Maine's new pro golf tourney will donate $100K to Portland children's hospital

File Photo / William Hall Barbara Bush Children's Hospital will receive up to $100,000 from proceeds of a pro golf tournament, to be played at the Falmouth Country Club, shown in this photo from August.

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By Staff

The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland will receive up to $100,000 from proceeds of the state’s first professional golf tournament in almost 30 years.

The Live + Work in Maine Open, scheduled for June 8-14, will bring 156 international pros to the Falmouth Country Club, competing for a $600,000 purse. On Wednesday, organizers of the open said it will contribute a portion of ticket sales and other revenue to the pediatric care hospital, sited within 637-bed Maine Medical Center.

In addition, the tourney has signed former PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman to serve as honorary chair of the event, according to a news release.

“The Live + Work in Maine Open is committed to driving significant charitable, community and economic impact to our region,” said Brian Corcoran, chief engagement officer and founder of Portland marketing firm Shamrock Sports & Entertainment, which is managing the tournament.

“We consider ourselves lucky to partner with The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital and former PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman. We all share common values to drive meaningful and measurable purpose through this high-profile event.”

The Live + Work in Maine Open, a stop on pro golf’s Korn Ferry Tour, was announced in September and is expected to add $8 million to the regional economy, tour officials say. The tournament is contracted to run each year through 2024.

The Korn Ferry Tour is the development series of competitions for the PGA Tour, considered the elite level of play in men’s golf. Beman, a four-time PGA winner, served as that tour’s commissioner from 1974-1994. He is widely recognized for establishing it as a major sports league through television agreements and sponsorships, and oversaw the launch of what is now the Korn Ferry Tour in 1990. Beman was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2000.

Maine last hosted a pro golf tournament in 1993, when the Korn Ferry Tour predecessor stopped at another Falmouth golf venue, the Woodlands Club.