Largest US Golf Charity Event Raises $8M

Play great courses. Support good causes. What’s not to like about charity golf?

A reminder came on Sunday when 240 players wrapped up play at the Liberty Mutual Invitational National Finals at TPC Sawgrass. The event was the culmination of an annual series of more than 75 charity tournaments around the country that drew more than 12,000 participants. (Disclosure: Sports Illustrated Golf Group is a participating sponsor.)

The winning four-round scramble score—from an Ohio team—was 41-under-par 247 at the same venue where the Tour’s elite play each year. But here’s an even more impressive number: $8.3 million. The amount raised for charity in 2016 alone.

“Golf has always been a charitable game, and the PGA and LPGA tours are the most visible contributors,” Loren Shapiro, the event’s founder, said. “But localized efforts like this are the unheralded bedrock of golf’s charitable work.”