Foundation gives $20,000 to NAIA golf program in Western North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene
FORT WORTH, Texas (April 22, 2025) – The Hogan Trophy Award Foundation has announced a $20,000 gift to the men’s and women’s golf program at Montreat College, an NAIA school located in Montreat, N.C., that was greatly affected by the flooding from Hurricane Helene in September.
The golf program’s offices and equipment are in the basement of McAlister Gymnasium, which was one of the campus buildings that suffered the most extensive damage as more than five feet of water filled the gym’s lower level. Among the items destroyed were the team’s golf simulator and turf flooring. The entire Montreat campus, which lies in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, was closed for four weeks.
“A gift like this is so transformational,” Montreat Director of Athletics Garrett Jones said. “We are very humbled and grateful for the Ben Hogan Award. As we rebuild back, this will be a huge help and directly benefit our student-athletes by putting them in a position moving forward to continue to thrive and play the game that they love.”
Since 2002, the Hogan Trophy Award Foundation has donated more than $1 million to college golf programs, providing scholarship grants as well as gifts to programs that have suffered tragic events. This year, Montreat will be awarded with a check at the Ben Hogan Award Dinner on Monday, May 19, at Colonial Country Club.
“We are very pleased and honored to be able to assist Montreat College’s golf program with a financial gift,” Harold Muckleroy, Chairman of the Ben Hogan Award, said. “We are so appreciative of our sponsors and friends over the years who have allowed us to give to worthy causes that are associated with the great game of golf all across the country.”
The Ben Hogan Award presented by Baird annually awards the top men’s NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or NJCAA college golfer based on all collegiate, amateur and professional events over the previous 12 months. The Ben Hogan Award has honored the outstanding amateur collegiate golfer at Colonial Country Club since 2002. Prior to its move to Fort Worth, the original Ben Hogan Trophy was issued at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, Calif., beginning in 1990.
Over the years, recipients of the Ben Hogan Award have combined to accumulate 70 PGA TOUR wins and amass more than $465 million in prize money on the tour. For more information on the Ben Hogan Award presented by Baird, visit TheBenHoganAward.org and follow @BenHoganAward on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
–www.TheBenHoganAward.org–
