For over 25 years, we’ve used golf to teach lessons about life. We’ve spun the unexpected challenges on the fairway to coach kids about adversity in the everyday. It’s not just a game, its game-changing.
Our alumni are a reflection of that commitment we made to building game changers. Below are just a few of our exceptional alumni who are making a difference in the world because of the lessons learned at First Tee.
University of Delaware golfer Christina Carroll boasts one of the lowest scoring averages in program history. The junior electrical engineering major and First Tee – Delaware alumna is also the first African American woman to play golf for the Blue Hens.
It’s clear Carroll has a bright future ahead of her. And for the last decade, she’s had a dedicated mentor behind her. First Tee – Delaware volunteer coach Karen Hart has been part of Carroll’s go-to team since Carroll was in 7th grade.
“Karen is one of the most supportive and thoughtful people I know,” Carroll said. “She would take the time to take me to golf with her at her own home club Patriots glen. She would also encourage me to do my best every time I was around her. I am forever appreciative of the warm and caring person she is.”
Hart is one of two incredible volunteers to be named George H.W. Bush Volunteer of the Year by First Tee. Together the two honorees have been volunteering with First Tee chapters for four decades.
PGA TOUR player Will Zalatoris presented the Volunteer of the Year awards during First Tee’s 25th anniversary celebration last month in Dallas, while he and FootJoy both donated $5,000 to each winner’s chapter.
Despite health issues that kept her away from the ceremony, Hart’s commitment to First Tee – Delaware has never wavered, said program director Charma Bell.
“Her grit has no quit! She says the First Tee motivates and inspires her to keep going and growing,” Bell said.
Over the last 17 years, Hart has helped introduce three new program locations, recruit 20 volunteers and onboard more than a dozen schools to the First Tee School Program, Bell said.
“Karen is a wonderful role model, who constantly shares her time, talents and treasures with our chapter. She exemplifies the true meaning of volunteerism and looks for nothing in return.”
Like Hart, Deb DeNure has served as a chapter board member and mentor for participants. She’s been a dedicated volunteer at First Tee – South Central Wisconsin for more than two decades – having raised more than $1 million for the chapter.
“Deb is truly someone who is essential to the livelihood of First Tee – South Central Wisconsin and is one of the most influential volunteers and heartbeat of the organization,” said executive director Ashlyn Mehlhaff.
DeNure has spent more than 4,000 hours organizing fundraising events and tournaments on behalf of the chapter.
“If there is a dream volunteer opportunity, working with First Tee – South-Central Wisconsin is it,” DeNure said. “Having the opportunity to help influence, grow, mentor and fundraise for a nonprofit organization that continues to shape the youth and citizens in our community brings me great joy.”
First Tee’s network of 150 chapters relies on committed volunteers like DeNure and Hart to help build the next generation of Game Changers. On International Volunteer Day, we thank them for supporting First Tee!
With holiday shopping underway, our staff wanted to pass along their favorite golf-related gifts this season.
All of these items can be purchased at our facilities or via provided links.
All three of our facilities also have gift certificates, gloves, tees and balls, which make for the perfect stocking stuffer!
The Bag Boy Niton push cart is the easiest-opening cart in golf, making it the perfect accessory if you’re planning on walking the course. The push cart features a lightweight frame which opens and closes in one easy step for simplified storage and transport.
To place an order for your Bag Boy Nitron push cart, click here!
Through unparalleled storytelling, The Golfer’s Journal has built a community of the world’s most-passionate golfers. Member benefits include quarterly delivery of TGJ, access to their digital members-only clubhouse, exclusive events at some of the worlds best golf courses, podcasts, short films, newsletters, discounts on merchandise and apparel and more.
Our facilities carry the latest clubs from TaylorMade, Callaway, Titleist and Mizuno – from Stealth to Rogue to TSR and JPX 923’s, we have what you’re looking for.
Our professional staff is available to custom-fit you to the latest from all four manufacturers before or after the holidays!
