Charles Schwab Challenge tees up new charitable platform

The PGA TOUR is set to return with the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge, set for Fort Worth’s Colonial Country Club from June 11-14.

Schwab and the PGA TOUR today announced a new charitable platform, “Rise to the Challenge,” which will raise money to benefit the TOUR’s COVID-19 Relief Fund nationally and the tournament’s Birdies for Charity fund in Dallas-Fort Worth.

As previously announced by the PGA TOUR, the rescheduled Charles Schwab Challenge will be the first tournament to be played since March, and will restart the 2020 PGA TOUR schedule. It will be held without spectators on site, but will be broadcast nationally to a televised audience on the Golf Channel and on CBS Sports.

“This tournament is associated with some of the greatest names to play the sport and Charles Schwab is honored to help continue its tradition,” said Jonathan Craig, senior executive vice president, Investor Services & Marketing at Charles Schwab. “It is fitting that this tournament, with its rich history, will mark an early step for the country as it begins its cautious recovery from the pandemic. Though the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge will understandably operate differently than originally planned, our commitment to the tournament, its fans and the Dallas-Fort Worth community remains unwavering.”

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Beginning Monday, June 8, golf fans can go to schwabgolf.com to make a monetary donation and be entered into a raffle to win prizes — including autographed memorabilia from some of the game’s biggest stars along with unique once-in-a-lifetime golf experiences. Winners will be announced online during the tournament and PGA TOUR players will support the program with special digital and social media content from Colonial throughout the week.

On-site fans typically have an opportunity to interact with players and seek autographs at tournaments. With fans not attending this year’s event, Schwab’s program connects fans with the game while raising money for charities at a time when it is most needed. The Rise to the Challenge raffle will feature:

•             A chance to win VIP access to the 2021 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, and receive a 2019 Presidents Cup pin flag signed by captains Tiger Woods and Ernie Els

•             Signed golf memorabilia, donated from every player at the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge

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•             Walk inside the ropes with Suzy Whaley, president of the PGA of America, during the 2021 PGA Championship

•             A custom wedge fitting directly from Bob Vokey, one of the world’s foremost wedge designers, at the Titleist Performance Institute in Carlsbad, California

•             A round of golf at Bandon Dunes in Southern Oregon with course architect, David Kidd

•             A round of golf at Sweetens Cove Golf Club outside Chattanooga, Tennessee, with course architect, Rob Collins

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•             A round of golf with a PGA TOUR pro at the Colonial Country Club

All donations from the program aid the TOUR’s COVID-19 relief efforts and the 33 local charities the tournament traditionally helps benefit through Birdies for Charity.

“As the country begins to look ahead to a new and meaningful celebration of the game of golf – as well as our nation’s perseverance – our goal is to refocus our efforts as title sponsor to help extend the tournament’s impact in the community,” said Craig. “We are proud that Rise to the Challenge will help us do just that by raising money to support these critical national and local charitable efforts — and also help us bring some amazing golf prizes to some lucky folks watching at home.

Golf pros Kevin Kisner (2017 Charles Schwab Challenge champion), Jon Rahm, and Kevin Na (2019 Charles Schwab Challenge champion), are among the players contributing memorabilia to “Rise to the Challenge.” (Photo: Business Wire)

In 2019, Colonial’s annual PGA Tour event celebrated a record $14 million year in fundraising by honoring local charities that participated in the 2019 Birdies for Charity Campaign.    

Charles Schwab & Co. signed on as title sponsor of the PGA TOUR’s Fort Worth Invitational at Colonial Country Club in 2018. Already a major sponsor of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, the firm’s four-year agreement marked its first-ever title sponsorship of a PGA TOUR event. Schwab continues to grow rapidly in the Metroplex where its new 70-acre campus in Westlake will eventually become home to the firm’s corporate headquarters.

For more information on the tournament and its Birdies for Charity program, visit www.schwabgolf.com and www.charlesschwabchallenge.com.