The Sanderson Farms Championship is thrilled to announce that two noted professional athletes, Herschel Walker and Paul Maholm, have committed to play in this year’s Allen Exploration Pro-Am. The Allen Exploration Pro-Am will be held Wednesday, October 26, 2016 with a 7:30 a.m. tee time.
Herschel Walker, a Heisman trophy winner, professional athlete, businessman, and author, began his successful college football career at the University of Georgia, earning three consensus All-American honors before going on to play for the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants. In 1999, Walker was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Mississippi native and retired Major League pitcher, Paul Maholm, is no stranger to the game of golf. As a teenager, he played golf at his hometown country club in Holly Springs (winning the annual tourney at 14) and continues to play when possible. He was a three-year letterman at Mississippi State University and a consensus All-American in 2003 putting together a 27-10 career record with 267 strikeouts and a 3.54 ERA. He was a first round draft pick, eighth overall, by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2003 draft. Maholm later pitched in the majors for the Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Walker owns and runs Savannah-based Renaissance Man International, and is most involved with the branch called Herschel’s Famous 34, which sells prepared chicken and appetizers to restaurants. A portion of all profits from Herschel’s Famous 34 donates a portion of all profits to charity. In addition to other charitable work, Walker regularly gives motivational speeches at schools and events nationwide.
Throughout the years, Maholm has given back to his various communities through charitable contributions and voluntarism. He stays involved with a Mississippi community project formed by his late mother and her friends that provides less fortunate families in the state with holiday meals and gifts. When his lost his mother to cancer, Maholm teamed up with an organization offering free support for families and friends of those living with the disease.
“As you can see, giving back is very close to the hearts of these gentlemen, as it is for Sanderson Farms,” said Joe F. Sanderson, Jr., CEO and Chairman of the Board of Sanderson Farms. “We thank them for taking the time out to help the Friends of Children’s Hospital, as well as the 65 other charities supported by the Championship.”
The 49th Sanderson Farms Championship is set for October 24-30, 2016 at The Country Club of Jackson, MS.
About The Sanderson Farms Championship
The Sanderson Farms Championship is an annual stop on the PGA TOUR hosted by Century Club Charities, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to promote the game of golf for the benefit of charity. The tournament’s primary beneficiary is Friends of Children’s Hospital. The tournament has been part of the PGA TOUR schedule since 1968 and is now in its sixth year as a part of the FedExCup. Sanderson Farms (NASDAQ:SAFM), the nation’s third largest poultry producer based in Laurel, Miss., is the title sponsor.