PGA star Phil Mickelson donates $500k to historically Black college in Mississippi
One of the most recognized faces in golf also has a reputation for being one of the most generous, and is proving so yet again ahead of Capital One’s The Match: Champions for Change on Friday. In a news release, Jackson State University, announced that Phil Mickelson donated $500,000 to the school. The event aims to organize funding for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU).
“I am not knowledgeable, I am not qualified to talk about race, okay?” Mickelson said on the “21st & Prime” podcast Tuesday, Golf.com reported. “As a white male, I’ll never be able to understand the challenges that Black America goes through, but I want to be part of the solution.”
According to the release, Mickelson, as well as former NBA superstar Charles Barkley, three-time NBA champion Stephen Curry and two-time Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning, will compete in the charity golf tournament.
Mickelson’s participation could lead to additional donations due to “bonus challenges” during Friday’s match.
“The golf event will again include a series of on-course challenges to drive additional funding for HBCUs,” the release said. “For each of those holes, there will be a minimum of $100,000 up to $2,500,000 (on select holes) donated if a golfer sinks a hole-in-one. Additional information on these challenges will be shared, leading up to the event.”
The World Golf Hall of Famer said that the half a million donation represents something that’s bigger than the game of golf: opportunity.
“What I see is greatness in everybody, and sometimes you just need a chance, you just need an opportunity,” Mickelson said, according to Golf.com
Jackson State President Thomas Hudson tweeted his thanks to Mickelson for the donation, which Hudson referred to as a “significant investment.”
This story was originally published November 25, 2020 at 10:20 AM with the headline "PGA star Phil Mickelson donates $500k to historically Black college in Mississippi."