On Sept. 26 and 27, the Villanova Men’s Golf Team will play in an exhibition tournament for charity at Radnor County Country Club. Junior golfer Danny Dougherty came up with the idea to raise money for The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation. While the tournament was originally scheduled for the spring and was canceled due to the pandemic, Dougherty was determined to follow through with the event and was able to reschedule it for the fall. 

Dougherty is a student in the College of Arts and Sciences and is from nearby Wilmington, Del. He is a local kid with Villanova ties, as both his father and uncles are Villanova alumni. 

Dougherty has been a fixture on the golf team since his arrival to campus and had a 77.37 stroke average last season, his sophomore year. The Delaware native wants those skills to be used to help others, leading to the creation of this B+ event.   

The tournament will be in the form of a friendly golf competition between the members of the Villanova golf team. Donators are able to pledge a certain amount of money per birdie made during the tournament. Donations can be made on the Birdies for B+ website, and all donations go to the B+ Foundation to aid in the fight against childhood cancer. 

On the website, supporters can submit donations, track the score of the golfers live, read live updates from the course and learn more about the B+ Foundation. 

“The B+ Foundation really hits home for me because the parent who originally started the foundation is from my hometown of Wilmington, Delaware,” Dougherty said in regards to his inspiration for the charity tournament. 

The B+ Foundation was created in honor of Andrew McDonough, a 14-year-old athlete and straight-A student who passed away suddenly from Leukemia in 2007. Being a young athlete from the same town as Andrew, Dougherty had the idea to combine his love of golf and his drive to help others to plan this event for the B+ Foundation. 

The message on the Birdies for B+ website states, “Our team is joining The B+ Foundation to fight childhood cancer because 46 kids are told they have cancer every school day. Spread the word and help us collect donations to beat our team goal and to beat childhood cancer. Please donate to the individual who messaged you or donate to the team’s overall fund.” 

“Unfortunately, due to the COVID situation, it will be a spectator free event,” Dougherty explained. “People who want to donate and track the event can get updates from our website, and from the Villanova Golf Team’s various social media accounts.”

While the pandemic has made it exceedingly difficult to organize events such as this competition, Danny is confident this charity tournament is the right move to aid The B+ Foundation during these turbulent times. 

Dougherty and his teammates are excited to get back on the course, while also raising money for a good cause. Head to the Birdies for B+ website to donate, gather more information on the event and the foundation.