Puerto Rican golfers Rafael Campos and María Fernanda Torres top the list of 20 professionals who will meet on March 3 at the TPC Dorado Beach to play in the Puerto Rico Open Charity PRO-AM. The event, endorsed by the PGA TOUR, will serve as a platform to raise $500,000 for Puerto Rico charities struggling to recover after hurricane Maria and lay the groundwork for the return of the official tournament in 2019.
“For ten years, the Puerto Rico Open has been part of the PGA TOUR’s regular season. In September of 2017, when the tournament’s organizing team was preparing for the 2018 edition, the island suffered the onslaught of María. Four months later, the conditions are not yet adequate to carry out the official tournament, but our commitment to the island is stronger than ever and we will do our part to help Puerto Rico recover,” said David H. Chafey, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Open.
After a successful call to professionals of the PGA TOUR and the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), a total of 10 male players –including four past Puerto Rico Open champions– and 10 female players have confirmed their participation in the charity match, to be played at the TPC East Championship Course in Dorado Beach.
The following professional players will participate in the event: Rafael Campos (Puerto Rico), George McNeill (USA), Marc Turnesa (USA), Greg Kraft (USA), Brad Fritsch (Canada), Derek Lamley (USA), D.A. Points (USA), Robert Gamez (USA), Andres Romero (Argentina), and Chesson Hadley (USA). The confirmed LPGA players are: María Fernanda Torres (Puerto Rico), Cheyenne Woods (USA), Belén Mozo (Spain), Giulia Molinaro (Italy), Emma Talley (USA), Amanda Blumenherst (USA), Paula Reto (South Africa), Verónica Felibert (Venezuela), Mariajo Uribe (Colombia), and Paola Moreno (Colombia).
“It gives me great pride to receive my fellow players, who come to give their time to help Puerto Rico, and show how beautiful my island is to all these visitors. In addition, I look forward to a positive impression of all the efforts that are underway to make our island shine again as before,” said Maria Fernanda Torres, who made her LPGA debut this year.
Meanwhile, Rafael Campos, who managed to position himself among the top ten players of the last edition of the Puerto Rico Open commented: “Playing in Puerto Rico surrounded by my people is always exciting and makes me feel super proud. This time it’s even more exciting for me to be the host of a tournament that brings so much to the island and that, this year, is more focused than ever on its charitable mission.”
In addition, a Celebrity AM-AM will be played on Friday, March 2, when a group of entertainment and sports personalities will take to the field in support of the fundraising goal. For more information, visit www.puertoricoopen.golf.
This article originally appeared on PGA Tour.