(SAN FRANCISCO) – Over 150 LGBTQ+ golfers and allies will tee up this year to compete at the 4th annual SF Pride Pro Am Golf Tournament. Presented by Topgolf and Mastercard, the event will gather golfers onto the greens starting at 11a.m. on Saturday, October 8, 2022, with a special kickoff celebration on Friday night, October 7.
Held at San Francisco’s world-renowned TPC Harding Park — home to the 2020 PGA Championship — this tournament is the first-ever LGBTQ+ sporting event to be endorsed by the PGA. Since its inception in 2019, it has been a potent symbol of increased LGBTQ+ representation in the realm of professional athletics. Over the years, the event has drawn hundreds of pro and amateur golfers from across the country and beyond for a great day of golf, fun and fundraising. To date, the annual event has raised more than $145,000 in support of local non-profit LGBTQ+ organizations, along with organizations working on issues such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, homelessness and animal welfare.
While registration for the October 8 golf event is currently sold out, there are still tickets available for SF Pride's kickoff celebration of the tournament on Friday night, October 7, in San Francisco's iconic Fairmont Hotel with a reception featuring hors d'oeuvres and libations sponsored by Newfront Insurance and La Crema Wines. Click here for tickets to the reception to toast to and celebrate golfer and trans activist Hailey Davidson as she receives the Prism Award, honoring leadership in the LBGTQ+ sports community. Among Davidson’s many accomplishments, she received national recognition for her valiant attempts to become the first transgender woman to earn a LPGA tour card. She also faced down media backlash and showed tremendous resilience and poise in the face of adversity, exemplifying the values SF Pride represents.
“Breaking barriers in sports has been a point of focus for SF Pride and we felt it was important to recognize Hailey's courage in the game of golf from an LGBTQ+ perspective. And what better place than TPC Harding Park, the only city-owned public course managed by the PGA TOUR, to be the site of this trailblazing tournament,” said Suzanne Ford, interim executive director of SF Pride. “We are also honored to have the sponsorship of the iconic Fairmont Hotel here in San Francisco, which will host several events related to the tournament.”
Hailey Davidson’s aim is to inspire transgender kids to challenge themselves on and off the course — and Harding Park holds a special place in her heart. “It's such a welcoming environment and experience that doesn't always happen in this traditionally conservative sport,” Davidson said. “ I absolutely love the San Francisco area in general. And it has been a beautiful thing to feel so welcome, not just in a place or even on the course, but also to feel the sport of golf opening up to be a more inclusive space for everyone.”
Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the SF Pride Celebration Committee, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit. SF Pride is also a grant-giving organization through its Community Partners Program. For more information on the San Francisco Pride Pro-Am Golf Tournament or to make a donation to San Francisco Pride, click here.
About San Francisco Pride
The San Francisco Pride Celebration Committee is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded to produce the SF Pride Celebration and Parade. The mission of the organization is to educate the world on LGBTQ issues, as well as commemorate the heritage, celebrate the culture, and liberate the people of all LGBTQ communities. A world leader in the Pride movement, SF Pride is also a grant-giving organization through its Community Partners Program. Since 1997, SF Pride has granted over $3 million dollars in proceeds to local nonprofit LGBTQIA organizations and organizations working on issues related to HIV/AIDS, cancer, homelessness, housing rights, and animal welfare.
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