AUGUSTA, Ga. The PGA Tour and the PGA of America each issued statements on Saturday in response to Georgia’s controversial new voting laws, and the Tour said it would not move the season finale that will be played in the state in August.
The Masters tournament, which kicks off this week at the Augusta National Golf Club, is expected to address the issue on Wednesday when chairman Fred Ridley holds his annual news conference on the premature.
The PGA Tour finals of the FedEx Cup play-off, the Tour Championship, are played annually at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. The PGA of America is hosting the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, which will be held at the Atlanta Athletic Club in June.
Referring to his financial commitment to the local community and various charities, the PGA Tour said it would not move the tour championship.
“The dedication of the East Lake Tour Championship has helped our partners transform troubled neighborhoods into healthy and prosperous environments, which is key to ending the cycle of intergenerational poverty,” the PGA Tour said in a statement. . “The charitable and economic benefits that have led to these significant changes will not continue if we simply walk away from the needy.”
However, the PGA Tour added that “our intention to hold an event in a particular market should not be seen as indifferent to the current conversation about voting rights.”
“The PGA Tour fully supports efforts to protect the voice of all Americans and to remove barriers that could prevent citizens’ voices from being heard and counted,” the statement said. “It is the foundation of our great country and a critical national priority to listen to the concerns of voter oppression – especially of color communities that have been marginalized in the past – and work together to make the vote easier for all citizens.”
The PGA of America said in its statement on Saturday: “The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is a partnership between three organizations that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion: PGA of America, LPGA and KPMG. Like many entities, we hold the “We believe that elections should be accessible, fair and secure and support broad voter turnout.”
Major League Baseball said Friday it will move the All-Star Game from Atlanta to Atlanta this summer in response to the change in the state’s vote.
The PGA Tour is also hosting an event on Sea Island, Georgia later this year.