Golfers show their charitable side

Singapore

GOLF and charity certainly go hand in hand. There was a time, before the closures of Jurong Country Club and Raffles Country Club about five years ago, when about 1,000 such charity events were held each year in Singapore.

Ballpark figures indicate that with an average collection of S$250,000 from each event, total returns annually amounted to S$250 million to be distributed to various charities.

Even football clubs, such as Geylang International and Tampines Rovers have been known to have relied on annual golf charity events to raise money for their activities. So too, did hospices and Old Age Homes.

However, the Covid-19 outbreak that badly hit Singapore and the world in February put paid to charity events as the sport, like all others, had seen a suspension of play until last month when restricted play under safety measures was allowed.

Still, while social golf has resumed, all charity events and tournaments still remain suspended in Singapore and many parts of the world.

Novel way of raising money

Despite the pall of gloom, the sport recently resorted to a novel way of raising money when more than 80 junior golfers, some as young as seven years old, took part in a GolfSg fundraising event supported by Laguna National Golf and Country Club.

Titled "You'll Never Walk Alone", the theme song of Liverpool Football Club, the kids pledged to run a total of 203 kilometres to raise funds for the Community Chest, by submitting videos of the runs which were scrutinised by Lyn Yeo, the Singapore Golf Association vice president.

To everyone's delight, the kids raised S$33,203 from more than 350 donors, exceeding the initial target of S$20,300.

If you thought that was a novel way of raising funds via golf during the pandemic, switch your focus to the United States where American golfer Max Homa, a PGA Tour winner known for his wit and roasting fans' golf swings on Twitter, recently helped raise US$40,000 by shaving his beard, hands and legs.

After reaching the target for food banks in the US for frontliners and people affected by the virus, Homa duly posed for a photo with his "clean-shaven look".

On Twitter, he said: "I barely recognise myself (the moustache plays a big part in that). Thanks to everyone who donated during the two hours of shaving. I think I can swing faster now."

Charity is part of the PGA Tour's heart and soul with the Tour surpassing US$3 billion last year in its all-time charitable totals.

Reigning US Open champion Gary Woodland chipped in US$100,000 through his foundation to eight different non-profit organisations in his hometown of Topeka, Kansas. His Presidents Cup teammate Tony Finau teamed up with For the Kids organisation which will deliver meals and hygiene kits to 500 school kids in Salt Lake City while 2019 International Team captain Ernie Els helped a golf club in New Jersey to gather food and drinks for first responders at a local hospital.

Other golf stars such as veteran Jim Furyk, a 17-time winner on the PGA Tour, contributed US$100,000 to be spent on providing healthcare workers with personal protective equipment. Spanish star Sergio Garcia donated 240,000 euros (S$389,600) to the Red Cross of Spain.

Closer to home, Singaporean golfers who used to play at Batam raised S$25,000 to help the caddies at Palm Springs on the Indonesian island as the staff there have been left idle and the club badly hit with heavy losses of revenue because their courses remain closed to foreigners.

With the popular getaway for Singaporeans, Bintan Lagoon Resort, closing its doors after 26 years as Covid-19 wreaked havoc on global travel and tourism, other clubs in Bintan, Batam and Johor, which have been popular with Singaporeans, also face a bleak future.