Our Campaign Co-Chairmen

 

Letter from Jonathan and Chip

Jonathan Byrd

Byrd was born in Anderson, South Carolina. He attended Clemson University between 1997 and 2000. During his Clemson career, Byrd was the first four-time First Team All-ACC player in Clemson history, was named a First Team All-America in 1999, and represented the United States on the Walker Cup team in 1999.

Byrd turned professional in 2000 and played on the Buy.Com Tour (now Nationwide Tour winning the BUY.COM Charity Pro-Am at The Cliffs and finishing eighth on the money list.
In his first season on the PGA Tour in 2002, Byrd won the Buick Challenge and was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. Byrd won the B.C. Open in 2004 and the John Deere Classic in 2007.

Byrd had an average season in 2008 with two top-10s and a little over $1,000,000 in earnings. In 2009, his best finish was at the Memorial Tournament, where he was joint second round leader with Jim Furyk. Byrd would go on to finish T3.

On October 24, 2010, Byrd defeated Martin Laird and Cameron Percy in a sudden-death playoff at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open for his fourth PGA Tour title. Byrd aced the fourth playoff hole, the par-3 17th, to win the championship.

Byrd continues his winning ways in 2011 having captured the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in early January.   He won in it in yet another playoff, securing his second victory in his last two starts.

Chip Beck

Charles Henry "Chip" Beck was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Beck was three time All-American at the University of Georgia. He has four victories on the PGA Tour and twenty runner-up finishes. He spent 40 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1988 and 1989.

He was the runner-up at the 1993 Masters Tournament, and was tied for runner-up at the 1986 and 1989 U.S. Open championships. He is also noted for his stellar play at the 1991 Ryder Cup held at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort and is a three time Ryder Cup participant, also playing in 1989 and 1993 at The Belfry Golf & Country Club in Sutton Coldfield, England. He won the Vardon Trophy in 1988.

Beck shot a round of 59 during the third round of the 1991 Las Vegas Invitational on the Sunrise Golf Club (par 72) in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In 2006, Beck became eligible for the Champions Tour and enjoyed newfound success.