The PGA Tour announced Thursday that a “special, unofficial” event will be held in lieu of the Puerto Rico Open next spring in an effort to raise funds for an island that is still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Maria.
The tournament was originally scheduled for March 1-4, opposite the WGC-Mexico Championship. The new event, which will feature PGA Tour pros as well as other athletes and celebrities, will be held sometime in March. While the tournament has traditionally been held at Coco Beach Golf & Country Club, the one-year event will be moved to TPC Dorado Beach.
With a renewed sponsorship from the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, the Tour announced that the tournament will return as an official, 72-hole event in both 2019 and 2020.
“The Puerto Rico Open has been part of the PGA Tour for the last 10 years and our commitment to golf on the island has never been stronger,” Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said in a release. “Our hope is that this special event in 2018 will benefit Puerto Rico’s recovery efforts to the fullest extent, while reminding the world that Puerto Rico is a premier golf and travel destination.”
Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico on Sept. 20 as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 155 mph, cutting power to nearly the entire island and causing more than $90 billion in damage. According to tournament chairman David Chafey, the goal of the 2018 event is to raise “no less than $500,000 to donate to 20 local non-profit organizations that provide services to our people.”
D.A. Points won the 2017 event by two shots over Bryson DeChambeau, Retief Goosen and Bill Lunde.
Source: Internet
