2024
Stephen “Steph” Curry recognized as the 2024 recipient of the Charlie Sifford Award. Curry’s golf accomplishments include launching Underrated Golf in 2021, a purpose-driven business endeavor with the overarching commitment to provide equity, access, and opportunity to student-athletes from every community by balancing participation in the sport to truly reflect our society.
2023
TOUR Championship generates a record $6.96 million charitable donation from the 2023 tournament. More than $54 million has been generated for community charities since the tournament was first staged at East Lake Golf Club in 1998. Southern Company is ensuring good energy makes a lasting impact in our communities.
2022
TOUR Championship announces record $5.5 million donation from 2022 tournament. With the support of its Proud Partners Coca-Cola, Southern Company and Accenture, the TOUR Championship has now raised nearly $50 million for local nonprofits since the event was first staged at East Lake Golf Club in 1998.
2022
Southern Company was presented The First Tee Founders Award, First Tee's most prestigious award, for its commitment and passion for making First Tee an impactful youth development organization.
2022
Renee Powell recognized as the inaugural recipient of the Charlie Sifford Award. Powell – the second African American woman to ever compete on the LPGA Tour – demonstrated resilience amidst her own obstacles of racial adversity and segregation and dedicated her life to making golf a sport for all.
2022
Accenture joins Southern Company and Coca-Cola as the third Proud Partner of TOUR Championship, further enhancing the tournament’s ability to make a positive impact in the Atlanta community.
2022
Southern Company and PGA TOUR partner for the first-ever net zero energy TOUR Championship. Southern Company and its subsidiaries Georgia Power, PowerSecure and Southern Company Gas collaborated closely with the TOUR Championship to drive sustainability measures on and off the golf course.
2021
Southern Company and the World Golf Hall of Fame create the Charlie Sifford Award to honor an individual who personifies Sifford's groundbreaking achievements of diversifying the game of golf through perseverance, confidence, respect, and adaptability.
2020
With no fans or ticket sales due to COVID-19, Southern Company, along with Coca-Cola and PGA TOUR, finds a creative way to close the potential fundraising gap by creating Golf with a Purpose Charity Challenge, a celebrity skins match that raises $1M for the TOUR Championship beneficiary organizations.
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2020
Southern Company launches its first-ever national commercial on racial equity during TOUR Championship. Since it was first staged at East Lake Golf Club in 1998, the tournament has generated more than $42 million for community charities.
2020
Bentina Terry, SVP of Region External Affairs and Community Engagement at Georgia Power, joins the Grove Park Foundation board of directors.
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2019
Drew Charter School becomes first all African American boys’ varsity golf team to win a state championship. Southern Company funds team’s trip to national competition and honors the team during the Payne Stewart Award ceremony in Atlanta.
2019
Chris Womack, president, chairman and CEO of Georgia Power, begins tenure as board chair of the East Lake Foundation.
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2017
Matt Kuchar joins the Southern Company team as a brand ambassador.
2016
Southern Company elevates its partnership with PGA TOUR by becoming a Proud Partner of the TOUR Championship alongside Coca-Cola.
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2013
Southern Company becomes the first-ever Education Patron of the First Tee National School Program, helping introduce the program to more than 1,400 schools.
2005
East Lake Golf Club becomes the permanent home of the TOUR Championship.
2000
Southern Company and PGA TOUR honor the life and legacy of golfer Payne Stewart by renaming the “Southern Company Citizenship Award” to the “Payne Stewart Award.” The award celebrates the values of character, charity and sportsmanship.
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1999
Southern Company, along with PGA TOUR, announces the “Southern Company Citizenship Award.” This award recognizes the PGA TOUR player who best exemplifies and demonstrates integrity and public citizenship.
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1998
Southern Company becomes presenting sponsor of the PGA TOUR Championship and donates $100,000 to help organizations like the East Lake Foundation and The First Tee Program at John A. White Park create better communities.
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1952
Southern Company runs an ad featuring Ted Rhodes, acknowledging him as the first African-American professional golfer to play in the 1948 U.S. Open.
1948
Southern Company appoints legendary, native-Atlantan golfer and lawyer Bobby Jones to the board of directors. Serving until his death in 1971, he is the company’s longest-serving board member to date, serving 23 years.
1932
As one of East Lake Golf Club’s first members, Atkinson is instrumental in establishing the prestigious Augusta National Golf Club.
1904
Henry Atkinson, founder of the Georgia Railway and Electric Company, later known as Georgia Power Company, provides 187 acres for the construction of East Lake Golf Club, the oldest golf course in Atlanta.