Peyton Manning named 2024 Ambassador of Golf

AKRON, Ohio – PGA TOUR Champions and Northern Ohio Golf Charities Foundation recognized Pro Football Hall of Fame member Peyton Manning on Thursday at the Kaulig Companies Championship as the 2024 recipient of the Ambassador of Golf Award. The award – which benefits the Northern Ohio Golf Charities Foundation – honors a person who has fostered the ideals of the game on an international level and whose concerns for others extends beyond the golf course.

“I’m very honored to receive this award,” said Manning. “It’s a distinguished list of individuals who have been named Ambassador of Golf and I’m proud to be listed alongside them. Golf has been a part of my sports journey – from playing with my dad growing up to playing with teammates throughout my career, golf has been important to me. I have great respect for the game and the impact it can have in a community, so this is a tremendous honor.

Manning received this award thanks to his continued efforts as a champion for the game of golf, while remaining committed to making a difference through charitable initiatives. Manning served as the Honorary Chairman of the 2023 U.S. Amateur Golf Championship, held at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills, Colorado. He has also participated in "The Match: Champions for Charity" in May 2020, partnering with Tiger Woods to face off against Tom Brady and Phil Mickelson, in an event that raised over $20 million towards coronavirus relief efforts. Then, in November 2020, Manning paired up with NBA star and 2023 Ambassador of Golf Stephen Curry for "The Match: Champions for Change," a charity event against NBA Hall of Fame forward Charles Barkley and Mickelson that raised money for historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Manning also plays in the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday pro-am each year.

“Through the game we all love, Peyton Manning, one of the preeminent athletes of his generation and currently one of the most recognized personalities in sports and entertainment, has used his platform to make golf more welcoming to all,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “These efforts and his values align with everything our sport stands for, and we are thrilled to honor him with the 2024 Ambassador of Golf award.”

The Ambassador of Golf event was held on Thursday, July 11, at House 330 in Akron, Ohio. Guests enjoyed dinner, entertainment and an inside-the-ropes conversation with Manning. Proceeds from the event benefit dozens of organizations through the Northern Ohio Golf Charities Foundation.

Manning has received numerous awards for his philanthropic efforts, including receiving the Bryon “Whizzer” White Humanitarian Award and NFL’s Walter Payton Award in 2005, the Bart Starr Award in 2015 and the Lincoln Medal in 2017. A longtime supporter of the Pat Summitt Foundation – a non-profit with a mission to find a cure for Alzheimer’s – Manning joined the Pat Summitt Foundation advisory board in 2012 and co-chairs several fundraising events throughout the year. He also sits on the American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet.

Manning and his wife, Ashley, established the PeyBack Foundation in 1999 to promote the future success of disadvantaged youth by assisting programs that provide leadership and growth opportunities for children at risk. Since its inception, the PeyBack Foundation has provided millions of dollars through its grants and programs. In 2020, through the PeyBack Foundation, Manning endowed a total of nine scholarships at three HBCU schools in Tennessee and five in Louisiana. Manning is a champion for the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent (Indiana), serving as an ambassador, advocate and fundraiser. Manning and Ashley co-chair the signature fundraising event for the hospital each spring, which raises money to expand and enhance departments and services offered.

One of the most decorated players in NFL history, Manning is the NFL’s only five-time Most Valuable Player and a 14-time Pro Bowl selection, has earned his place among the greatest quarterbacks in league history as one of the leaders in nearly every statistical passing category. Manning was selected for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2021. A first-ballot Hall of Fame selection, Manning was enshrined in Canton, Ohio, in August 2021. For more information on Manning, click here.

Manning joins an illustrious list of Ambassador of Golf Award winners:

• 1981 Chi Chi Rodriguez
• 1982 Bing Crosby
• 1983 Byron Nelson
• 1984 Gene Sarazen
• 1985 President Gerald Ford
• 1986 Bob Hope
• 1987 Dinah Shore
• 1988 Joe Dey
• 1989 Frank Chirkinian
• 1990 Barbara Nicklaus
• 1991 Arnold Palmer
• 1992 Nancy Lopez
• 1993 Roberto De Vicenzo
• 1994 President George H.W. Bush
• 1995 Michael Bonnallack
• 1996 Deane Beman
• 1997 Peter Thomson
• 1998 Ken Venturi
• 1999 Gary Player
• 2000 Ben Hogan and Sam Snead
• 2001 Del de Windt
• 2002 Joanne Carner
• 2003 Robert Dedman Sr. and Jack Vickers
• 2004 Lee Trevino
• 2005 Pete Dye
• 2006 Ken Schofield
• 2007 Tony Jacklin
• 2008 Charlie Sifford
• 2009 Hale Irwin
• 2010 Tom Watson
• 2011 Nick Price
• 2012 Nick Faldo
• 2013 Jack Nicklaus
• 2014 Johnny Miller
• 2015 Judy Rankin
• 2016 Davis Love III
• 2017 Peter Jacobsen
• 2018 Jim Nantz
• 2019 Fred Couples
• 2021 President George W. Bush
• 2022 Condoleezza Rice
• 2023 Stephen Curry