The PGA Tour will not be drawn into a protest that has caused other sporting organizations to remove their events from North Carolina because of a controversial state law.
PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, in his annual “State of the Tour” address on Tuesday, said his organization doesn’t like the new law, but will continue to host the annual Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte and the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro.
“We are squarely with those other organizations that have taken a public stance about that legislation,” Finchem said. “We are not, however, inclined to join that group by pulling our tournament.”
The NCAA and the ACC recently removed all their neutral-site championships from North Carolina to protest the passage of the state’s “Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act.” The NBA withdrew the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte. Other organizations are under similar pressure to follow suit.
Finchem said the presence of the PGA Tour events outweighs the benefits of pulling the events. He said the tournament in Charlotte raises about $1.5 million for the “Teach for America” program that serves the inner-city by enlisting teachers for low-income communities.
“Nobody else is going to put that money up,” Finchem said. “We’ll be vocal about the legislation, but we’re not going to interrupt a unique program that’s doing the great work it’s doing in the city of Charlotte.”
The statements were part of Finchem’s final year-ending news conference. But there was time for some levity, and he used the occasion to reveal a droll sense of humor that is often overlooked. Finchem, known for his dry, long-winded responses, took a self-deprecating approach to his final address. He began by reading Tweets that made light of his oft-rambling responses to questions.
One Tweet he read said, “The more I study this Tim Finchem transcript on the anchoring issues, the more I like [former Major League Baseball commissioner] Bud Selig.”
Finchem chuckled and said, “That really hurts, actually. That one really hurts.”
Finchem will present the FedEx Cup to the winner on Sunday afternoon and cede the job to hand-picked successor Jay Monahan sometime over the next year, possibly after the Players.
Youth golf, safety clinic
PGA champion Jimmy Walker will participate in an educational youth golf and sun safety clinic for students from the East Lake Foundation’s Drew Charter School, The First Tee of East Lake and The First Tee of Atlanta at 4 p.m. Wednesday at the East Lake driving range.
Special guests will be PGA club professional Randy Jones, a melanoma survivor, and Dr. Jeffrey Gershenwald of the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, which is sponsoring the free event.
Wounded vets receive clubs
U.S. Marine Corp. Kevin Blanchard and Air Force F-16 weapons specialist Joshua Ray will be fitted for a customized set of golf clubs on the practice range Wednesday. The fitting is part of a venture between Callaway Golf and Birdies for the Brave.
First-round pairings
Although they weren’t exactly a secret, the first-round pairings were announced. Players will be in twosomes in the reverse order they rank in the FedEx Cup standings. The first group on Thursday will start at 11:40 a.m. and feature Jhonattan Vegas and Charl Schwartzel. The final group, which features No. 1 Dustin Johnson and No. 2 Patrick Reed will begin at 2 p.m.
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