The professional staff – Ian, Sterling, and Tim – are ready and available to help you elevate your game with a club fitting or lesson.
Lessons are available in single, three or five-session blocks. Group and junior lessons are also available. Our staff can fit for Titleist, TaylorMade, Callaway and Mizuno to help you improve your game, too!
To learn more about lessons, or to contact Ian, Sterling, or Tim, click here.
All three of our facilities offer one of the best deals in the Richmond area via their range loyalty card. Cards can be purchased in two increments for the ranges at Belmont, Elson Redmond or The Tattersall:
The starter shack at Belmont has our latest apparel offerings from Peter Millar. Whether you’re looking for a hoodie, quarter-zip, belt or polo, we have a variety of styles and sizes to fit you or a loved one.
And while you’re at the starter shack, be sure to check out our latest Belmont-branded hat selection from Titleist and Imperial!
As temperatures drop outside, the Titleist hand warmer is the perfect cool- weather accessory for the course, the range, or a practice session. Fitting around your waist, the hand warmer comes with a fleece liner and pocket for your hands (or additional hand warmers).
Each Titleist hand warmer is available at the Elson Redmond Memorial Driving Range and costs $34.99.
There’s no better time of year to represent your favorite college team, and our new Titleist hats are perfect for the course or the tailgate. We have hats repping Virginia, James Madison and Virginia Tech available at the Elson Redmond pro shop for the Wahoo, Duke, or Hokie in your life.
And as temperatures fall, all three of our facilities have Titleist and Imperial winter hats in stock for those colder days on the course and range.
Always buying golf balls at the holidays but looking to add a personal touch? Custom-imprinted personalized Titleist golf ball are the perfect gift!
Our staff can order custom-imprinted balls for you, putting a name, message or logo on a dozen Titleist golf balls. To place your order, click here.
Visit our 25th anniversary page for more impactful stories and videos from our alumni.
First Tee is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month, and over the years, it’s helped produce no shortage of game changers.
One example is Marcus Freeman from First Tee – Greater Charlotte. He says the organization has helped him grow as a golfer and person.
“Being a part of this community has helped me get through hard times. First Tee – Greater Charlotte was a safe place for me in 2020. During this time my grandfather was going through end stage pancreatic cancer and my family, like the world, was navigating COVID-19 and social distancing,” he says.
The support he received from First Tee inspired Freeman to pay it forward.
He completed more than 300 hours of volunteer work for First Tee in 2021. He collected more than 500 books for a First Tee book drive, and he’s a member of the chapter’s participant advisory council. Freeman has also volunteered for his swim team and tutored students in Japanese.
“An aspect of volunteer work that I enjoy is seeing the impact that giving to others can have,” he says.
Freeman is one of 28 First Tee participants from across the country who’ll attend Innovators Forum this November in Dallas. The workshop empowers First Tee teens to develop a meaningful service project in their community focused on education, health or sustainability. Eight participants will be awarded scholarships totaling $32,000 after the event.
A junior at Palisades High School, Freeman is an accomplished violinist, and he won a medal for performing Japanese poems in 2019. Freeman aspires to study sports science in college. “I enjoy learning more about physical fitness and how the body works,” he says. Freeman spends his free time researching training tips and injury recovery.
As he progresses as an athlete and student, Freeman says he’ll continue to use the lessons and qualities he’s learned at First Tee, including confidence.
“When I first joined the program, I was a little shy when meeting new coaches, parents and other players. I spent time observing the instructors and how they interacted with all the different people coming and going. I saw them shake hands, make eye contact, smile and speak confidently,” he says.
“I knew I wanted those skills as well. I pushed myself out of my comfort zone, and I started to apply what I observed to my own social skills. I practiced a strong handshake. I introduced myself to people I didn’t know, and I have met many interesting people, like professional golfer Davis Love III, all because I have improved in sharing my personality.”
Learn more about Innovators Forum.
