New Jersey’s own Morgan Hoffmann turned in a spectacular top-10 finish at The Ridgewood County Club during The Barclays – and thanks to finishing high on the leader board in each of the tournament’s four rounds, stepped his way into raising another $7,500 for charity through the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBNSNJ) Walking Challenge.Last Tuesday, Horizon BCBSNJ challenged Hoffmann, a Wyckoff native and playing before family and friends at the Paramus course, to wear a Fitbit and rack up as many steps as possible while competing in The Barclays. The challenge came on the same day Horizon announced that it was making a $5,000 donation to the New Jersey Golf Foundation, so the company promised to add another $1,000 for every 10,000 steps Hoffmann logged during The Barclays.Over four days of competition, Hoffmann recorded more than 75,000 steps, en route to a final score of 275, which was nine under par and good for a tie for ninth place. When translated into dollars, the steps reached $7,500 charitable contribution, bringing Horizon’s total donation to the New Jersey Golf Foundation to $12,500. Hoffmann took time from his busy golf week to join Horizon BCBSNJ at the Horizon Health and Wellness Expo at Ridgewood to sign autographs, give golf tips to children and present the initial $5,000 donation to the New Jersey Golf Foundation.“We’re extremely proud of how Morgan performed on the course and even more inspired by his willingness to give back to the game and support the children who participate in the New Jersey Golf Foundation’s programs,” said Jonathan R. Pearson, Director of Corporate Philanthropy and Community Affairs for Horizon BCBSNJ.“We want to thank The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey for its generous donation and continued support in helping us bring the game of golf to young golfers who may someday follow in Morgan’s footsteps and represent New Jersey in future PGA TOUR events,” said Chris Hunt, Executive Director of the New Jersey Golf Foundation.Through the PGA TOUR’s charitable efforts, millions of dollars each year go back to communities where tour events like The Barclays are played, benefitting nearly 3,000 charities and countless individuals worldwide. In fact, the PGA TOUR recently celebrated crossing the $2 billion mark in charitable giving since the organization was founded.As Health Care sponsor of The Barclays, Horizon BCBSNJ also prodded spectators to get into the walking spirit. Fans who came through Horizon BCBSNJ Health and Wellness Expo at The Barclays were challenged to walk to five points on the course – covering about two miles -- and to get a walking passport stamped. Those walkers who completed the challenge were entered into a special sweepstakes in which five Fitbits were awarded each day of the tournament.
About Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New JerseyHorizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state’s oldest and largest health insurer, is a tax-paying, not-for-profit health services corporation, providing a wide array of medical, dental, and prescription insurance products and services. Horizon BCBSNJ is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, serving 3.7 million members with headquarters in Newark and offices in Wall, Mt. Laurel, and West Trenton. Learn more at
www.HorizonBlue.com.About The Horizon Foundation for New JerseyThe Horizon Foundation for New Jersey promotes health, well-being, and quality of life across our state by supporting charitable organizations. For more information about the Foundation, visit
www.horizonblue.com/foundation.About the NJ Golf FoundationThe NJ Golf Foundation, Inc. is the charitable arm of the New Jersey Section, PGA of America and is designed to positively impact lives and communities through the game of golf. The NJGF has 3 pillars; Youth, Special Needs & The Military and serve the citizens of the Garden State through programs such as: Golf in Schools, First Tee Chapters in NJ, YMCA & Boys and Girls Clubs of America Chapters, Special Olympics NJ, Challenged Youth Sports Inc., SNAP of Morristown, the Els for Autism Foundation & PGA H.O.P.E.. To learn more visit:
www.njgolffoundation.comAbout The BarclaysThe Barclays has been a part of the PGA TOUR schedule since 1967 when Jack Nicklaus won the inaugural event at Westchester Country Club. Since that time, some of the greatest players in the game have earned the title including World Golf Hall of Famers Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, Raymond Floyd, Seve Ballesteros, Hale Irwin and Curtis Strange. Many of the world’s current top players have won the event as well, including two-time champions Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia; four-time champion Vijay Singh; Dustin Johnson; and 2013 champion Adam Scott. As the first of four playoff events, The Barclays plays a leading role in the FedExCup, the season-long competition that is the centerpiece of the PGA TOUR season.