He’s a member at Augusta National. He has a stake in Sweetens Cove, a highly acclaimed Tennessee 9-hole course that he co-owns with the likes of Jim Nantz, Andy Roddick and PGA Tour golfer Keith Mitchell. He teamed with none other than Tiger Woods to beat Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady in The Match: Champions for Charity event. And he served as the honorary chairman of the 2023 U.S. Amateur, held at Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado.
Suffice it to say Peyton Manning is starting to build up a golf resume that rivals the one he compiled on the gridiron.
So it seemed fitting Wednesday when it was announced that the Pro Football Hall of Famer will be named the 2024 recipient of the Ambassador of Golf Award, which will be given out in July during The Kaulig Companies Championship, a major on the PGA Tour Champions, at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.
The award 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.”
Peyton Manning Q&A: Jim Nantz narrating Sweetens Cove shots, learning bourbon and Archie’s $37 flights
“It is a privilege to be named as the recipient of this award,” said Manning. “To see my name listed alongside the many distinguished individuals who have won this before me is a tremendous honor. I’ve been able to see the impact that golf can have in a community and opportunities that we have to make a difference in people’s lives. This award is an encouragement to continue making a difference through the game of golf.”
Manning joins an impressive list of winners that includes Chi Chi Rodriguez (1981); Byron Nelson (1983); Dinah Shore (1987); Barbara Nicklaus (1990); Arnold Palmer (1991); Nancy Lopez (1992); Deane Beman (1996); Ken Venturi (1998); Gary Player (1999); Ben Hogan and Sam Snead (2000); Joanne Carner (2002); Lee Trevino (2004); Pete Dye (2005); Charlie Sifford (2008); Hale Irwin (2009); Tom Watson (2010); Nick Price (2011); Nick Faldo (2012); Jack Nicklaus (2013); Johnny Miller (2014); Judy Rankin (2015); Davis Love III (2016); Peter Jacobsen (2017); Jim Nantz (2018); Fred Couples (2019) and Stephen Curry (2023).
“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 at next year’s Kaulig Companies Championship.”
