Greg McLaughlin, President PGA TOUR Champions talked about the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai returning to the Big Island of Hawaii for the 22nd year.It's was  season opening event for the PGA TOUR Champions with official event champions of the 2016 and 2017 seasons, winners of the majors from recent years and professionals by invitation with a minimum of five or more career victories, including one major.I think one of the best aspects of this Mitsubishi Electric Championship is monies raised for our local charities. The Rotary Club of Kona organizes the 300+ volunteers with Kris Hazard and Larry Webb continuing as volunteer co-chairs and in return the tournament donates to the Rotary Club of Kona Community Foundation. Big Island Junior Golf and the Daniel R Sayre Foundation are also recipients. I think it is significant that Greg McLaughlin was involved with many of the current PGA TOUR Champions players as they were coming up and making strides on the PGA TOUR.Before he joined the PGA TOUR as Senior VP of PGA TOUR Championship Management, Greg was Tournament Director of the PGA Northern Trust Open (formerly Nissan Open), Honda classic, BMW Championship and Director of the Tiger Woods Foundation for 14 years. At the Nissan Open in 1992 at Rivera Country Club in LA Greg was responsible for providing Tiger Woods with his first exemption to compete in a PGA TOUR. Fred Couples won the Nissan Open that year. I was at that 1992 Nissan Open and it was the first time I met Greg McLaughlin and it was the first time I ever saw Tiger Woods. He was around 16 years old. I was just venturing to other venues to cover golf and I'll always remember how helpful and friendly Greg was to me when I got press credentials for the Nissan Open over several years.  Fast Forward 2023 Greg is now Chief Executive Officer-PGA Tour First Tee Foundation & World Golf Foundation.I appreciate having worked with and been very involved with the PGA TOUR Champions and Kelly Fliear, Tournament Manager for 22 years now. It's been fun to weave so many relationships in the world of golf in my hometown Detroit and Hawaii into my life. For instance Brian Goin. Brian had been Tournament Director of the Ford Seniors in Detroit for many years and then as Director of PGA Tour Championship Management we worked together on the Mitsubishic Electric Championship at Hualalai. We have mutual friends in the Detroit Media and handful of my friends from Detroiters have for years played in the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai Pro-AM and we have a few spots open for this year.Greg and I mention Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc, Michigan being the site in September 2018 for the PGA TOUR Champions Ally Challenge. Warwick Hills hosted the Buick Open for 45 years through 2009. As a junior golfer aspiring to play professional golf in the 1960's, attending the Buick Open was very special. So grateful for the game of golf and the relationships in my life through golf professionally and personally. Thanks for listening to the Emily T Gail Talk Story Show emilytgailtalkstory.podomatic.com.

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