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After his success on the golf course in Africa, Fleetwood felt a deep connection with the heritage and wildlife and wanted to get involved.

“I am very proud and excited to join the Birdies4Rhinos family,” said Fleetwood.  "I hope to bring more attention to their incredible mission and support Connected Conservation Foundation’s efforts to protect endangered animals and help tackle rhino poaching. Every birdie I’ll make this year will make a small difference.” 

Birdies4Rhinos was started in 2016 by Justin Walters and Dean Burmester. Professional golfers donate a portion of their earnings for every birdie they make in competition. The money is pooled together and put towards many conservation projects in Africa conducted by Connected Conservation Foundation (CCF).

CCF unites partners in the donation of technologies, capabilities and resources, to equip teams at the forefront of environmental protection with transformative tools. 

"We are profoundly grateful for Tommy's support," says Doc Watson, CCF Founder and Chairman. "It has been incredibly inspirational to witness Birdies4Rhinos's role in strengthening the bond between sport and nature. We are thankful to all 22 players for using their platforms and professions to help protect some of Africa's diminishing and beloved wildlife."

The Birdies4Rhinos initiative encourages golfers, the general public, and sports fans to join in the fight to protect endangered African wildlife, particularly rhinos. Through their partnership, Fleetwood and other Birdies4Rhino players hope to raise awareness and funds for conservation projects, helping to ensure a future for African wildlife.

Fleetwood and his wife, Clare, have many ideas in the works to help and look forward to implementing them and sharing them with others. 

You can watch Tommy’s announcement via Instagram reels here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpFsBnquCe2/ 

For more information on Birdies4Rhinos and how to make a donation, visit https://www.birdies4rhinos.org/.

ENDS

About Tommy Fleetwood 

Tommy Fleetwood is an English professional golfer who plays mainly on the European Tour. He has won four times on the European Tour, most recently the 2018 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. He has also represented Europe in the Ryder Cup and the World Cup. He has achieved a career-high ranking of 11th in the Official World Golf Ranking. 

About Birdies4Rhinos

Birdies4Rhinos is a non-profit organization founded in 2016 by professional golfers Justin Walters and Dean Burmester. Its mission is to raise awareness and funds for conservation projects to protect African wildlife. All donations are pooled and used to fund projects conducted by Connected Conservation Foundation, utilizing cutting-edge technology from Cisco to track and prevent people from entering conservation parks with the intent of harming animals.

About Connected Conservation Foundation

Connected Conservation unites the capabilities of technology companies to equip local partners with game-changing tools for nature protection and restoration. CCF brings essential connectivity, communications and sensing devices to vast landscapes, enabling conservation managers to pre-empt and stop poaching, habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict in protected areas.