HOUSTON, TX – The Astros Golf Foundation has partnered with the inaugural Mack Champ Invitational, which will be played this weekend at Memorial Park, also the home of the Houston Open. The 2021 Mack Champ Invitational will feature some of the game’s best junior golfers of diverse backgrounds. Over 100 youth from 20 different states are playing, including 14 golfers from the Houston area. The two-round tournament will begin on Saturday and conclude on Sunday with Tee Times set for 8-10:10 a.m.

“The Astros Golf Foundation is proud to partner with the Cameron Champ Foundation and the Mack Champ Invitational,” said Giles Kibbe, President of the Astros Golf Foundation. “Much like what we’ve done at the Astros Youth Academy and the Bob Watson Education Center, Jim Crane undertook this Memorial Park project to not only host the Houston Open, but to provide opportunities for underserved and underrepresented kids to develop their athletic skills and improve their education. That is exactly what the Cameron Champ Foundation is focused on and what the Mack Champ Invitational is all about. We are thrilled to be a part of this tournament and this great cause.”

The 36-hole event, for boys and girls ages 9-18, will provide these junior golfers with an opportunity to showcase their talents and attend a clinic with Cameron Champ, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, who played his college golf at Texas A&M. The tournament is named after Cameron’s grandfather Mack, who introduced him to the game. The tournament is run by the Cameron Champ Foundation.

“Once we decided to host the Mack Champ Invitational in Houston, our first call was to the Astros Golf Foundation,” said Glenn Weckerlin, Chairman of the Cameron Champ Foundation. “We saw how successful they were in rejuvenating the Houston Open and what their Foundation did to make Memorial Park a world-class venue. We also know how important it is for their foundation to give back to the community and serve youth via the game of golf. It’s been an ideal partnership, they have been with us every step of the way as we built this incredible junior event.”

For more information on Cameron, Mack, and the tournament, please visit MackChampInvitational.com and CameronChampFoundation.org.

The home of the Mack Champion Invitational is Memorial Park, which hosted the 2020 Houston Open in November. It was the first played at Memorial Park since 1963 and followed a $34-million renovation by the Astros Foundation, which transformed the course into a spectacular, PGA-caliber track. Renowned golf course architect Tom Doak oversaw the renovation project, with consultation from Brooks Koepka. This year’s Houston Open will return to Memorial Park from Nov. 11-14, 2021. For more information on the Houston Open, please visit HoustonOpenGolf.com.

ABOUT THE ASTROS GOLF FOUNDATION

The 2021 Houston Open will be the third hosted and operated by the Astros Golf Foundation, which was formed in 2018 after Jim Crane agreed to take control of the long-standing tournament. The Astros Golf Foundation was established with three key objectives: to ensure that the PGA TOUR event remains in Houston; to bring the tournament back to its glory and into the heart of the city; to provide much-needed resources and funds to the citizens and community of Houston through park improvements, charitable fundraising and investing in youth programs.