Lots of kids aspire to become astronauts but few go on to build careers in space exploration. That hasn’t stopped Hannah Rens from chasing her dreams into orbit.
The 24-year-old is a systems engineer for Boeing Space and Launch, working on Boeing’s Starliner, a commercial crew and cargo vehicle that will be transporting NASA astronauts to the international space station.
“My ultimate career goal is to be chief engineer of a permanent human habitat on the moon,” says Rens, a former participant at First Tee – Siouxland and First Tee volunteer. “To achieve that goal, I need to develop advanced business skills, gain industry experience and further my engineering technical education.”
That’s why she’s attending the First Tee Alumni Summit presented by Gallagher this November in Dallas. The event provides an opportunity for selected alumni to advance their career by building new skills while reconnecting with fellow alumni and chapter leaders.
“I’m looking to learn more about working in a rapidly evolving industry, startups and founding your own business, and how to develop an effective personal brand,” she says.
Rens says her nine years in First Tee helped shape her future. “It provided me with a structured path to improving my golf game, peer and trusted mentors, and interpersonal and professional skills that have been essential in achieving my goals,” she says.
While in First Tee, she was selected to attend the Leaders and Entrepreneurs Forum at Disney World. “Getting to meet other students from across the U.S. while listening and working with successful business owners and entrepreneurs was unlike any other experience I had in high school,” she says. “The business principles and goals I learned have stayed with me.”
A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Rens began her career with internships focused on aircraft maintenance and repair. As Starliner prepares to expand its service to additional sites in Earth’s orbit, Rens works on vehicle life span and sustainment. Ultimately, Starliner will become one of the first spacecraft with turnaround times closer to traditional air traffic. Talk about a Game Changer.
Rens now serves as a mentor for high school and college students who want careers in the space industry, and she’s enrolled in an astronautical engineering master’s program at the University of Southern California focusing on human spaceflight.
Rens still golfs, and she’s a certified open water and dry suit SCUBA diver. Learn more about the accomplishments of First Tee alumni.
RICHMOND, Va. (Sept. 23, 2022) – The Longest Day of Golf serves as First Tee – Greater Richmond’s second-largest, single-day fundraiser each year. At the beginning of each yearly cycle, the organization’s Leadership Advisory Board (LAB) sets an annual fundraising goal. This year, they set a goal of raising $75,000; however, LAB crushed blew past that and raised $78, 584.
The money fundraised during the Longest Day of Golf goes towards First Tee – Greater Richmond’s vision—using golf as a platform to strengthen the character of our community. With that, the money that was raised will go towards youth programs in the greater Richmond area to provide opportunities to youth across three key areas: First Tee Programs, the First Tee School Program, and community partnerships.
This year, the event was hosted at Belmont. LAB members began their day at 7:30 am playing on Little Bell, warming up on six A.W. Tillinghast par-3 template holes. Next, they moved onto Belmont’s 12-hole course to play a 4-man best ball. After that, corporate sponsors scramble teams checked in to warm up and eat lunch provided by Café 804. Then, teams took to Belmont to play a 4-man scramble. To wrap up the day, participants got to partake in a cocktail hour, putt on The Ringer, continue playing on Little Bell and wait to see if they won in our Birdies for Charity raffle drawing.
Ben Gurley, LAB Chairman, said “the Longest Day of Golf is an amazing opportunity to engage the community through active, on-course participation – getting to really feel and see the facilities (and get to play the beautiful Belmont course!), meet the staff, talk with current and former First Tee students – in efforts to increase awareness of the First Tee’s presence and mission in Richmond.”.
The LAB serves as First Tee – Greater Richmond’s fundraising committee for the Longest Day of Golf. It is comprised of 20 volunteers and young professionals that are committed to the betterment of the greater Richmond community. Each member plays a vital role in raising individual sponsorships, corporate sponsorships, or raising awareness for the event and its cause. To learn more about LAB please contact First Tee – Greater Richmond Vice President for Communications & Engagement Bill Potter.
