BIZ PRESS RELEASE
Applications open for 2027 KW88 Gift Award
Five aspiring professional golfers will each receive $5,000 to help pursue their dreams.
September 30, 2026
Applications are now open for the 2027 KW88 Gift Award, which will provide five aspiring women professional golfers with gifts of $5,000 each to help them continue pursuing their careers.
The application period opened Sept. 21 and continues through Oct. 26. Finalists will be selected by Nov. 16, with interviews conducted between Nov. 17 and Dec. 2. The five recipients are expected to be notified by Dec. 22.
The KW88 Gift Award honors legendary golfer Kathy Whitworth and her desire to help young women who have demonstrated a commitment to professional golf, a need for financial assistance and the determination to pursue their dreams.
Its inspiration comes from a pivotal moment early in Whitworth’s own career.
After one year on the LPGA Tour, the 19-year-old golfer was struggling financially and questioning whether she could continue. When she returned home to Jal, New Mexico, her parents and several local business leaders gathered around the family’s kitchen table. They reaffirmed their belief in her abilities and assembled a modest fund that allowed her to remain on Tour for three more years.
That encouragement and financial breathing room gave Whitworth the opportunity to concentrate on becoming the best golfer she could be. She ultimately recorded 88 LPGA Tour victories — more than any other player in the history of professional golf.
The KW88 Gift Award carries that remarkable act of faith forward by providing practical support and encouragement to another generation of women pursuing professional golf.
Each of the five 2027 recipients will receive $5,000 to help them pursue a career in professional golf. Previous recipients are not eligible to receive the award a second time.
Applications must be completed and submitted by Oct. 26, 2026. Once an applicant begins the online application, all questions must be completed in the same session.
To learn more and apply, visit the 2027 KW88 Gift Award application.
Questions about the application may be directed to KW88 Gift Award Committee Co-Chairs Cathy Harbin at cathyharbin@oncourseops.com or Bettye Odle at obiglou@aol.com.
The KW88 Gift Award is distributed through the Kathy Whitworth Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to inspiring young women to embrace confidence, strong values and responsibility while developing leadership and sportsmanship skills for lifelong success.
About Kathy Whitworth
Kathy Whitworth is the winningest golfer in professional golf history. During her extraordinary career, she recorded 88 LPGA Tour victories and became one of the game’s most respected and influential champions. The KW88 Gift Award perpetuates her legacy by supporting young women working to establish professional golf careers.