Every year, the TOUR Championship brings the world’s best golfers to Atlanta’s historic East Lake Golf Club for the thrilling conclusion of the PGA TOUR season. While the competition captures national attention, the tournament’s most enduring impact is felt far beyond the fairways. For Southern Company, a Proud Partner of the TOUR Championship and Official Energy Company of the PGA TOUR, the event represents far more than a sporting spectacle—it is a powerful platform for strengthening communities, aiding classrooms and creating opportunities that last generations.

A partnership with a purpose

As one of Atlanta’s most recognizable corporate citizens, Southern Company has built its reputation on the belief that success should be measured not only by business performance, but also by the positive difference made in the communities it serves. That philosophy is on full display through its decades-long involvement with the TOUR Championship and the many charitable initiatives connected to the tournament.

Here in Atlanta, the TOUR Championship has raised more than $71 million for local nonprofit organizations since the event was first played at East Lake Golf Club in 1998. Southern Company, alongside fellow Proud Partners, has played a significant role in helping make those contributions possible.

The beneficiaries of these efforts are organizations that are transforming lives across Metro Atlanta. From the East Lake Foundation and First Tee – Metro Atlanta to Purpose Built Schools Atlanta, Focused Community Strategies and the Grove Park Foundation, funds generated through the tournament support education, youth development, neighborhood revitalization and pathways to economic opportunity. These organizations share a common mission: creating stronger, more vibrant communities where individuals and families can thrive.

Payne Stewart Award presented by Southern Company

That commitment to community also extends to the Payne Stewart Award, which is presented annually during the week of the TOUR Championship to a professional golfer who best exemplifies 12-time PGA Tour winner Payne Stewart’s steadfast values of character, charity and sportsmanship.

This year’s recipient, Notah Begay III, is a four-time PGA TOUR winner and has remained deeply connected to the Native American community, using his platform to mentor Native American youth and expand access to golf within their communities. A National Native American Hall of Fame inductee, Begay III’s continued impact reflects a career defined not only by performance, but by purpose.

Begay III, the only full-blooded Native American to compete on the PGA TOUR, shares a similar mission of helping others with his NB3 Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to addressing health and wellness challenges facing Native American youth and their communities. Through its programs, the NB3 Foundation has reached more than 80,000 Native American youth and their families across the United States, supporting initiatives focused on physical activity, nutrition, youth development and cultural connection.

The Payne Stewart Award includes a $500,000 charitable grant, with $300,000 directed to causes selected by the recipient and $200,000 to the Stewart Family Foundation. Begay III has chosen to direct his funds to his NB3 Foundation and the Albuquerque Community Foundation, which aids in promoting educational, healthcare, and economic opportunities in Albuquerque, New Mexico and its surrounding communities.

Begay III’s commitment to improving the game of golf and the lives of those who play it seamlessly aligns with the mission and values of both the Stewart Family Foundation and Southern Company.

Driving good energy

Southern Company views community impact as a year-round commitment, not a
once-a-year obligation. The TOUR Championship serves as a catalyst for collaboration among nonprofits, business leaders and community stakeholders working toward common goals. By leveraging the visibility and influence of professional golf, Southern Company helps generate resources that create meaningful change across Atlanta’s neighborhoods.

As the TOUR Championship continues to grow, so does its impact. Each charitable milestone reflects what can be achieved when corporate leadership, community organizations and civic partners work together toward a shared purpose. For Southern Company, the TOUR Championship is more than a world-class event – it is an opportunity to deliver on a promise. A promise to invest in the future, expand opportunity and ensure that the communities it serves are better because of its presence. That’s what it means to drive good energy on the course and off.