Toby Keith Announces The Return Of Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic
To date, the event has raised more than $15 million for OK Kids Korral.
Photo Courtesy Toby Keith
The Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic will be returning to Norman, OK in June for its 19th edition.
Taking place the weekend of June 2-3, the event will be hosted in support OK Kids Korral, the cost-free home for families of children battling cancer. This organization strives to provide a safe, convenient, and hopeful environment for these families to connect with each other and focus on the well-being of their child or children.
Sawyer Brown will headline the denim and diamonds-themed dinner and auction on Friday, June 2 at Riverwind Casino with support from local favorites Drive.
The silent auction items will include signed memorabilia from NFL quarterback Joe Burrow, NBA star Steph Curry, golf icon Tiger Woods and music greats Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Luke Combs, Thomas Rhett, Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert, Parker McCollum, Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn.
Additionally, several businesses have offered up donations for the auction including Ashley Furniture, Crew’s Cottage Carlton Landing, The Joinery, Tim Kenney, Travis McIntyre, Red Fork Distillery, Kennel & Crate, Ryan Cunningham, South OKC Ace Hardware and LOREC Ranch Home Furnishings.
Those in attendance will also get to take part in a live auction, which will offer trips to Australia and Croatia, a hunting excursion, membership to the private national golf Dormie Network and one-of-a-kind items from Toby Keith.
Silent auction bidding opens to the public May 12 HERE.
Then, on Saturday, June 3, shotgun start golf will begin at Norman’s Belmar Golf Club and come to a close with a $10,000 closest-to-the-pin shootout.
Last year, the 18th annual Toby Keith & Friends Golf Classic raised more than $1.3 million, which marked the third-highest total ever. To date, the event has raised more than $15 million for OK Kids Korral.
Toby Keith had remained out of the spotlight since revealing his cancer diagnosis to fans in early June of 2022. The country hitmaker and Songwriters Hall of Fame member took to social media over the summer to share his diagnosis with fans.
“Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I’ve spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery. So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax,” the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member wrote at the time.
He added, “I am looking forward to spending this time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can’t wait.”
After he announced his diagnosis, all of Keith’s upcoming concert appearances were canceled and no future dates have officially been announced. However, he did make his first public appearance when he stepped up on stage at Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse in Lexington, Kentucky on November 4.
The 2022 Breeders’ Cup took place on Friday (Nov. 4) and Saturday (Nov. 5) at Keeneland Race Course. After a day at the races, Keith enjoyed a night out with dinner at Jeff Ruby’s and shocked those in attendance when he took to the stage for his first performance in a year.
He joined Ruby and the house band at the high-end steakhouse for an impromptu performance of his 2003 chart-topper, “I Love This Bar, Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” Lynyrd Skynard’s “Sweet Home Alabama,” and more.
Just a few days after this spontaneous appearance, the “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” was recognized for his many achievements at the 70th Annual BMI Country Awards.
While at the star-studded event, Keith sat down with CMT Hot 20 Countdown’s Cody Alan to discuss his recent return to the stage and revealed if he plans to tour again. This was a rare moment for the singer as it was his first televised interview since revealing his stomach cancer diagnosis.
“Yeah, I’m thinking about… I’m thinking about getting back to fightin’ shape,” he said in response to his plans to return to the road. “I need a little bit of time to just rest up and heal up,” he explained. “It’s pretty debilitating to have to go through all that, but as long as everything stays hunky-dory then we’ll look at something good in the future.”
Over the course of his career, Toby Keith has racked up 32 No. 1 singles and 40 million albums sold, making him one of country music’s biggest hitmakers. He also wrote a chart-topping hit every year for 20 consecutive years, including “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American),” “I Love This Bar,” “Beer For My Horses,” and “As Good As I Once Was.”
On top of that, he’s earned a slew of highly credited honors including the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2015), the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (2021) and BMI Icon (2022).
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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