Morgan Pressel raises $1.3 million in fight against breast cancer

Morgan Pressel, major champion and lead analyst for Golf Channel’s LPGA coverage, does her best work of the year the first full week of January. That’s when she annually gathers a star-studded cast of LPGA players and hundreds of supporters to raise seven figures in support of the fight against breast cancer.

When it comes to foundation work in women’s golf, Pressel sets the standard.

Earlier this week, the 19^th annual Morgan & Friends event raised a record $1.3 million, bringing the total amount raised over the years to $15.3 million. The main event is held annually at Pressel’s home club, St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida. A second event will be held next month at Banyan Golf Club in nearby West Palm Beach, Florida, after which Pressel hopes the total raised reaches $15.5 million.

“The energy that we had this year from just people wanting to be involved … it’s the earliest that we’ve ever sold out,” said Pressel.

LPGA players who traveled to Boca to support Pressel’s efforts include Lexi Thompson, Brooke Henderson, Paula Creamer, Alexa Pano, Jessica Korda and newcomer Auston Kim.

“She has a new fan club here at St. Andrews, I can tell you that much,” said Pressel of Kim. “It was really amazing. Everybody, of course, loved watching her pound drivers on the range.”

Pressel started her foundation not long after she became the youngest major winner in tour history at the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship. Pressel's mother Kathy died of breast cancer in 2003, and her memory is at the center of this heartfelt mission.

Morgan & Friends utilizes both courses at St. Andrews and 265 golfers participate. The annual dinner has close to 400 attendees. For Pressel, who does the seating chart, it’s like planning a wedding every year.

This year’s honoree was Kim Kaufman, the Epson Tour player who battled back from breast cancer to qualify for the final stage of LPGA Q-School.

“It’s been truly amazing,” said Pressel of Kaufman’s journey. “Not only the physical roller coaster but the emotional roller coaster that she has been on … when she missed her tour card by one after the season-ending Epson Tour event, she said 'I thought that would be the worst thing that would happen to me all year.'"

Then came the cancer diagnosis.

Before Kaufman returned to the Epson Tour competitively, she spearheaded complimentary health screenings for the entire field at the Hartford HealthCare Women's Championship in Connecticut last summer. Early detection is a cornerstone of Pressel’s mission as well.

Last fall, Pressel’s Foundation funded a second MammoVan that travels around south Florida providing mammograms to those without insurance in a convenient and non-intimidating way.

Money raised at this year’s event will continue support the MammoVan as it makes its way out to more rural communities. The vans have increased the number of site visits in Miami-Dade and recently made a first appearance in Monroe County as well.

“It’s kind of overwhelming that it just continues to grow this way,” said Pressel of the support her foundation has seen over nearly two decades.

The No. 1 reason is, of course, the community of St. Andrews. Pressel also has more time to dedicate to the foundation now that she’s away from the grind of full-time competition.

After another record year and milestone anniversary on the horizon, one can’t help feel that the best is yet come.  

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Morgan Pressel raises $1.3 million in fight against breast cancer