Met Golf Writers Bing Crosby Award to Honda

The PGA Tour’s Honda Classic will receive the Bing Crosby Tournament Sponsor Award at the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association’s 62nd National Awards Dinner, which is scheduled for Tuesday, June 18, at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, New York.  The award is presented to an individual or organization that promotes and supports the game of golf through commercial sponsorship of quality events.

Honda is the oldest continuous sponsor on the PGA TOUR.  The tournament got its start in 1972 as The Jackie Gleason Inverrary Classic and was played at Inverrary Country Club in Lauderhill, Florida.  Tom Weiskopf, who defeated Jack Nicklaus by one shot, was the first champion.

When The Honda Classic moved six years ago to its current home at PGA National Resort & Spa, it quickly established a reputation as one of the PGA TOUR’S elite events on one of the most challenging layouts in tournament golf.  The Honda Classic attracts a world-class field of professionals and last year’s action saw a memorable duel between eventual champion Rory McIIroy and Tiger Woods.

Since its inception, The Honda Classic has contributed more than $21 million to national and local charities, including the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation.  Since the Children’s Healthcare Charity took over tournament operations six years ago, it has raised over $1 million annually and last year’s charitable giving exceeded $1.85 million. Barbara and Gary Nicklaus serve as Co-Chairpersons on the Board of Directors of the Children’s Healthcare Charity.

The Bing Crosby Tournament Sponsor Award was established by the MGWA in 1978.  Former recipients include: Rolex Watch USA; Phoenix Thunderbirds; Cadillac; Metropolitan Life; Bob Hope; McDonald’s; LPGA Corning Classic; Yogi Berra; Shell Oil; Western Golf Association; Arnold Palmer (Bay Hill Classic); Ken Venturi; Jack Nicklaus (The Memorial).

The MGWA’s National Awards Dinner is the longest running and often the largest golf dinner held annually in the U.S. All of golf’s governing bodies actively support the dinner — USGA, PGA of America, LPGA and PGA TOUR — and up to 700 industry leaders, local golfers and golf groups attend. Proceeds benefit the caddie scholarship programs of Long Island, New Jersey and Westchester/Fairfield, and the MGA Foundation. More than $1.3 million has been raised over the years for these charitable endeavors.

For tickets, visit www.metgolfwriters.org

Among many other books, Dave Donelson is the author of Weird Golf: 18 tales of fantastic, horrific, scientifically impossible, and morally reprehensible golf