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Golf’s efforts to help those impacted by Hurricane Harvey have been inspiring

September 01, 2017

The heartbreaking images from the Houston area this week have been difficult to view, with millions impacted by the torrential rains and subsequent flooding brought by Hurricane Harvey and the total destruction still unclear. The small solace in all this has been seeing and hearing stories of people coming together to lend a hand to those in need (if you weren’t a J.J. Watt fan before, you’d be hard pressed not to root for him in the future).

The golf community has been a strong part of these efforts. From local tour pros looking out for their neighbors to junior golfers who want to help those in need, the support has been inspiring.

Here’s a look at some of the initiatives underway:

• With new bride Angela Akins a Texas native, Sergio Garcia offered to donate $2,000 for each birdie and $5,000 for every eagle he made during the FedEx Cup Playoffs to Harvey relief groups.

• Stacy Lewis, with her husband Gerrod Chadwell, the University of Houston women’s golf coach, lives in the northeast side of Houston and pledged to donate all her earnings at this week’s Cambria Portland Classic to relief efforts. LPGA commissioner Mike Whan said that proceeds from ticket sales will also be donated. Jackie Stoelting, born in Houston will donate $100 for each birdie in Portland as well.

• Chris Stroud lives in Spring, Texas, just north of Houston and his family opened up its house to roughly 20 people in his neighborhood. Stroud has pledged $10,000 to recovery efforts, plus 10 percent of his winnings at this week’s Dell Technologies Championship with the PGA Tour also donating $250,000.

• Another Houston-area resident, Patrick Reed, with help from the European Tour (he’s a full member) and his sponsors, will donate $4,000 per birdie and $8,000 per eagle by Reed this week at TPC Boston. He’s also pledged $50,000 to the St. Bernard Parish, which helps rebuild homes in disaster areas.

• Two more Houston-area residents donating money include K.J. Choi ($100,000) and Jhonattan Vegas ($25,000). Other tour pros, such as Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas and Kelly Kraft are donating, too.

• Mark O’Meara has pledged $10,000 plus 10 percent of his PGA Tour Champions earnings for the remainder of the 2017 season.

• Web.com Tour player Conrad Shindler, who earned a PGA Tour card for 2018 last week, has pledged $100 per birdie and $200 per eagle from his performance at the Web.com Tour’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Champoinship.

• Symetra Tour pro Shannon Fish has rallied folks at this week’s stop in Sioux Falls, S.D., with her initial pledge of $100 per birdie and $500 per eagle. The tour and the local sponsor, GreatLIFE, agreed to match the donation. Her online call for support has nearly raised more than $80,000.

• The American Junior Golf Association is running one of its big boys invitational events this weekend, the Junior Players Championship, and Texas natives Turner Hosch challenged the organization to donate $10 for every birdie made this week at TPC Sawgrass. The AJGA said sure, and tournament sponsor TaylorMade-adidas golf is also donating $10 per birdie. Each player is has also been challenged to raise money.

To help with the hurricane relief effort, donate here to the Red Cross.