Last Update: May 15, 2009

TOUR Championship Volunteers: 

It takes hundreds of volunteers and thousands of hours of support to ensure the success of THE TOUR Championship Presented by Coca-Cola.  THE TOUR Championship provides us the opportunity to give back to the community.  The 2008 TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola made contributions totaling more than $1.4 million to charities, which primarily benefit the East Lake Foundation and The First Tee.  Since 1998, THE TOUR Championship has donated more than $9 million to charity, both locally and nationwide.  It is with our volunteer support and effort that we are able to give so much back to charity, the heart of the PGA TOUR.

2009 TOURNAMENT DATES:  September 21 - 27, 2009

Each year we have an incredible volunteer renewal rate, usually filling 85% of our 1,300 volunteer positions during the first month of receiving applications from returning volunteers. (Please see the Volunteer Recruiting Timeline below for details). Therefore, once we open the remaining positions to new volunteers, there are usually only a handful of opportunities still available.

As THE TOUR Championship continues to grow, it has become more difficult to get your first committee choice as a first year volunteer. Our best suggestion is to become a volunteer now, even if the committees still available are not your first choice, so that when we renew for the following year, you are included in the first round of applications and have a better chance of switching to your desired position.

To see a current list of committees that still have openings and a brief description of what each one does, please go to the Committee Descriptions page on our new Volunteer Website at:

www.volunteers.tourchampionship.info

Best of luck and thank you for your interest in becoming a TOUR Championship Volunteer.

On-Line Volunteer Application:
To apply on line, please click here.

Volunteer Recruiting Timeline

February 2009:

At the end of January, applications were sent via U.S. mail to all volunteers from the 2008 TOUR Championship. Volunteers with an e-mail address in the database also received a message with the on-line application link.
Priority for assignments was given to those volunteers who worked THE TOUR Championship in 2008, provided their application is received by March 1, 2009.

After March 1, committee chairmen filled openings on their committee with new recruits until April 1, 2009.

March 31, 2009:

• Returning volunteers who wanted to switch committees were assigned to open positions on a first come, first served basis.

April 1, 2009:

• Remaining positions are open to anyone and are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Applications were sent to new volunteers who filled out the Volunteer Application Request Form. 
• Volunteers from the 2008 tournament may still sign up at any time, but after the March 1 deadline their positions from the previous year will not be held for them.  It is first-come, first-served.  
• Please note:  Positions can only be filled with a paid application.  We cannot hold spots with just a name.
  

Committee Descriptions

It takes 67 volunteer committees to successfully run THE TOUR Championship. 

To see a current list of committees that still have openings and a brief description of what each one does, please go to the Committee Descriptions page on our new Volunteer Website at:

www.volunteers.tourchampionship.info

For More Information:

For questions regarding volunteering for THE TOUR Championship, please call 404.378.8687. Thank you for your interest in volunteering for THE TOUR Championship!

2009 Uniform has not yet been determined.

2008 Uniform

VOLUNTEERS

White Greg Norman Shirt

Red Cutter and Buck Jacket

CHAIRMEN

Women:  Red Cutter and Buck Shirt

Men:  Red Nike Shirt

Red Cutter and Buck Jacket

The Award

The Billy Payne Volunteer of the Year Award was created during the 2004 Championship. As East Lake Golf Club is now the permanent home of the Championship, the tournament organizers knew it was important to recognize an outstanding volunteer every year. The award was named after Billy Payne, in recognition for the work he done for THE TOUR Championship and in the Atlanta community.

Payne was the inaugural recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award and it was presented to him during the Greenside Chat in 2004. The award will be given to the volunteer that best displays Payne's qualities which include leadership, service, hard work, humility, camaraderie, respect for people, love of the game and desire to enhance local community. Chairman, Hole Captains and Vice Chairmen will be asked to cast their vote for their Volunteer of the Year candidate at the completion of the tournament. Nominations will be reviewed by the General Chairman, Vice Chairmen and the Championship Staff. The Volunteer of the Year winner will be announced at the Greenside Chat and will receive a replica of the Bobby Jones Calamity Jane Putter.

The information and criteria for the award will be available during tournament week in Volunteer Village. The Volunteer Tent committee will be available to help answer any questions.

Pictured left to right are: Executive Director of THE TOUR Championship, Todd Rhinehart; President of East Lake Golf Club, Ray Robinson; 2004 General Chairman and Inaugural Award Recipient, Billy Payne; the Coca-Cola Company, Kasia Horner and Vice President of PGA TOUR Championship Management, Ron Cross.

The Award

The Tom Cousins Leadership Award was established in 2005 to recognize an outstanding Committee Chairman or Hole Captain each year who exemplifies the ideal team leader in terms of service to the tournament, an energetic spirit, perseverance, flexibility, hard work and who shows exceptional dedication to the tournament. The award was named after Tom Cousins, in recognition for his leadership in the Atlanta community.

Cousins was the inaugural recipient of the Leadership Award and it was presented to him during the Greenside Chat in 2005. The Volunteer of the Year will be announced each year at the Greenside Chat and the winner will receive a special award which includes a replica of the feather from the Native American bust which resides at East Lake Golf Club.

Picture: Inaugural Award Recipient, Mr. Tom Cousins (left), and 2005/2006 General Chairman, Rob Johnston, pose at the dedication of the native american bust.

It takes 1,300 volunteers to run THE TOUR Championship.  Ever wonder how they are all organized?

Volunteer Positions

There are five different types of volunteer positions:

Volunteers - are assigned to work on a committee.  They report to their committee Chairman.

Chairmen - are in charge of managing the committee they are assigned to.  There are 67 total committees.  Chairman report to their Vice-Chairman.

Vice-Chairmen - are in charge of managing the committees in their division.  There are 8 total divisions.  Vice-Chairmen report to the First Vice-Chairman and the General Chairman.

First Vice-Chairman - is in charge of overseeing all the committees and divisions at THE TOUR Championship.  The First Vice-Chairman reports to the General Chairman.

General Chairman - is in charge of overseeing all the committees and divisions at THE TOUR Championship. 

The PGA TOUR staff meets monthly with our "Executive Board" of volunteers which includes the General Chairman, First Vice-Chairmen, and all Vice-Chairmen.  We meet to discuss all aspects of tournament operations and volunteer issues.  We don't get to see most of our chairmen and volunteers until closer to the tournament.

To see where your committee is located on the Organizational Chart, please visit our New Volunteer Website by clicking here.

We have several talented and dedicated volunteers who work hard to produce volunteer newsletters throughout the year and each day of the competition rounds during tournament week.  To see the Newsletters to date, please visit our New Volunteer Website by clicking here.