The PGA Tour says it will not move the season-ending Tour Championship out of Georgia following the state’s new controversial voting law. In a statement issued Saturday, the tour confirmed it will still hold the Tour Championship Sept. 2-5 at East Lake Golf Club, citing commitments to charities and the community.
Major League Baseball said Friday it will hold July’s All-Star Game in another state, not as planned at Truist Park, the home of the Braves.
Gov. Brian Kemp signed the sweeping elections overhaul into law on March 25 amid opposition from Democrats and voting rights activists.
Here is the full statement from the PGA Tour:
“At the heart of the PGA Tour’s charitable mission is a commitment to serving and supporting communities where we play, across the country and around the world. In Georgia, this commitment has resulted in more than $38 million generated for local charitable organizations since the Tour Championship – our season-ending event – moved to Atlanta in 1998. The Tour Championship’s commitment to East Lake has helped our partners transform distressed neighborhoods into healthy and thriving ones, which is a key to ending the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
“The charitable and economic benefits that have led to these substantial changes would not continue if we simply walked away from those in need. We intend to maintain our commitment to the East Lake Foundation, Grove Park Foundation, Purpose Built Schools Atlanta and First Tee of Metro Atlanta by staging the Tour Championship at the East Lake Golf Club in September. We love these partners, and we will work with them to continue to deliver much-needed support and influence positive change.
“Our intention to stage an event in a particular market should not be construed as indifference to the current national conversation around voting rights. The PGA Tour fully supports efforts to protect the right of all Americans to vote and to eliminate any barriers that may prevent citizens’ voices from being heard and counted. It is the foundation of our great country and a critical national priority to listen to the concerns about voter suppression – especially from communities of color that have been marginalized in the past – and work together to make voting easier for all citizens.”
The Tour Championship is the culmination of the season as the finale of the playoffs with the top 30 golfers advancing to East Lake.
