Golf's Tim Finchem Donates $13M to PGA Tour Charities

Ten years after stepping down as PGA Tour commissioner, Tim Finchem is making headlines again with a $13 million charitable gift that could reshape professional golf's relationship with giving back.

Finchem and his wife Holly announced the landmark donation to help launch PGA Tour Charities, a revamped strategy designed to give the Tour's charitable work more focus, resources, and visibility. The timing couldn't be more meaningful as professional golf has spent recent years focused on money battles and commercial growth.

The new initiative will concentrate on national campaigns around health, youth development, access to the game, and community service. These programs will work alongside individual tournaments when their charitable goals align, potentially bringing in additional funding and reaching more people who need help.

Laura Neal, the PGA Tour's executive vice president of Strategic Philanthropy, called the Finchems' contribution transformative. Player Advisory Council chairman Lucas Glover, who's leading a committee to shape the new programs, believes charity should once again define the PGA Tour's identity rather than letting conversations stay stuck on purses and commercial battles.

The Ripple Effect

The PGA Tour's charitable history runs deep. Since a $10,000 contribution at the 1938 Palm Beach Invitational, Tour tournaments have generated more than $4.4 billion for charity over the decades.

Finchem oversaw explosive growth during his 1994 to 2016 tenure as commissioner, including the creation of The First Tee in 1997. Under his leadership, charitable contributions from Tour events crossed $1 billion in 2005 and reached $2 billion in 2014.

Individual tournaments like the WM Phoenix Open and Valspar Championship will continue supporting their local communities. But the new coordinated approach adds another layer, ensuring the Tour's charitable impact reaches beyond any single event or city.

Holly Finchem said their connection to the PGA Tour, its players, fans, and communities has never faded since Tim's retirement. She described their donation as both a celebration of golf and an investment in future generations.

The announcement comes as the Tour navigates major changes, including the 2024 launch of PGA Tour Enterprises as a for-profit business where players received equity for the first time. Against that commercial backdrop, the $13 million gift provides a powerful reminder of what else the Tour stands for.

For an organization increasingly associated with business deals and financial growth, the message is unmistakable: giving back remains core to professional golf's mission.