Thirteen charities from six different countries are to benefit from five weeks of virtual competition following the completion of the BMW Indoor Invitational powered by Trackman.
Each week the winner was awarded €10,000 to donate towards a charity of his choice, and with several electing to split their donations, thirteen different charities have been selected to receive contributions.
Wil Besseling, who won both the third event at Golfclub München Eichenried and the final event of the series at Wentworth Club, opted to split his winnings between four separate charities.
Focusing on helping organisations which will benefit from the donation during the COVID-19 pandemic, Besseling chose to split his first cheque equally between Doneereenmondkapje.nl (Donate a Protective Mask), which supplies protective masks to frontline workers in the Netherlands, and Bake for Life, a charity close to his heart which creates jobs and sustainable incomes for people in Africa.
With his most recent triumph at Wentworth Club, Besseling was pleased to select two new charities to benefit from his winnings – Dutch4kids, who raise funds for children’s hospitals, and Streeklaboratorium voor de Volksgezondheid, which is a hospital that helps fund research into antibodies for people working in hospitals and healthcare during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m really happy I am able to donate money to some charities that are doing some great things,” said Besseling. “I am very lucky to have the opportunity to donate this money and to help people make a better world.”
Inaugural winner Joost Luiten and week two champion Connor Syme also opted to divide up the proceeds of their wins following triumphs at The Old Course, St. Andrews, and Royal Portrush.
Luiten split his winnings between his own charity, the Joost Luiten Foundation, and the Eramus Medical Centre, a hospital in his native Rotterdam which has been on the front line in the battle against Coronavirus.
Meanwhile, 24 year old Syme donated to FoodTrain, which supplies meals to the elderly in Dundee, Scotland, and Hospice of the Valleys, a charity close to his heart which provides palliative care.
“Having an opportunity to make a difference with what is going on in the world is great,” Syme said following his win. “I’m honoured to have won and have the opportunity to hopefully change a few peoples lives.”
Syme once again chose FoodTrain as the recipient of his winnings in week four, where he finished as part of a five-way tie at Valderrama with Spanish duo Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera Bello, as well as England’s Matthew Jordan and France’s Damien Perrier.
Each choosing to support charities in their home nations, Garcia donated to Spain’s Red Cross, while Jordan chose the NHS Heroes, and Perrier named Fonds Nominoe, a charity which funds the development of new therapies for patients in Brittany.
Garcia said: “I can’t think of a better cause than the Red Cross to donate to, to try to help as many people as possible in these very difficult times. It’s great to be a part of this and have the possibility to help people who need it most in uncertain times and I’m glad that I was able to play well enough to be part of the donation. I can’t wait to see all those people get better and hopefully get back to normal lives as soon as possible.”
Also selecting a cause close to home, Rafa Cabrera Bello chose to donate to Cáritas Diocesana Canarias, a charity in Gran Canaria which provides help to those in poverty and need. Cabrera Bello has close family ties to the charity, whose founder was his great uncle Monseñor José Rodriguez.
