Former PGA Tour commissioner and his wife make huge $13m charity donation

Exactly one decade since stepping down as PGA Tour commissioner, Tim Finchem is making a major return to the spotlight — this time through an extraordinary $13 million charitable donation alongside his wife, Holly.

The landmark gift will help launch a revamped PGA Tour Charities strategy, with the organisation seeking to increase the focus, resources and visibility surrounding the Tour's charitable work.

The announcement comes at a fascinating time for professional golf. While the PGA Tour has undergone a dramatic commercial transformation in recent years, including the creation of PGA Tour Enterprises as a for-profit business, officials are now looking to reinforce the importance of the communities and causes that have long been central to the circuit.

The new PGA Tour Charities initiative will concentrate on national campaigns built around areas including health, youth, access and service. The intention is to create programs that can work alongside individual tournaments when their charitable objectives overlap, potentially bringing in additional funding and reaching a wider audience.

Laura Neal, the PGA Tour's executive vice president of Strategic Philanthropy, described the Finchems' contribution as a transformative gift that can help define the organisation's next chapter.

The PGA Tour has a remarkable charitable history. Its tournaments have generated more than $4.4 billion for charity over the years, with that tradition dating back to a $10,000 contribution at the 1938 Palm Beach Invitational.

Individual tournaments will continue to run their own charitable programs, with events such as the WM Phoenix Open, Valspar Championship and the Dallas event supporting causes within their local communities.

But the PGA Tour, which is now being led by commissioner Brian Rolapp moving forwards, believes a more coordinated approach can provide another layer of support.

Player involvement will also be central to the initiative, with Player Advisory Council chairman Lucas Glover leading a committee helping to shape the new programs.

Glover believes charity should once again become a defining part of the PGA Tour's identity, rather than allowing the conversation around professional golf to be dominated by money, purses and commercial battles.

That message carries particular weight given the sport's changing landscape. PGA Tour Enterprises launched in 2024 following a major investment from Strategic Sports Group, with players receiving equity in the organisation for the first time.

Against that backdrop, the $13 million Finchem donation provides a powerful reminder of another side of the Tour's legacy.

Finchem, the circuit's third commissioner, led the PGA Tour from 1994 until 2016 and oversaw a period of enormous expansion, including the growth of television revenues and prize money. He also played a key role in the creation of The First Tee in 1997.

During his tenure, charitable contributions from PGA Tour events passed the $1 billion mark in 2005 before reaching $2 billion in 2014.

For the Finchems, the new donation is intended to help ensure that legacy continues.

Holly Finchem said the couple's connection to the PGA Tour, its players, fans and communities had endured long after Tim's retirement, describing the contribution as both a celebration of golf and an investment in future generations.

The PGA Tour also revealed that the remaining $2.5 million from Brooks Koepka's charitable commitment following his return from LIV Golf will be distributed equally among charities selected by almost 100 players.

With the PGA Tour preparing for further changes to its schedule and competition structure, the Finchems' $13 million contribution could therefore arrive at an important moment.

For an organisation increasingly associated with commercial growth, the message from its new charity strategy is clear: giving back is intended to remain part of what the PGA Tour stands for.