In 2021, First Tee Greater Richmond was able to serve over 97,000 youth in the Greater Richmond area through youth programming. We are proud to be able to support the youth in the greater Richmond community, and hope to continue to expand our outreach and raise even more funds!
“Moving forward we want to expand our outreach to LDOG participants because our goal is that they would connect with the First Tee beyond the event itself. Whether it be playing & practicing at the three Richmond facilities, volunteering for First Tee programs, donating their resources, or sending their kids to camp – we hope LDOG participants become lifelong supporters of the First Tee.”—Ben Gurley, LAB Chair.
PHOTO GALLERY FROM LONGEST DAY OF GOLF 2022:
RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 25, 2022) – Virginia Union claimed the inaugural River City Collegiate Classic presented by Truist, holding off Livingstone College by 10 strokes at historic Belmont Golf Course on Tuesday. The Panthers were led by medalist Alkin Barkley, who finished four shots clear of the field at 3-over par total.
After playing the same yardages and layout as the PGA TOUR Champions did during the Dominion Energy Charity Classic at the Country Club of Virginia in Monday’s first round, competitors tackled the restored Belmont layout on Tuesday. In 2021, Belmont was reopened after a restoration and reimagination brought back 10 of the original 12 greens complexes to A.W. Tillinghast’s 1917 design. Student-athletes competed on holes 1-12 of the championship course, with holes 1-6 replayed to build a 6,865-yard, par-72 course.
Barkley paced Virginia Union, posting a 3-over par 75 in the final round. After an even-par 72 at CCV put him atop the leaderboard by four shots, Barkley was in control of the leaderboard throughout the day. The graduate student picked up key birdies on the 9th and 12th holes before his fourth birdie of the day came on the par-5 16th, allowing him to cruise to a 4-shot win over teammate Hayden Garcia.
Garcia matched Barkley’s 75, as the duo tied with Livingstone College’s Christopher Baguma for low round of the day. Led by Barkley (72-75) and Garcia (76-75), VUU was eight shots better than Livingstone on the day, enabling the Panthers (316-310 – 626) to sit 10 shots clear of the Blue Bears (318-318 – 636) for the tournament.
Ahmad Reedus (82-81) tied for sixth for VUU, putting three Panthers into the top 10 of the field. Livingstone also placed three into the top 10, led by Baguma (80-75) and Xavier Proctor (78-77), who both tied for third. Joel Basalaine (81-84) was part of a four-way tie for ninth.
Virginia State’s Juan Ruiz Patino carded an 84 on Tuesday, taking fifth on the individual leaderboard (76-84), while teammate Michael Ebosh (83-82) was part of the quartet in ninth.
Playing with just four student-athletes, Winston-Salem State climbed the leaderboard in the second round behind ninth-place efforts from Alex Chenard (87-78) and Jacob Moore (80-85).
Johnson C. Smith was led by sixth-place results from both Isaiah Nickerson (74-89) and Isaiah Trollinger (81-82).
In addition to medalist honors, Barkley collected All-Tournament Team accolades alongside teammate Garcia. Joining the VUU duo on the team were Livingstone’s Baguma and Proctor alongside VSU’s Ruiz Patino.
The team title was the first of the fall season for Virginia Union.
All seven programs at the inaugural River City Collegiate Classic represented historically black colleges and universities from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). The tournament came together as a partnership between First Tee – Greater Richmond, the Dominion Energy Charity Classic, and the Country Club of Virginia.
2022 River City Collegiate Classic presented by Truist All-Tournament Team
Christopher Baguma, Livingstone College
Alkin Barkley, Virginia Union (medalist)
Hayden Garcia, Virginia Union
Xavier Proctor, Livingston College
Juan Ruiz Patino, Virginia State
RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 24, 2022) – Virginia Union owns the first round lead at the inaugural River City Collegiate Classic presented by Truist, posting a team score of 316 on a challenging afternoon at the Country Club of Virginia’s James River Course.
