The Legacy Award
The Legacy Award: Why Jordan Spieth exemplifies philanthropy and humanitarianism

Jordan Spieth has mastered the pro part of pro-ams. He looks the part, he acts the part, he certainly plays the part of being a fearless professional. So, it’s appropriate he’s the inaugural winner of The Legacy, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Award presented by Golf Digest and the Monterey Peninsula Foundation. On the 40th anniversary of AT&T’s sponsorship, the pro-am has been the PGA Tour’s leading contributor to charity with $18 million donated annually to the surrounding communities’ non-profits and schools.
Spieth’s heroic play has led to three major championships—the 2015 Masters and U.S. Open and 2017 Open—but the moment he’s equally known for is an approach shot he hit inches from the cliff on the eighth hole at Pebble Beach during the 2022 AT&T. “I was standing right next to him,” says his longtime pro-am partner, country music singer Jake Owen. “It was an intense moment. [His caddie Michael] Greller didn’t want him to hit the shot. But there’s no backing off in Jordan. That shot was pure Spieth—he exudes confidence in the way he always carries himself. That’s why kids like him so much—total fearlessness as a player. His morals, his integrity, his courage, you see it in every shot.”
There’s a philanthropic connection between Spieth and AT&T’s sponsorship: Spieth won the 2017 pro-am and is a brand ambassador for AT&T. As one of the most popular partners in pro-ams, he exemplifies the game’s giveback spirit. Spieth, 31, launched his family foundation in 2014 to focus on pediatric cancer research, individuals with special needs, junior golf scholarships and military families. He also works with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Northern Texas PGA Junior Golf Foundation.
2024 Legacy Award Award Recipient
Owen has played with Spieth at Pebble Beach since 2013 when he replaced Tony Romo as his pro-am partner. “He’s become kind of family to me, super caring, like a little brother,” says Jake. “I admire his character, his professionalism. It’s all-encompassing—it’s who he is.” Owen believes he has also had a calming influence on Jordan. “When he misses a putt or shot, he can get mad at himself for three or four holes,” Jake says. “That’s the beauty of our partnership. I tell him, ‘Shake it off, Dude.’ And he gets it.”
The partnerships at the AT&T have been legendary and beneficial on both sides of the pro-am experience. Celebrities, athletes and business leaders have formed lasting bonds with tour pros, like Jack Lemmon and Peter Jacobsen famously playing together for 20 years. Professionals Matt Fitzpatrick, Brandt Snedeker, Rory McIlroy, Matt Kuchar and Davis Love III initially formed relationships with Workday co-founder Aneel Bhusri at the AT&T that led to corporate ambassadorships and eventually to Workday’s sponsorship of the Memorial Tournament. Vijay Singh and Sahith Theegala played as the partner of Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen before becoming Adobe ambassadors. Same with Wyndham Clark and Anthony Noto, the CEO of SoFi, and countless others over the years. “I know I’m biased,” says Monterey Peninsula Foundation CEO Steve John, “but these golf partnerships can be life-changing.”

Jordan Spieth takes a break with his son, Sammy, during the Par-3 Contest at the 2023 Masters.
Patrick Smith
For two generations the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am has been universally considered the premier pro-am in golf, with No. 2 as the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St. Andrews and No. 3 as The American Express in La Quinta, Calif.
The history of all these pro-am events is tied to golf’s heritage of philanthropy dating back to the 1917 American Red Cross Patriotic Open, a tournament held by the USGA when the country focused on World War I and suspended play in the U.S. Open for the duration of the war. Pros and amateurs raised money for war bonds during both World Wars, and Bing Crosby started inviting Hollywood friends to play in his clambake in San Diego annually starting in 1937 and then 10 years later in Pebble Beach, which led to the pro-am movement that culminated in AT&T taking over sponsorship in 1985 and contributing almost a quarter billion to area charities in the four decades since. As part of this year’s Legacy Award at the AT&T, Golf Digest will donate $50,000 to the Monterey Peninsula Foundation. Golfers giving back is now part of the fabric of pro-ams everywhere.