Ping to increase pink G20 donation

Ping announced today that it was changing its decision to donate five percent of the sales of a special limited edition version of Masters champion Bubba Watson's pink G20 driver to the golfer's "Bubba & Friends Drive to a Million" charity. Instead, the company will donate $50 for the sale of each of the 5,000 limited edition clubs for a total donation of $250,000 by the company.

"We looked back at the last few days and realized that with all the tremendous energy Bubba has created with his win at the Masters and for our brand, we needed to do more with this opportunity to give back to those in need," said John A. Solheim, PING Chairman & CEO. "The response to the pink G20s has exceeded expectations at this point, so we're increasing our commitment to help bring Bubba closer to his goal of raising $1 million for charity this year."

Watson set a goal of raising $1 million for charity at the start of this year, and his pink Ping G20 driver was the calling card. On his website, he explained his motivation: "I've always felt the need to give back and now I have the chance to in a big way. Helping these charities and more importantly, the families involved, can be more rewarding than winning a golf tournament."

His tournament win last week at the Masters seems to be paying dividends on his charitable goals, too.

--Mike Stachura**Follow me on Twitter @MikeStachura