Former PGA Tour commissioner diagnosed with Alzheimer’s; family announces $13 million gift to PGA Tour Charities
Chris Condon
Former PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, his wife, Holly, disclosed in a letter published Monday by Global Golf Post.
The announcement coincided with news that the Finchem family has donated $13 million to PGA Tour Charities. The gift will support an overhaul of the tour’s 501(c)(3) arm, with additional details expected in the coming months. As part of that effort, PGA Tour Charities plans to organize its philanthropic strategy around national campaigns designed to produce greater impact at the local level.
“This next chapter is about generating even more focus, coordination, resources and visibility,” said Laura Neal, executive vice president of PGA Tour’s Strategic Philanthropy. “Launching an evolved PGA Tour Charities—with a legacy-defining, transformative gift from the Finchems—is an exciting next step in golf’s enduring commitment to giving back.”
In a separate announcement published by Global Golf Post, Holly Finchem wrote that the family’s gift comes as they publicly disclose her husband’s diagnosis.
“It is a heartbreaking diagnosis, and one that has changed our lives in ways that are hard to put into words,” Holly wrote. “To watch him face this disease has been painful beyond measure. But even now, the essence of Tim remains present in the moments we treasure most—in his love for our family, his connection to the game and the enduring relationships that have meant so much to him throughout his life.”
Before entering golf administration, Finchem built a career spanning law, politics and business strategy. He practiced law in Virginia Beach for three years before joining President Jimmy Carter’s administration, serving in the White House as deputy adviser to the president in the Office of Economic Affairs from 1978 to 1979. In the early 1980s, Finchem returned to Washington, D.C., where he co-founded the National Marketing and Strategies Group.
Finchem became the PGA Tour’s third commissioner in 1994 and led the organization until his retirement in 2016. During his tenure, annual prize money grew from $91 million across three tours to more than $401 million across six. Charitable contributions also rose steadily, reaching a then-record $166 million in his final year as commissioner.
Finchem helped usher in several defining elements of the modern PGA Tour, including the World Golf Championships, the FedEx Cup and the First Tee program. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2022.