Raleigh, N.C. —North Carolina’s Touchstone Energy cooperatives are the title sponsors of the Touchstone Energy Open, a tournament on the National Golf Association (NGA) Hooters Tour, to be held at Brook Valley Country Club in Greenville. This is the electric cooperatives’ third year in a row serving as title sponsor.
The NGA Hooters Tour is the third largest professional golf circuit in the United States, and more than 150 golfers will compete for a first-place purse of at least $25,000 at the 72-hole Touchstone Energy Open.
The Ronald McDonald House of Eastern North Carolina will be the benefiting charity of the event. The Ronald McDonald House serves families of eastern North Carolina times of need. Last year, more than $26,000 was raised for the House.
The Ronald McDonald House of eastern North Carolina provides a “home-away-from-home” for families of seriously ill children treated at Eastern Carolina’s Children’s Hospital. The Ronald McDonald House is a temporary residence near the hospital where family members can eat, sleep, relax, and support and comfort loved ones undergoing extensive medical treatment.
“Raising money for the Ronald McDonald House through the Touchstone Energy Open is a great partnership for the 850,000 members of the state’s electric cooperatives and is consistent with keeping the core Touchstone Energy value of commitment to community,” said Jane Pritchard, director of corporate communications for North Carolina’s Touchstone Energy cooperatives.
The NGA Hooters Golf Tour is a developmental tour for rising stars. David Toms, Jim Furyk, Tom Leyman, Chad Campbell and Ben Curtis are among today’s PGA players who got their start on the NGA Hooters Tour. Alumni of the Hooters Tour have won eight majors.
“It is very exciting for North Carolina’s Touchstone Energy cooperatives to bring professional golf and tourism to the eastern part of the state,” Pritchard added.
North Carolina’s electric cooperatives serve more than 2.4 million people in 93 of the state’s 100 counties.