AUGUSTA, Ga. – The PGA Tour and PGA of America on Saturday issued statements in response to Georgia’s controversial new voting laws, and the Tour said it will not move its end-of-season event to be played in the state on Monday. ‘August.
The Masters tournament, which begins this week at Augusta National Golf Club, is expected to address the issue Wednesday when President Fred Ridley holds his annual press conference.
The final season event of the PGA Tour FedEx Cup, the Tour Championship, is played annually at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. The PGA of America is hosting the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, scheduled for June at the Atlanta Athletic Club.
Citing his financial commitment to the local community and various charities, the PGA Tour said it would not move the Tour Championship.
“The Tour Championship’s commitment to East Lake has helped our partners transform troubled neighborhoods into healthy and prosperous ones, which is key to ending the cycle of intergenerational poverty,” the PGA Tour said in a statement. “The economic and charitable benefits that have led to these substantial changes would not continue if we simply moved away from those who needed it.”
The PGA Tour added, however, that “our intention to host an event in a particular market should not be construed as indifference to the current conversation around voting rights.”
“The PGA Tour fully supports efforts to protect the voting rights of all Americans and remove any barriers that may prevent citizens’ voices from being heard and counted, ”the statement said. “It is the foundation of our great country and a key national priority to listen to concerns about the suppression of voters, especially of communities of color that have been marginalized in the past, and to work together to facilitate the voting of all citizens.”
PGA of America, in its statement Saturday, said: “The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is a partnership between three organizations committed to diversity, equity and inclusion: PGA of America, LPGA and KPMG. Like many entities “We are overseeing developments related to the new state legislation on access to voting. We believe that elections should be accessible, fair and safe and support broad voter turnout.”
On Friday, Major League Baseball said it would move the All-Star Game from Atlanta this summer in response to state voting changes.
The PGA Tour also hosts an event in Sea Island, Georgia, later in the year.