Playing the same yardages and layout as the PGA TOUR Champions did during Sunday’s Dominion Energy Charity Classic, VUU’s Alkin Barkley got out to hot start, birdieing four of his first six holes before settling for an even-par round of 72 on the 7,025-yard layout.
Barkley reeled off three straight birdies on holes 2-4, including the 183-yard par 3 4th hole. The graduate student made the turn in 2-under 34 before two bogeys on the backside brought him home at even par.
After the first round, Barkley stands two shots clear of Johnson C. Smith University’s Isaiah Nickerson, who birdied two of his last four holes to come in at 2-over 74. Nickerson collected his second birdie of the day on the short par-4 15th hole before another birdie on the par-5 16th.
Barkley (72) and Hayden Garcia (76) helped Virginia Union build a two-shot edge on the team leaderboard, where the Panthers are immediately followed by Livingstone College. The Blue Bears were led by Xavier Proctor (78) and Colline Ajidra (79), both of whom were among the seven student-athletes in the field to break 80 on the James River Course.
Behind Nickerson (74) and teammate Dylan Mauricette (79), Johnson C. Smith sits third, posting a team score of 325, trailing Virginia Union by nine strokes.
Virginia State (333) was led by Juan Ruiz Patino, who posted a 4-over 76 to sit tied with VUU’s Garcia for third on the individual leaderboard.
Winston-Salem State (345) is fifth, followed by Elizabeth City State (409) and St. Augustine’s (416).
All seven programs represent historically black colleges and universities from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).
The second and final round of River City Collegiate Classic presented by Truist will start at 8:30 a.m., playing holes 1-12 of the championship course. Holes 1-6 will be replayed to create a 6,865-yard 18-hole layout.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 19, 2022) – First Tee – Greater Richmond Senior Director of Programming Brittany Woo has been named as a nominee for the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf Sandy LaBauve Spirit Award, the organization recently announced. Woo is one of 81 nominees across the country to be nominated by their Girls Golf parents and peers for this prestigious award.
Named after the founder of LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, the Sandy LaBauve Spirit Award honors an individual who has gone above and beyond to inspire the lives of juniors through their passion and dedication to empowering girls through golf. LaBauve was an LPGA Teaching Professional in Phoenix, Ariz., and the mother of two daughters when she founded Girls Golf in 1989.
“Brittany embodies the mission of First Tee and LPGA*USGA Girls Golf and is most deserving of this nomination,” First Tee – Greater Richmond Vice President of Impact Kelly Brown said. “She is a great role model and inspires girls of all ages in our community to achieve anything they set their minds to. Through her leadership, our girls are more confident on and off the golf course.”
Nominees plan, organize and implement Girls Golf clinics, tournaments, field trips, social activities, and more, sharing their passion by providing girls with quality and memorable experiences that not only affect their lives but also help to shape their futures daily.
Woo has been part of the First Tee – Greater Richmond family since 2003, when she first enrolled in First Tee Programs. Today, she oversees the organization’s programming team, coaches and volunteers. Additionally, Woo helps coordinate programming schedules at all three First Tee – Greater Richmond facilities and collaborates with its partners to ensure the success of the First Tee Schools Program.
A two-time graduate of the University of Richmond, Woo worked as the school’s Major Gifts and Philanthropy Coordinator for almost two years before returning to First Tee – Greater Richmond in 2020.
Prior to that, she held several jobs in the golf industry, including internships with the PGA TOUR and First Tee Headquarters. While at the PGA TOUR, Woo was a Tournament Services Intern, managing 1,200 volunteers and supporting the Dominion Energy Charity Classic in Richmond. For more information on LPGA*USGA Girls Golf, visit www.girlsgolf.org.
