January 26, 2012
Bridgestone and Hurley Team Up With Birdies for the Brave®
Season-Long Initiative Will Fund Military Homefront Groups Based on Former Navy
Officer's Cuts Made, Top 10 finishes and Wins on PGA TOUR
COVINGTON, GA — Bridgestone Golf, The #1 Ball-Fitter in Golf, announced
today that it has teamed up with Bridgestone Tour Team member Billy Hurley III to
raise funds for Birdies for the Brave®, throughout the 2012 PGA TOUR
season. Retroactive to Hurley's first event of the year, The Sony Open in Hawaii,
Bridgestone will make a donation to PGA TOUR Charities, Inc. on behalf of Birdies
for the Brave based upon Hurley's tournament finishes. For every PGA TOUR
cut made in 2012, Bridgestone will donate $1,000. In addition, every time Hurley
records a Top 10 finish Bridgestone will donate $5,000. Most impressively, any victory
earned by Hurley will net the charity $10,000.
After a highly decorated collegiate golf career (that included a spot on the 2004
U.S. Walker Cup Team) and graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2004, Hurley
served for five years in the United States Navy. Hurley's service included a stint
as lieutenant aboard the destroyer USS Chung-Hoon in the Persian Gulf. Hurley's
duty while aboard the Chung-Hoon was safeguarding two of the world's largest oil
platforms during the Iraq War. Now having fulfilled his dream of earning a PGA TOUR
card, Hurley is eager to use his newfound celebrity to help his brothers and sisters
in arms.
"We are thrilled to have Billy Hurley lend his support alongside Bridgestone Golf
as we work to honor and show appreciation to the courageous men and women of our
U.S. Armed Forces and their families through Birdies for the Brave," said
former 12-year distinguished Navy SEAL Stephen Kupcha, the PGA TOUR's senior manager
of public relations and military/community outreach. "We appreciate his service
and sacrifice in service to our country, and applaud his efforts to help generate
funds and awareness for the benefit of fellow military members, wounded warriors
and military families."
Hurley will proudly display the Birdies for the Brave logo on his Bridgestone
Golf staff bag throughout the 2012 PGA TOUR season. In appreciation of his commitment
to charity, PGA TOUR will also highlight Hurley in promotion of the Birdies for
the Brave program in its 2012 marketing efforts.
"We are delighted to continue our company's extensive track record of supporting
U.S. military charities, through this innovative campaign with Birdies for the Brave
and Billy Hurley III," said Dan Murphy, vice president of marketing - Bridgestone
Golf, Inc. "Since our entrance into the U.S. market in 2005, Bridgestone Golf has
proudly supported a variety of charities dedicated to improving the lives of the
men and women who served with valor in defending our nation's freedom. This program
is all the more special because Billy is one of those brave men and women."
Bridgestone plans to track Hurley's success on the course through its website, www.bridgestonegolf.com,
and golf fans should check the site to track progress.
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Editor's Note: High-Res images of all Tour Staff and all new Bridgestone equipment are available upon request.
Bridgestone Golf, Inc., based in Covington, GA, manufactures and markets premium
golf balls, clubs and accessories under the Bridgestone and Precept brand names.
Bridgestone is represented on a world stage by a number of internationally famed
golfers including
Fred Couples, Matt Kuchar,
Davis Love III, Brandt Snedeker,
Paula Creamer, Nick Price,
and Lee Trevino.
Bridgestone Golf, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Sports Co. Ltd.,
whose headquarters are in Tokyo.
Bridgestone Golf, Inc. is proud to be the #1 Ball Fitter in Golf as the industry
leader in live launch monitor fittings. Bridgestone provides three ways for golfers
to find the ball that best fits their game: live fittings through the
Bridgestone Ball Fitting Challenge, live online
chats with ball fitting
experts through its B-FIT service, and an easily accessible
Online Ball Selection Guide. For more
information on ball fitting, including a complete schedule of Ball Fitting Challenge
events, visit www.bridgestonegolf.com.
About Birdies for the Brave
Birdies for Brave is a national military outreach initiative designed to
show support and appreciation to the courageous men and women of our U.S. Armed
Forces and their families. Since 2005, TOUR players, corporate partners, tournament
fans and TPC club members have joined forces to raise millions of dollars annually
for military homefront groups that are supported by PGA TOUR players, which provide
critical programs and services to meet the specialized needs of wounded warriors
and military families, through fundraising events at TPC clubs nationwide. Other
Birdies for the Brave activities include Military Appreciation Day celebrations
and Patriots' Outpost military hospitality chalets during PGA TOUR tournaments,
as well as the opportunity for military members to attend many PGA TOUR events on
a complimentary basis. To learn more about Birdies for the Brave, please visit
www.birdiesforthebrave.com or
follow them on Facebook.
About PGA TOUR Charities, Inc.
PGA TOUR Charities, Inc. is a non-profit charitable organization recognized under
Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code. It was established in 1985 to generate
funds for donation to and support of other qualified charitable organizations. Contributions
to PGA TOUR Charities, Inc. are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. In
addition to Birdies for the Brave, other fundraising efforts of PGA TOUR Charities
include the U.S. Golf Tsunami Relief Fund and Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, as
well as Champions Tour for the Cure and 9/11 relief efforts.
About PGA TOUR, Inc.
The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers. The
mission of the PGA TOUR is to expand domestically and internationally to substantially
increase player financial benefits while maintaining its commitment to the integrity
of the game. The PGA TOUR events are also committed to generating revenue for charitable
causes in their communities. For more information, visit
www.pgatour.com.
