Golf is an $84 billion industry in the American economy and it has a total economic impact in America (direct, indirect, and induced impacts of $192 billion. Since its founding, the American Golf Industry Coalition has become a banner under which golf’s collective priorities can be addressed. Current focus areas include industry-wide diversity, equity and inclusion efforts to ensure golf is accessible to all; amplifying tangible examples of key initiatives at both the grassroots and industry workforce levels; and advocacy in support of issues that impact the industry at the federal and state levels. Take a look at the impact being made and the latest report here:

Local and diverse suppliers can register through Sept. 15 for opportunities across 18 categories for the PGA Championship, KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship and KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

FRISCO, Texas (Aug. 18, 2022) – The PGA of America has launched PGA VendorMatch and is seeking local and diverse-owned businesses to provide products and services in support of the following PGA of America events:

• 2023 PGA Championship – Oak Hill Country Club – Rochester, N.Y. 
  (May 15-21, 2023)

• 2023 KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship – PGA Frisco – Frisco, Texas
  (May 24-28, 2023) 
   
• 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship – Baltusrol Golf Club – Springfield, N.J. (June 21-25, 2023) 

Minority-, women-, LGBT-, disabled-, Veteran-, service disabled Veteran- and locally owned businesses are invited to participate in PGA VendorMatch. Companies can register through Sept. 15, 2022, at PGAVendorInclusion.org to potentially meet with the PGA’s larger suppliers for procurement opportunities leading up to and during any of the three Championships.

The $84.1 billion golf industry produces approximately $26 billion in total travel expenditures, with major golf championships generating a significant amount of tourism and entertainment spending in their host regions. PGA VendorMatch emphasizes the PGA’s commitment to positively impact the economies and communities of championship host cities and their surrounding areas through the business of golf. 

“We are actively seeking suppliers in New York, New Jersey, Texas and the surrounding areas to engage in PGA VendorMatch,” said PGA of America Chief People Officer Sandy Cross. “Diverse-owned suppliers have provided unique products and services that elevate our Championship operations and the customer experience. We desire to continually increase the engagement of diverse-owned businesses in our championship operations which helps drive local hiring and transformation of the local economy.”

A variety of goods and services are needed, such as catering, lodging, florals, food and beverage products, and staffing. Visit PGAVendorInclusion.org for a full list of needs and to register. 

PGA VendorMatch registrants receive instant access to the broader golf industry, including major governing associations via the diverse supplier portal and database VRA Connect, which is hosted by the Vendor Resources Administration. Utilization of the database is part of the industry’s “Make Golf Your Thing” movement toward greater diversity, equity and inclusion, and to ensure golf is open to everyone.

All PGA VendorMatch registrations must be received by Sept. 15, 2022.
 

About the PGA of America 
The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of nearly 28,000 PGA Professionals who work daily to grow interest and inclusion in the game of golf. For more information about the PGA of America, visit PGA.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About Make Golf Your Thing
A multi-faceted, multi-year movement, Make Golf Your Thing is a collaborative effort across the industry to invite more people from all backgrounds to golf. Six cross-industry work groups are committed to making the sport more diverse, equitable and inclusive, with a specific focus on: education & skill development, talent acquisition, procurement, human resources, youth & adult player development, and marketing/communications. For more, visit www.makegolfyourthing.org.

Media Contact
Michael Abramowitz, PGA of America, [email protected], 561-389-4647

Butterfield Bermuda APGA Championship to be hosted at Port Royal Golf Course, October 2022

Southampton, Bermuda (August 12, 2022) — The Butterfield Bermuda Championship is pleased to announce the introduction of a new annual event, the Butterfield Bermuda APGA Championship, in conjunction with the Advocates Professional Golf Association and the PGA TOUR.

This APGA Tour event will be the first international tournament of its kind and will be hosted at the very same golf course in Southampton, Bermuda as the PGA TOUR’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship. Port Royal Golf Course will be home to the Butterfield Bermuda APGA Championship this October 11-12. 

The Advocates Professional Golf Association was created in 2010 as a non-profit organization which aims to bring greater diversity to the game of golf. The APGA Tour Board of Directors work to accomplish this mission by putting on Professional Golf tournaments, player development programs, mentoring programs and by introducing the game of golf to the inner-city young people of the USA.

“As we continue to grow, having opportunities to expand internationally will provide our players with the opportunity to experience new cultures while spreading the message of equality and inclusion,” said APGA Tour CEO Ken Bentley. “We are thankful to the Butterfield Bermuda Championship team and the Bermuda Tourism Authority for providing our players and our Tour with this opportunity. In addition to having the chance to compete, we are also excited to have a chance to connect our players to the PGA TOUR throughout the week while showcasing what makes Bermuda an incredible destination.”

The tournament will celebrate and advocate diversity and inclusion in the game of golf aiming to rightfully provide minority individuals a fair and equal opportunity to compete and win at the highest level of professional golf. The Bermuda Tourism Authority, Butterfield, The Hamilton Princess and Beach Club and LAS have stepped up in support of this inaugural event in Bermuda working to mitigate expenses for players coming to the island and provide a healthy purse to compete for.

The field will be comprised of 18 of the top APGA Tour players, based on the final 2022 APGA Tour Lexus Cup standings, and 3 local Bermudians who will have a chance to earn their spot in the field during the local qualifier at Port Royal Golf Course. Players will compete for a purse of $60,000, making it the fourth largest purse on the APGA Tour.

We encourage the public to come out and show support to the positive evolution of golf along with the wide representation of unquestionable skill and talent. A local Bermudian golfer, Daniel Augustus regularly plays in APGA events and has previously performed very well. He finished the 2022 regular season scheduled ranked

#6 in the  APGA Tour Lexus Cup Standings.

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About Butterfield Bermuda Championship

The Butterfield Bermuda Championship is an annual stop on the PGA TOUR. To date, the tournament has raised over $1.1 million for local charities. This is the first PGA TOUR event ever held in Bermuda, highlighted by a field that includes a minimum of three Bermudians who qualify to compete via a Local Qualifying event. Scheduled for October 20 to 23 at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, the 2022 Butterfield Bermuda Championship will feature a field of 132 players, 72 holes of stroke play and a purse of US $6.5 million. This official FedEx Cup event will showcase Bermuda to the world with 14 hours of live Golf Channel broadcast. For more information, visit www.butterfieldbdachampionship.com and connect with the tournament on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About PGA TOUR 

By showcasing golf’s greatest players, the PGA TOUR engages, inspires, and positively impacts our fans, partners, and communities worldwide. 
 
The PGA TOUR, headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, co-sanctions tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada, Forme Tour and PGA TOUR Series-China. Members on the PGA TOUR represent the world’s best players, hailing from 29 countries and territories outside the United States (96 international members). Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to 216 countries and territories in 28 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations to maximize charitable giving, and to date, tournaments across all Tours have generated more than $3.2 billion. 
 
Fans can follow the PGA TOUR on PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, on the PGA TOUR app and on social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram (in English, Spanish and Korean), LinkedIn, Twitter, WeChat, Weibo, Toutiao, Douyin and LINE. 

About APGA Tour
The APGA Tour was established in 2010 as a non-profit organization with the mission to bring greater diversity to the game of golf. The APGA Tour Board of Directors works to accomplish this by hosting and operating professional golf tournaments, player development programs, mentoring programs and by introducing the game to inner city young people. In addition to conducting up to 18 tournaments awarding more than $800,000 in prize money and nearly $100,000 in bonus money in 2022, the APGA has organized a Player Development Program to aid young minority golfers as they work to chase their goals in professional golf.