Folds Of Honor Sponsors “Virtual” Patriot Golf Championship

Folds of Honor, a foundation that provides educational scholarships to the families of fallen and disabled veterans, has since its inception been associated with the game of golf. In addition to being a Top Gun and decorated military aviator, founder Major Dan Rooney is a PGA Professional and owner of The Patriot Golf Club.

Since 2007, golfers playing on Labor Day Weekend have been asked to add a small donation to Folds of Honor on top of their greens fees as part of Patriot Golf Day. As a result, the foundation has been able to fund 7,500 college scholarships.

There’s a soft place in my heart for military charities. Mrs. Golfblogger is an Air Force veteran of the first Gulf War, serving as a nurse on an aeromedical staging flight.

This year, Folds of Honor is launching the inaugural Patriot Golf Championship — a virtual tournament in which amateurs can face off against the game’s biggest professional stars.

Here’s how it works:

After registering on the site and paying the registration fee, golfers pick a pro to challenge. Among the choices are:

• PGA TOUR players: Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Hunter Mahan, Matt Kuchar, Keegan Bradley, Gary Woodland and Zach Johnson
• LPGA Tour players: Paula Creamer, Lexi Thompson, Cheyenne Woods and Nancy Lopez
• Champions Tour players: Tom Lehman, Craig Stadler, Ken Duke, Tom Pernice Jr. and FOX Sports golf analysts Corey Pavin and Brad Faxon.

Participants then play a round on a local course between May 1 and May 25 and post their net scores. Golfers that post a net score that is lower than or ties the score of the professional golfer they challenged will earn the title of Patriot Golf Champion. Scores of the professional golfers participating in the Patriot Golf Championship will be revealed to the public during a live Memorial Day telecast at 2 p.m. CT on FOX Sports 1.

The FOX Sports telecast will be hosted from the Patriot Golf Club, Folds of Honor’s headquarters in Owasso, Okla. The program will be a two-hour television special that will include tributes to military families supported by the Folds of Honor , as well as light hearted pieces with the various PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, and LPGA Tour players, as well as celebrities and athletes in attendance over Memorial Day Weekend.

Patriot Golf Champion will receive a commemorative champion bag tag. All other participants will receive a commemorative competitor bag tag.

Maj. Dan Rooney, CEO, Founder of the Folds of Honor: “Less than one half of one percent of Americans wake up every day to defend this great nation and protect our freedoms. As a golfer, you have the opportunity to say thank you and honor our military heroes by participating in the Patriot Golf Championship. You can play against the biggest stars in the game of golf. This is your call to duty.”

Tiger Woods, whose father was a Vietnam veteran said, “The game of golf has given so much to so many of us. The Patriot Golf Championship is an opportunity to use golf as a platform to honor our nation’s heroes.”

Official partners of the Patriot Golf Championship include CDW, Budweiser and FOX Sports 1.

At the time of registration, you can make a donation to Folds of Honor. The Registration/Entry Fees are not tax deductible, but any payments made in excess of the Registration Fees will go to Folds of Honor and will be treated as tax deductible donations. Those providing such donations will receive tax documentation from Folds of Honor. Folds of Honor will receive a minimum of $50,000 from the donations and revenues in connection with the Patriot Golf Championship.

ABOUT:

Folds of Honor is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to families of military men and women who have fallen or been disabled in combat while serving in the United States armed forces. Our educational scholarships support private education tuition and tutoring for children in grades K-12, as well as higher education tuition assistance for spouses and dependents. Founded in 2007 by Major Dan Rooney, an F-16 fighter pilot in the Oklahoma Air National Guard who served three tours of duty in Iraq, Folds of Honor is proud to have awarded more than 7,500 scholarships in all 50 states, as well as Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, including more than 2,000 in 2014 alone. For more information or to donate in support of a Folds of Honor scholarship, visit www.foldsofhonor.org.