Washington (AFP) - Two-time major champion Collin Morikawa has pledged to donate $1,000 for every birdie he makes in the US PGA Tour's FedEx Cup playoffs to fire relief efforts in Hawaii.
The American, who has strong family ties to the island of Maui, made the announcement on Instagram on Thursday as the first playoff event, the St. Jude Championship, teed off in Memphis.
"Maui has always held a special place in my heart – my grandfather owned a restaurant called The Morikawa Restaurant, on Front Street in Lahaina,” Morikawa, who won the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 British Open, wrote.
"The people of Hawaii are going to need all the support that we can give them. During the course of the playoffs, I’m going to donate $1,000 for every birdie that I make."
President Joe Biden declared the Hawaii fires a "major disaster" on Thursday, unblocking federal aid for relief efforts.
Officials said that at least 36 people had been confirmed dead with the toll expected to rise as searches continue.
The historic seaside town of Lahaina has been hardest hit, with more than 270 buildings damaged and destroyed.
Morikawa's family emigrated from Japan to Maui, where his paternal grandparents were born.
His grandparents relocated to California, where his parents met and Morikawa was brought up, but the 26-year-old has recalled spending time on Maui and with family on Hawaii's Big Island.
Morikawa said in his post he had not yet determined a beneficiary of the money raised.
"The recency of these events means we haven’t identified the best place for the funds to go yet but as the situation evolves, I’ll share the beneficiary to highlight the recovery work they’ll be doing and how you can also support," he wrote.
The FedEx Cup playoffs comprise three events. Seventy players qualified for this week's tournament, 50 will advance to next week's BMW Championship and 30 will advance to the season-ending Tour Championship.
