North Mississippi Classic raises $100,000 for Children’s Hospital
Published 10:30 am Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Century Club Charities, host organization for the North Mississippi Classic golf tournament, presented a $100,000 gift to the organization Friends of Children’s Hospital on Monday.
The donation will go toward FOCH’s $20 million pledge to the Campaign for Children’s of Mississippi, a philanthropic effort of the University of Mississippi Medical Center that is helping fund construction of a seven-story, 340,000-square-foot pediatric tower adjacent to Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital.
“Century Club’s mission is to benefit Mississippi charities through the game of golf,” Jeff Hubbard, Century Club Charities president, said in a news release. “With 2018 being our inaugural year, we are pleased to be able to give this donation to Friends of Children’s Hospital, and we are looking for bigger and better things to come in future years.”
The Country Club of Oxford hosted the inaugural Web.com Tour North Mississippi Classic in April, where 156 players competed for a $550,000 purse. The tournament champion, Eric Axley, received $99,000. According to Larry Britt, the tournament is under contract, and will be held for at least two more years, if not longer.
Britt, who owns the Country Club of Oxford, announced the news at Monday night’s Board of Supervisors meeting. In his statement of thanks, Britt said the tournament, and the donation, wouldn’t have been possible without support from the county, city of Oxford and the University of Mississippi. The donation is one Britt said held a personal connection.
“I’ve had to have two grandchildren in there,” he said. “So I have a soft spot in my heart for Batson Children’s Hospital.”
The North Mississippi Classic is the third PGA Tour-sanctioned event to be held annually in Mississippi, joining the PGA Tour’s Sanderson Farms Championship, also hosted by Century Club Charities, and the Rapiscan Systems Classic on PGA Tour Champions.