Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship raising funds “fore” a bright future
The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship is considered a best-in-class tournament on the Korn Ferry Tour, but the event is about much more than professionals competing for a PGA TOUR card. It’s a way to give back and help kids on a global scale.
Since the tournament’s inception in 2007 with Nationwide as a founding partner, more than $19.2 million has been raised to support pediatric cancer treatment and research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. That philanthropic purpose was on display the week of August 22 as the 16th annual event was contested at The Ohio State University Golf Club, Scarlet Course where Swedish native David Lingmerth earned his second career Korn Ferry Tour win along with fully exempt status on the PGA TOUR in 2023.
“As a Korn Ferry Tour Finals event, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship showcases some of golf’s brightest future stars as they compete for a coveted spot on the PGA TOUR,” said John Carter, president of Nationwide Financial and chairman of the tournament’s host organization, Champions of the Community. “The increased visibility as a Finals event played at one of the country’s premier campus golf courses provides a perfect platform to promote our philanthropic mission – supporting Nationwide Children’s Hospital.”
One way the tournament personalizes its cause is through Pros Fore Patients. The event provides a special opportunity for Nationwide Children’s Hospital Patient Champions and their families to interact with Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR players. This year, each Patient Champion was paired up with a Tour professional for one-on-one instruction on the putting green and driving range. The Patient Champions and their pros also paid it forward by creating care packages to be delivered to current patients at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
In addition to participating in Pros Fore Patients and closing the tournament with the Final Putt to Cure Cancer, Patient Champion Neil Taylor was presented with a $2,500 donation for Neil’s Meals, the legacy program he started with the Feel Better Foundation to supply restaurant or grocery store gift cards to patient families in the hospital’s Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant units.
The donation on behalf of the tournament was the second surprise of the week for Neil, who also received a $10,000 college scholarship from Nationwide as part of the First Shot to Fight Cancer ceremonies.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship may be a local tournament on a national tour, but its benefit is felt globally. Nationwide Children’s receives more than 1.6 million patient visits annually and cares for kids and families from nearly every U.S. state and more than 46 countries. To learn more about one of the country’s largest not-for-profit pediatric health care systems, visit NationwideChildrens.org.