Astros Golf Foundation returns event to Memorial Park Golf Course for first time since 1963
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#astrosgolffoundation–The PGA TOUR announced that Vivint Smart Home, Inc. (NYSE: VVNT), a leading smart home company in North America, will become title sponsor of the Houston Open for 2020 in support of tournament host and beneficiary, the Astros Golf Foundation. The Vivint Houston Open will be played November 5-8 and returns to Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston for the first time since 1963.
The Astros Golf Foundation, led by Houston Astros Owner and Chairman Jim Crane, operates and serves as the host organization for the event. The commitment to the Houston Open from the Astros Golf Foundation, with the support of a number of community partners, is in place through 2023. The Astros Golf Foundation recently completed a $34 million renovation to Memorial Park Golf Course over a two-year period in order to bring the tournament back to the heart of the city.
“The Houston Open has been a staple on the PGA TOUR calendar since 1946 and this year marks its celebrated return to Memorial Park Golf Course, thanks to the Astros Golf Foundation whose dedication to community is unmatched in Houston,” said Brian Oliver, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President of Corporate Partnerships. “We are thrilled to partner with Vivint whose enthusiasm and innovative thinking allowed us to finalize this partnership just a month before the tournament.”
All four rounds of the Vivint Houston Open will be televised on the Golf Channel, featuring a 132-player field, 500 FedExCup points and a $7 million purse.
“We are excited to bring the Houston Open back to the City of Houston’s Memorial Park Golf Course,” says Giles Kibbe, President Astros Golf Foundation. “We recognize this is a unique year and are appreciative of Vivint for their support in Houston in 2020 and their commitment to helping us serve our community through the game of golf.”
“We’re proud to partner with the PGA TOUR and the Astros Golf Foundation for this incredible event,” said Todd Pedersen, CEO of Vivint Smart Home. “Giving back is a core company value for Vivint so we’re delighted to participate in a charitable effort that will benefit one of our flagship markets.”
The Houston Open was first played in 1946, with the inaugural event captured by Byron Nelson at River Oaks Country Club. Other notable winners throughout the 72-year history of the event include World Golf Hall of Fame members Arnold Palmer, Jack Burke, Jr., Bobby Locke, Cary Middlecoff, Gary Player, Curtis Strange, Payne Stewart, Fred Couples, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson. Most recently, Lanto Griffin won the 2019 Houston Open at the Golf Club of Houston. One of Houston’s premier sporting events, the tournament has also made significant contributions to the Houston community, raising more than $69 million for charitable causes.
ASTROS GOLF FOUNDATION
The Astros Golf Foundation, founded by Houston Astros Owner & Chairman Jim Crane, is the 501c3 non-profit organization responsible for operating the annual Houston Open.
The Astros Golf Foundation took ownership of the tournament in 2018 with three key objectives: to ensure the PGA TOUR event remained in Houston, to bring the tournament back to its glory and into the heart of the city, and to provide much needed resources and funds to the citizens and community of Houston through park improvements, charitable fundraising and investing in youth. These objectives were achieved through a $34 million renovation to Memorial Park Golf Course completed in two years. The renovations include an upgrade of the municipal course to PGA Tour standards, construction of a short course for First Tee participants, an expanded driving range, and a new clubhouse that will serve First Tee Houston programming throughout the year.
Additionally, the Astros Golf Foundation will operate and serve underprivileged youth throughout the city with a state of the art facility, the Chevron Center for Education and Golf. This facility will operate year-round and not only provide First Tee instruction, but also serve as a STEM educational center for children in need. The Astros Golf Foundation has also made investments in both scholarship and youth programming at the facility.
The mission of the Astros Golf Foundation is to enrich the lives of Houstonians and empower the community through the game of golf. For more information on the Astros Golf Foundation, please visit HoustonOpenGolf.com.
About Vivint Smart Home
Vivint Smart Home is a leading smart home company in North America. Vivint delivers an integrated smart home system with in-home consultation, professional installation and support delivered by its Smart Home Pros, as well as 24/7 customer care and monitoring. Dedicated to redefining the home experience with intelligent products and services, Vivint serves more than 1.6 million customers throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.vivint.com.
About PGA TOUR
By showcasing golf’s greatest players, the PGA TOUR engages, inspires and positively impacts our fans, partners and communities worldwide.
The PGA TOUR, headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, co-sanctions more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Series-China. Members on the PGA TOUR represent the world’s best players, hailing from 29 countries and territories (94 members are from outside the United States). Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to 212 countries and territories in 23 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations to maximize charitable giving. In 2019, tournaments across all Tours generated a record $204.3 million for local and national charitable organizations, bringing the all-time total to more than $3 billion.
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Contacts
Mark Stevens, PGA TOUR, 904-861-5112, markstevens@pgatourhq.com
Steve Grande, Houston Astros, (713) 447-2774, sgrande@astros.com
