Why Players Are Wearing Yellow Ribbons At Cognizant Classic

Players are wearing yellow ribbons during the final round of the Cognizant Classic as part of a charity initiative called Play Yellow. 

Spearheaded by Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, and in partnership with the PGA Tour and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, the Play Yellow program helps raise money and awareness for children’s hospitals in North America, with more than $100 million raised since 2019. 

“'Play Yellow for Children’s Hospitals' strives to bring the entire golf world together to help the 10 million kids treated at local children’s hospitals each year," the Play Yellow website states.

The Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation has been the primary charity partner of the tournament since 2007.

Jack Nicklaus, who lives locally in Florida, was at the NBC commentary booth on Sunday at PGA National wearing yellow to support the initiative.

Players competing were seen with yellow ribbons pinned to their caps, while fans attending the tournament’s final day were also encouraged to wear yellow and post about it on social media to raise awareness for the initiative.

The color yellow is significant to Nicklaus as he wore it on Sundays during tournaments in his professional career. He started wearing yellow due to a child named Craig who was diagnosed with bone cancer, according to the PGA Tour. 

Nicklaus asked Craig what his favorite color golf shirt was, and it turned out that yellow was his lucky color. Craig and his grandfather said that they played better when they wore yellow, so Nicklaus stated that he'd wear the color on Sundays so Craig could see him wearing it on TV.

The Play Yellow initiative has also been a feature on the PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament since 2019, with players either wearing yellow items of clothing or a yellow ribbon.

"The PGA Tour is honored to join Jack and Barbara Nicklaus to Play Yellow," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said last year.

"With your support, we can help patients at children’s hospitals across North America. For many years, the Nicklaus family has supported children’s hospitals in their home states of Ohio and Florida.

“The PGA Tour is excited to join them and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to engage the entire golf world in impacting even more lives with a unique, new initiative."