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Sustainable Support, One Season at a Time

What does it take for a kid who has never held a golf club to find a game, a team, and a community that believes in them?

It takes more than one good day, one clinic, or one gift. It takes years of steady, patient support, the kind that shows up every season, not just once.

That’s the kind of support First Tee — Southeast Wisconsin has built with our community over the last decade, and it’s why we’re asking you to become a monthly donor today.

Become a Monthly Donor

A Team, A Course, A Chance

Dayana Medina is the daughter of Mexican immigrants. Her mother is deaf. When Dayana joined the golf team at Golda Meir School, she had never played before and didn’t own a single club. Today, she and her sister Cassandra are both caddies at a Milwaukee-area country club, active First Tee volunteers, and returning members of the Golda Meir team. Golf opened doors their family never imagined possible.

Stories like theirs don’t happen by accident. They happen because of supporters like you who believe a kid’s character is worth investing in, season after season.

Growing Golf Across Milwaukee Schools

Our partnership with Milwaukee Public Schools now supports golf teams across 12 City Conference schools. We supply nearly every piece of equipment these student-athletes use, at no cost to their families, and we train the coaches who keep these programs running year after year. This spring, we donated a professional-grade golf simulator to Golda Meir High School, giving MPS golf programs a year-round indoor practice space, rain or shine.

A Home Course Open to Everyone

Our partnership with Milwaukee County Parks keeps Noyes Park Golf Course open to any young person in our community, free of charge. Last year alone, 3,673 rounds were played there, the most since 2010. It’s where school teams practice, where Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors and kids play together for the first time, and where campers from Neighborhood House of Milwaukee spend their summer.

A First Job That Can Change a Life

We connect our participants, and anyone else in our community who’s interested, to caddie opportunities through local golf clubs and the Western Golf Association’s Evans Scholars program. For a young person, that first caddie job can be their first paycheck, their first experience of professional responsibility, and for some, a path to a full college scholarship.

Why Monthly Giving Matters

All of this is possible because of supporters like you. Now we’re asking you to take that support one step further by giving monthly, so we can build programs that last as long as our students need them to.

A one-time gift is generous. A monthly gift is transformative, because it lets us plan a season before it starts, keep a coach in place year after year, and say yes to the next student who walks through our door without wondering if we can afford to.

Your monthly gift means a kid gets equipment before the season starts, not after. It means a coach stays in place for years, not months. It means the next Dayana and Cassandra have the same chance these two did.

A single gift helps for a season. A monthly gift helps for a lifetime. Thank you for believing in what sustainable support can do for Milwaukee’s young people.

Become a Monthly Donor Today

First Tee — Southeast Wisconsin Supports Bank of America’s Golf with Us Clinic

First Tee — Southeast Wisconsin was thrilled to support Bank of America’s Golf with Us Clinic, alongside Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee.

The clinic brought together golf skills and life skills in a single, action packed day. Participants worked on the fundamentals, from grip and stance to putting and short game, while also soaking up the kind of lessons that carry well beyond the golf course: confidence, perseverance, and teamwork.

Adding some extra excitement to the day was a special appearance from former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson. Kids had the chance to learn from a Wisconsin sports legend, and the energy the whole day reflected it. Nelson spoke about how golf teaches kids to handle “the ups and downs” the game brings, lessons he says carry well beyond 18 holes. From first swings to big smiles, the clinic was a great reminder that golf truly is a sport to be enjoyed by all.

Days like this are only possible because of partners like Bank of America, whose Golf with Us program continues to give young people across the country the chance to discover what’s possible, both in golf and in life.

Thank you to everyone who came out and made this clinic such a success.

Local news outlet WTMJ was also on hand for the clinic, and Jordy Nelson shared with them how much the lessons of golf can carry over into everyday life. You can check out their full recap, complete with more photos from the day here.

Talking to your child about new teachers, classrooms and nerves 

New school year, new teachers, new classrooms, new seat assignments, maybe even a new school altogether. For a lot of kids, all that “new” adds up to one familiar feeling: nerves. 

As parents, it’s tempting to smooth things over with a quick, “You’ll be fine!” But some of the most valuable conversations happen when we slow down and make space for nervousness instead of rushing past it.  

Honesty and respect are two of the lessons First Tee coaches aim to instill on the golf course, and they can be really valuable when it comes to addressing nerves heading into a new school year. 

