PORTLAND, Ore. — She won her first LPGA tournament since 2014, but Stacy Lewis wasn’t in a hurry to pocket the $195,000 prize money.
Instead, the American golfer, who lives in Texas with her husband, will donate her Portland Classic winnings to the Houston Relief Fund set up in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
One of the 32-year-old golfer’s sponsors has agreed to match her donation, while another has donated an undisclosed amount.
The hurricane has claimed 53 lives and forced tens of thousands out of their homes and into aid shelters.
Houston authorities have said it will “take years” for the city to recover as it comes to terms with the extent of the devastation.
“I was hoping some of my sponsors would step up and donate a little bit,” Lewis said.
“Obviously I wasn’t expecting the match from [main sponsor] KPMG. Marathon [the petroleum company] have an office and refinery and all that down in Houston, so they wanted to make that donation, but didn’t want to make it to the public.
“Just what we’re going to be able to do, we’re going to be able to help rebuild houses and get their homes back. That’s more important than anything.”