Three First Tee teens ace holes 5, 7 and 17 at the iconic course
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 25, 2022) – Seventy-eight First Tee teens from across the country had the opportunity to learn from the game’s legends and explore possibilities in golf and beyond during the PURE Insurance Championship impacting First Tee, an official PGA TOUR Champions event, which concluded today at Pebble Beach.
Bryson Hughes representing First Tee – North Florida and paired with Alex Cejka, and Megan Meng representing First Tee – Greater Trenton and paired with Charlie Wi, claimed the male and female Pro-Junior titles today, respectively. Hughes and Cejka finished 18-under and won in a scorecard playoff, while Meng and Wi capped off the event 22-under.
The PURE Insurance Championship, in its 19th year, brings 78 teens from First Tee chapters nationwide to Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course. Throughout the week the teens apply character strengths to play at an elite level at an iconic golf course where they are paired with and mentored by a PGA TOUR Champions player and amateurs from the business world. The annual event, hosted by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, was televised internationally on Golf Channel.
Three teens in the field made holes-in-one at Pebble Beach during their tournament practice rounds – Cooper Groshart from San Louis Obispo, Calif. on #7 (video), Theresa Shaw from Auburn, Calif. on #17 (video) and Sophia Bardunias from San Ramon, Calif. on #5 (video).
“We are proud of all the teens who played with confidence and composure this week at the PURE Insurance Championship,” said Greg McLaughlin, First Tee CEO. “These young people exemplify the character and values we instill through the First Tee programs every day. A special congratulations to Bryson and Megan for winning the Pro-Junior titles. Thank you to our partners – PURE Insurance, PGA TOUR Champions, Chevron, Monterey Peninsula Foundation and Golf Channel – for making this a special week for 78 First Tee participants.”
Hughes is a 15-year-old sophomore at Creekside High School in St. Johns Country, Fla. where he holds a 3.8 GPA. He has been involved with First Tee – North Florida for nine years and playing in this tournament has been a goal since he first watched it on TV as a six-year-old. Hughes holds a +2.3 handicap and is the No. 1 player on the golf team at Creekside High School.
“Thanks to PURE Insurance and First Tee for an amazing experience,” said Hughes. “Pebble Beach is golf heaven and it feels great to get a win at such a cool course. I’ve tried to make the most of this week by focusing on what I could learn from Alex and all the pros in the field. My biggest takeaway is how well they handle themselves during high-pressure situations.”
Meng is a 16-year-old junior at Hopewell Valley Central High School in Pennington, NJ where she holds a 4.5 GPA. She’s been involved with First Tee – Greater Trenton for nine years and has progressed from participant to volunteer junior coach mentoring the younger participants in the program. Meng holds a +2.3 handicap and aspires to play collegiate golf. She was named 2022 NJ.com Golfer of the Year.
“I’ve worked really hard to get to this moment,” said Meng. “But the biggest thing I’ve learned this week is that golf is meant to be fun. I’ve had a really great time and I’ve made memories I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. I’d like to thank my pro Charlie, PURE Insurance and First Tee for this opportunity.
During the week, First Tee partners PURE Insurance and Chevron both hosted events to celebrate their commitment to First Tee’s mission and raise additional funds to support the First Tee College Scholarship Program. Leaders from PURE Insurance extended a surprise invitation to the scholarship program to 17-year-old Isabelle Junio, a high school senior from First Tee – Phoenix. The program pairs Scholars with a mentor and provides professional development workshops and financial assistance throughout the college experience.
First Tee is a youth development organization that teaches life skills and helps kids and teens build their strength of character through golf. The PURE Insurance Championship is one of several national opportunities provided by First Tee Headquarters to encourage and motivate participants as they progress through the program and toward higher education opportunities.
To access photos from the event, visit here. For more information on the tournament, visit PUREInsuranceChampionship.com. To learn more about First Tee and see the full field list, visit TheFirstTee.org.
