am benefits the Family Health Center and since 1991, has raised more than $600,000 to provide fundamental medical care to disadvantaged kids.
Alan Martin, Chief Marketing Officer for Southern Company, will present The Citizenship Award to Magee this evening during the PGA TOUR Players Awards banquet at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua.
As announced recently by the PGA TOUR, beginning this year the TOURs annual award to recognize a player for excellence in charitable activities and general professionalism has been named The Payne Stewart Award, in honor of the late golfer. A statue in Stewarts likeness will be presented annually at THE TOUR Championship. The statue will be accompanied by The Payne Stewart Award grant presented by Southern Company, and will consist of a significant financial commitment by Southern Company to a variety of charitable activities that have been supported by Payne and Tracey Stewart.
Based in Atlanta, Southern Company is the largest generator of electricity in the United States and one of the worlds largest independent power producers, with $35 billion in assets through regional utilities and international operations.
The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers. Its primary purpose is the operation of tournaments on the PGA TOUR, SENIOR PGA TOUR and the BUY.COM TOUR. More than 125 events are being contested on the three tours in 2000, for prize money of approximately $220 million.
In addition to providing competitive opportunities for its membership, PGA TOUR events also generate significant sums of money for charity. TOUR events have raised approximately $515 million for charity since 1938, the first year such records were kept.