Friends of Golf (FOG) will honor former PGA of America President Tom Addis III with The Ken Venturi “Spirit of Giving” Award at its 43rd annual charity golf tournament presented by Konica Minolta on October 16th at Bel-Air Country Club, it was announced today by FOG President Peter Best.
Emmy Award-winning sportscaster Jim Nantz will be on-hand once again to present awards and interview this year’s honorees at the tournament, which will also honor PGA Tour standout and Southern California native Max Homa and LPGA star and World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Juli Inkster.
Homa, a six-time winner on the PGA Tour and currently ranked in the top 10 in the Official World Golf Rankings, and Inkster, who has 31 career LPGA victories, will both be presented with the FOG Honoree Trophy at the tournament.
Addis, who served as President of the PGA of America in 1995 and 1996 and is currently the Executive Director Emeritus of the Southern California Section of the PGA of America, will receive The Ken Venturi “Spirit of Giving” Award at the tournament. Considered one of the PGA’s most dedicated and active members, Addis has devoted his career to the game and business of golf and helped establish golf as a recognized sport in the Special Olympics Games.
“Tom Addis is the ideal recipient for this year’s Ken Venturi ‘Spirit of Giving’ Award, as he has dedicated his life, both personally and professionally, to growing the game of golf and establishing access to the sport for people from all walks of life,” says FOG’s Best. “He joins our other tremendous honorees, Max Homa and Juli Inkster, for what should be a truly special event this year.
And we are thrilled that the best in the business, Jim Nantz, is joining us once again to help us present the awards and interview our honorees at the post-tournament banquet.”
“I have respected and appreciated the work FOG has done for our youth and our school students through my years with the Southern California PGA,” said Addis.
“Having grown up in golf and watched and enjoyed Mr. Venturi and his skills, dedication, and fortitude on the golf course, I am extremely proud, humbled, and honored to receive the ‘Spirit of Giving Award’ and I am so happy to have the opportunity to emulate the spirit and carry that banner in the future.”
In 2012, FOG created the inaugural Ken Venturi “Spirit of Giving” Award to honor Venturi and his commitment to being an inspiring and motivating force for young golfers everywhere. Venturi, who passed away in 2013, was a Friend of FOG for many years, almost since its inception.
Through the years, he graciously committed his time to support the mission of FOG and conducted numerous clinics for players and helped attract many top professional golfers to contribute their time to the organization’s various initiatives.
Addis joins an illustrious group of past recipients of the “Spirit of Giving” Award, including Al Michaels (2022), Vin Scully (2020), Tom Debrowski & Joseph Sindelar, Jr. (2019) and Ely Callaway & Oliver “Chip” Brewer (2015).
Homa and Inkster will be joining a stellar group of past FOG honorees at this year’s event, a list that includes Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Byron Nelson, Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Annika Sörenstam, Dustin Johnson, Lorena Ochoa, Patrick Cantlay, Brooks Koepka and Collin Morikawa, who was honored in 2022.
Konica Minolta is the Title Sponsor of FOG’s 2023 tournament, while Callaway is the Major Equipment sponsor, Skechers is the Major Footwear sponsor and johnnie-O is the Major Apparel sponsor.
Originally founded in 1979, non-profit organization FOG (www.friendsofgolf.org) has donated over $10 million to both national and local college, high school and other golf-focused organizations and has honored many of the game’s top players over the last four decades.
In 1991, Nicklaus met a young, local golfer named Tiger Woods for the first time at the FOG tournament at Bel-Air CC. FOG partners with the Golf Coaches Association of America and Colonial Country Club and The LPGA Foundation and Women’s Golf Coaches Association to annually honor the top male collegiate golfer and top female collegiate golfer with both The Ben Hogan Trophy and The Dinah Shore Trophy.
FOG was originally founded by Eddie Merrins, the legendary PGA golfer, UCLA men’s golf coach and longtime teaching professional at Bel-Air Country Club and a group of Los Angeles-area golfers who wanted to make it possible for aspiring junior golfers (irrespective of their economic standing) to play, compete and excel in the game of golf. FOG has allocated much of its funds, along with used golf equipment, to hundreds of high school golf programs, 25 college and university golf teams, and 7 scholarship foundations across the USA.
Friends of Golf supports student athlete golfers by instilling the values of honesty, ethics, and fellowship with a true appreciation for the game.
From the time boys and girls enter grade school through the end of their college experience, FOG makes it possible for aspiring junior golfers (irrespective of economic standing) to play, compete and excel in this exceptional sport.
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