Encourage honest conversations 

On the course, coaches encourage kids to be honest about their score, even when nobody’s watching and even when the number is not what they hoped for. That same kind of honesty is useful at the kitchen table in August. 

Asking open-ended questions that inspire thoughtfulness can help kids better understand and process their feelings about a new school year. Try questions like: 

  • “What’s one change you’re looking forward to about the new school year?” 
  • “What’s one thing that feels a little uncertain right now?”  

Honesty goes both ways in these conversations. Kids pick up when parents are anxious too — about carpool logistics, new schedules, a PTA role. Naming your own small uncertainties shows that nerves are normal and nothing to hide. 

One important thing for parents to remember is that change is part of growing up, not a problem to fix. Show respect for your child’s feelings with phrases like: 

  • “It’s normal that this doesn’t feel easy yet. Most things don’t feel easy on the first try.” 
  • “You don’t have to have this figured out by Friday. Give it a few weeks.” 
  • “Feeling a little nervous doesn’t mean something is wrong. It just means it’s new.” 

That kind of language takes the pressure off kids to perform confidence they don’t feel and gives them permission to grow into the new situation the same way they grow into a new golf skill: with repetition, not perfection. 

It’s important to teach kids that no one gets everything right. At First Tee, we view failure as the First Attempt In Learning. Mistakes happen and help us improve next time. 

The bigger picture 

Here are some questions to try in the car or at dinner as your child settles into their new routine: 

  • “What’s something your new teacher does differently than last year?” 
  • “Who did you sit with today and what did you learn about them?” 
  • “What’s one thing you handled today that felt a little hard?” 
  • “How can I help you get ready for tomorrow?” 

The goal is not to eliminate their nerves but to help them build a habit of being honest about their feelings, a skill that will serve them into adulthood.  

Building a positive self-identity provides kids with confidence to navigate challenges, setbacks and social pressures throughout life. When children learn to see themselves as capable, valued and worthy of respect, they’re more likely to form healthy relationships and take on new opportunities.  

Find a First Tee location near you.

What Caddying Can Do for a Young Person

How our partnership with the Western Golf Association and Evans Scholars Foundation turns a summer job into a path to a full scholarship

For a lot of the young people we work with, First Tee starts as a place to learn the game. We want it to also be a place that opens a door to their first job.

What caddying is really about

Caddying is one of the oldest jobs in golf, and one of the most overlooked. For a young person, it’s often their first real job: their first paycheck, their first time being trusted with responsibility by an adult outside their family, their first experience of the professionalism that golf expects on the course. Caddies learn how to read a course, manage a bag, and work alongside golfers who are often successful professionals and community leaders. Those conversations on the course can expose kids to careers and paths they might not otherwise see.

It’s also flexible work. Caddying fits around school, sports, and other summer commitments, which makes it a realistic option for teenagers who need income but can’t take on a rigid schedule.

The Western Golf Association and the Evans Scholars Foundation

The Western Golf Association has supported caddie programs for decades, and its Evans Scholars Foundation is best known for one thing: turning a caddying job into a college education. Caddies with strong academics and financial need can earn the Evans Scholarship, which covers full tuition and housing for up to four years of college. Today, more than 1,130 Evans Scholars are enrolled at leading universities across the country.

It’s a program built entirely around the idea that the character and work ethic a caddie develops on the course translate directly into success in the classroom.

Why this partnership matters for our kids

Golf skills and character development are at the core of what we do, but we also want our participants to see where those skills can lead. Caddying gives them a concrete next step: a job that pays, a network of mentors, and, for those who stick with it, a realistic shot at a scholarship that changes the trajectory of their education.

That’s why we host caddie information sessions for our participants and anyone else in our community who wants to learn more. These sessions walk kids through what the job actually looks like, connect them directly with local golf clubs, and introduce them to the Evans Scholars pipeline before they ever pick up a bag.

Connecting a kid to their future might be the most sustainable kind of support we can offer, and it’s a partnership we’re committed to growing.

Questions about caddying or the Evans Scholars program? Reach out to us at [email protected].

Leading with kindness: How Addi Schneider found her strengths  

On and off the course, First Tee – West Michigan participant Addi Schneider is a true game changer, always leading others with kindness and empathy.  