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About PGA TOUR First Tee Foundation (“First Tee”)
First Tee (www.firsttee.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization that is supported by the PGA TOUR. Its mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character and instill life-enhancing values through the game of golf. In 2022, First Tee celebrates its 25th anniversary and reaching millions of youth through its network of 150 chapters, 10,000 schools and 1,700 youth centers. Headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA, programs are delivered in all 50 United States and select international locations. President George W. Bush serves as Honorary Chair.
About Monterey Peninsula Foundation
Monterey Peninsula Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization which donates funds from the proceeds of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA TOUR and the PURE Insurance Championship Impacting the First Tee, a PGA TOUR Champions tournament. The Foundation focuses on improving the quality of life in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties.
www.pureinsurancechampionship.com
About PURE Insurance
Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange (PURE) Insurance is a property and casualty insurance company designed exclusively for successful, responsible families. We opened for business more than 15 years ago with the goal of offering something different in the insurance space: a company focused on doing what’s right for our membership (policyholders), one that promotes transparency and alignment of interests, and delivers greater value.
Today, after growing at least 15% in each year since we began, we are the most awarded insurer in our category, offer coverage in all 50 states that includes high value homeowners, automobile, collections, watercraft, personal excess liability, fraud & cyber and flood to a membership of more than 100,000 individuals and families.
Pureinsurance.com | 888.813.7873
About PGA TOUR Champions
PGA TOUR Champions is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older, including 34 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Tour’s mission is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back and generate significant charitable and economic impact in tournament communities. Follow PGA TOUR Champions online at PGATOUR.com, at facebook.com/PGATOURChampions, on Twitter @ChampionsTour and on Instagram @pgatourchampions.
All events are televised in the United States, with most receiving complete coverage on Golf Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA TOUR Champions. Tournament programming is available via 25+ TV linear partners in 145+ countries and territories, with 25 channels carrying long-form and/or highlights coverage, and 200+ hours of live coverage distributed in 135+ countries and territories. Programming is also available via the OTT platform GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR in every market outside of the United States, excluding China and Korea, with live coverage distributed in 130+ countries and territories.
With a perfect 4.0 GPA and student government experience under his belt, BJ Little wants to change the world. He aims to become a criminal defense attorney, U.S. Senator and eventually, President of the United States.
But first, BJ is focused on serving his community. Starting with his high school.
When BJ entered his freshman year at Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School there was no golf team. BJ wasn’t going to sit idly by, he was determined to form a team.
“In my freshman year, the very first thing I did was ask for the school to start a golf team,” says BJ. “The school went through all of the necessary preparations for the golf team to start, but then Covid happened.”
For BJ, and most of the country, school was now virtual for the next year and half, halting all chances for the team.
But BJ says the pandemic did not discourage him from achieving his goal.
“Going into my junior year I went in with the same mindset I had freshman year. I asked the school for a golf team, and they delivered.”
BJ helped by recruiting players and finding a practice facility. Leveraging his go-to team, a concept taught and encouraged at First Tee, he smartly enlisted help from his coach and director of golf operations at First Tee – Metro Atlanta Jeff Dunovant. They worked out a plan that the school could use the chapter’s facilities while BJ secured players for the team.
In 2021, the team officially launched. But there was still much work to do.
“BJ was the only player on the team who was not a beginner, so the practices would consist of BJ and I teaching the new players,” says Dunovant.
And for BJ, that’s what it’s what this is all about.
“In all honesty I just want people to have fun. The State and District titles will come with time. But ensuring students are happy and want to learn about golf is the most important thing to me. I hope that when I graduate Cristo Rey, students will still be playing golf. I want that to be a piece of my legacy to the school.”
BJ is one of 78 First Tee participants teeing off this Friday at the PURE Insurance Championship. The tournament pairs First Tee teens with PGA TOUR Champions players providing life-changing mentoring opportunities for the teens. This experience opens the participants’ eyes to the possibilities in golf and beyond as they are contemplating their future education and careers.
The tournament airs on Golf Channel.
