Century Club Charities, the host organization for the Sanderson Farms Championship, announced today that First Tee – Central Mississippi is the recipient of a $50,000 award from the PGA TOUR. The nonprofit organization will receive the funds following the Sanderson Farms Championship’s 3rd place finish in the 2023 PGA TOUR Charity Challenge, a fantasy-style competition benefiting local charities.
First Tee – Central Mississippi is a youth development organization that enables kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with a life skills curriculum, First Tee creates active learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that kids can carry to everything they do.
“It was fun for our staff to watch our status throughout the season, knowing that we could impact First Tee significantly,” said Sanderson Farms Championship Executive Director Steve Jent. “Coming in 3rd place was more than we could have ever imagined!”
“First Tee is very thankful to Century Club Charities for selecting us as their charity for the Challenge Grant,” said First Tee – Central MS Executive Director Margo Coleman. “We are thrilled to be the recipient of this award, and it will go a long way in supporting our DE&I initiatives and furthering our mission in changing the lives of young people in Central Mississippi. First Tee is also very thankful for the long-standing relationship with Century Club Charities and their support of our First Tee Chapter.”
During the 2022-23 PGA TOUR season, as part of the PGA TOUR Charity Challenge, host organizations across the PGA TOUR, Korn Ferry Tour, and PGA TOUR Champions had the opportunity to select a local charitable beneficiary with specific programs and services that address diversity, equity, and inclusion in underserved or underrepresented communities.
Every week, the amount of FedExCup points each tournament’s eight-player fantasy-style roster earned was totaled, and the team with the highest total each week won a $5,000 contribution to its charitable beneficiary.
Each team’s FedExCup points were counted throughout the 2022-23 PGA TOUR season, and the team with the highest accumulation of points after the BMW Championship was crowned the season-long winner, earning the top prize of $100,000 for its charitable partner.
Twenty-two host organizations earned additional dollars through weekly wins, and ten larger donations were made for the top finishers in the season-long standings.