Sailfish golf received a grant from Honda Classic Cares, the charitable arm of the Honda Classic PGA Tour tournament.
Every year, the Honda Classic gives away millions of dollars to numerous charities in South Florida. For five years, Palm Beach Atlantic men’s and women’s golf teams have been beneficiaries, said coach Craig Watson. The financial support helps the Sailfish golfers prepare for tournament play in the highly-competitive Sunshine State Conference, Watson said. PBA has been a full member of the conference since fall 2017.
Annually, Sailfish golf teams participate in the American Honda Birdies for Children program, in which local nonprofits team up with the Honda Classic. PBA golfers encourage their family and friends to make a donation, and The Honda Classic chips in a matching 10 percent bonus. Fans make a donation for the chance to guess the number of birdies in the Honda Classic, and those who guess correctly have an opportunity to win a new Honda vehicle.
Honda Classic Executive Director Ken Kennerly is a long-time supporter of Sailfish golf, Watson said. Likewise, he was instrumental in the founding of The First Tee of the Palm Beaches, a program that makes golf accessible for children and disabled veterans. PBA coaches and players are involved as volunteers, and 2019 graduate Emily Valentine is The First Tee of the Palm Beaches’ program and marketing coordinator.
This year, the Honda Classic featured former CIA officer Michele Rigby Assad, a 1995 Palm Beach Atlantic alumna, as one of two speakers at its Women’s Leadership Forum in February.
