PELHAM, Ala. (Nov. 5, 2020) – The Alabama–NW Florida Golf Foundation announced Thursday its unveiling of the Inaugural Willow Cup, a collegiate and amateur event aimed to give a recognized playing opportunity to a diverse network of players, inspire a new generation of golfers and create awareness and support for the Foundation.
The Inaugural Willow Cup will take place on December 13-15, 2020 at Willow Point Golf & Country Club. The tournament will feature an invited field of 60 to 72 amateur golfers from across the PGA Section and the Southeast who will compete over 54 holes of stroke play.
“Golf has experienced a boom over the last several months in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic,” says Foundation President, Eric Eshleman, PGA. “On the flip side of this coin, many NCAA and high school golf season were cut short and we wanted to provide a solution which complements this boom and the Foundation itself.”
The Alabama–NW Florida Golf Foundation is the 501(c)(3) charitable arm for the Alabama–NW Florida PGA Section, and aims to serve a broad audience by enabling life-changing opportunities through the game of golf. Earlier in 2020, the Foundation announced its Scholarship Program and awarded a total of $7,500 to four students – two of whom were previous Section Junior Tour Members and the other two children of PGA Professionals who reside in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
“We are so excited to be partnering with the Foundation for this inaugural event,” says Willow Point Director of Golf, Matt Sheppard, PGA, who also currently serves as Section Secretary. “The Willow Cup ties in perfectly with our mission of expanding the game of golf within our Section by inspiring the next generation of players. We see this event as another way to inspire golfers from all backgrounds as they continue their own golf journey.”
In a letter, Eshleman shed some light on the effects the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had on the Foundation in 2020 in the following statement:
“The pandemic has reshaped a lot on our schedule in 2020, and I would be remiss if I did not provide an update on our annual Foundation Classic. We found ourselves in an unfortunate position which didn’t allow us to host the event safely for our staff, players and constituents. This event remains special to us and our Section as we have seen growth in both engagement and funds raised over the last two years – we are confident the Foundation Classic will return stronger than ever in 2021.”
The Alabama–NW Florida Golf Foundation will again release its annual Impact Report on Friday, December 18.
The Foundation is aiming to raise $12,000 in the coming weeks to underwrite the entry fees and other amenities for all players. Tee times along with the schedule for the Willow Cup will be released closer to the tournament dates. Additionally, the field is slated to be finalized in the next two weeks as players receive and accept invitations.
Learn more about how you can support the Inaugural Willow Cup HERE.
Media Contact: Hayden Lewis, PGA | hlewis@pgahq.com
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ABOUT THE ALABAMA–NW FLORIDA GOLF FOUNDATION
The mission of the Alabama – NW Florida Golf Foundation is to positively impact the lives of those who reside in the state of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle through community outreaches, programs and initiatives the game of golf provides. The Foundation has three (3) main areas it will focus is programming and outreach on – these include engaging youth, military communities and diverse populations with the PGA Section. Our dream: create life-changing opportunities through the game of golf.