“Leadership isn’t just about achieving a goal,” Addi said. “It’s about having the grit to stay by someone’s side until they believe in their own potential.” That belief guides everything she does, and this week she is carrying it all the way to the First Tee Leadership Summit in partnership with PGA TOUR Superstore in Montana.  

A leader in the making 

Addi has been involved with First Tee – West Michigan for five years and now serves as a First Tee volunteer coach. Beyond the course, she volunteers with her school’s Special Olympics program and serves as a peer mentor, supporting students with special needs in the classroom. 

This spring, Addi took her leadership to the next level after participating in Leadership Series, a five-week program presented in partnership with PGA TOUR Superstores across the country that helps First Tee participants explore their strengths, values and possible career paths. There, she discovered her core strengths — discipline, focus and achievement. Now, she’s one of 40 participants attending Leadership Summit, where she’ll deepen her leadership skills through outdoor adventures and team-building activities. 

A diagnosis that shaped her leadership style 

Addi’s leadership style has been forged since first grade, when she was diagnosed with dyslexia. 

The diagnosis brought real challenges: the frustration of falling behind her peers and moments when she felt like a burden to classmates and teachers. But as Addi grew older, her perspective shifted. Rather than viewing dyslexia as a weakness, she came to view it as a superpower that gave her a unique ability to empathize with others.  

That empathy shows up every week during the classes Addi coaches as a volunteer coach, where she connects with participants, understands their struggles and works to instill confidence in each of them. 

During one class discussion on positive self-identity, Addi asked participants to share how they live out one of First Tee values in their own lives. One response stuck with her: A participant said it doesn’t matter what others think. It matters what you think of yourself. 

That moment reminded Addi of the impact she was making. “My greatest strength is the character I have that allows me to help students find their own voice,” she said. “And with that, the confidence to be themselves.” 

She brings that same purpose to her high school’s peer-to-peer program, where she supports students with special needs. Having experienced firsthand what it feels like to struggle and fall behind, Addi understands that not every student learns the same way and leads with a commitment to provide each of them equal opportunities to succeed. 

Looking ahead  

Her experience with the program has encouraged her to pursue a degree in special education and minor in American Sign Language, working toward a world that values access, empathy and equality. She’s already living that mission today: “My daily goals are to lead with kindness and make a difference in others’ lives,” she said. 

Addi’s journey has shaped her into a leader who meets people with patience, empathy, and unshakeable belief in their potential, and that journey is just getting started. In Montana, she will carry the same values that have guided her all along: discipline, focus and a heart for helping others find their voice. 

How First Tee connected DJ Belcher to NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson and helped him land his dream internship

A youth development program usually does not come with a connection to seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. But that is exactly what the First Tee gave to Drake “DJ” Belcher: a relationship that helped him land an internship at William Morris Endeavor this summer, one of the top talent agencies in the country.

DJ is a rising junior at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, majoring in finance. Growing up in Greenville, South Carolina, he joined First Tee – Triad at around 7 years old. Since then, his time in the program has shaped both his professional growth and his desire to give back to the next generation of participants.

Growing beyond the fairway

Last summer, DJ interned with First Tee – Triad through its Historically Black College and University Internship Program, which connects student-athletes from HBCUs across the country with professional development opportunities and the chance to lead summer camps in underserved communities. The program is supported in part by an IDEA grant. The USGA has awarded more than $1 million in these grants to First Tee chapters over the last five years.

Determined to leave his mark on the sport, DJ did not just coach; he inspired. He helped participants grow and believe in their full potential. “I want to increase representation and increase diversity in the game,” he said. He put that mission into action by giving participants a firsthand look at the doors golf can open, both on and off the course. Little did he know that the same internship would soon open a door of his own.

An opportunity that changed everything

Always eager to learn from others, DJ used the internship to expand his professional network. After sharing that goal with Ryan Wilson, CEO of First Tee – Triad, he was offered the chance to caddie for Jimmie Johnson at the 2025 Wyndham Championship Pro-Am. He accepted without hesitation.

What began as meeting a well-known name in NASCAR grew into a much more personal relationship. During their time together, DJ shared his aspirations to work in the sports entertainment industry, where he hopes to negotiate contracts, oversee brand deals and develop athletes’ personal brands. Jimmie, in turn, shared that he was represented by WME and expressed that he would love to connect DJ with his representation team so he could gain more insight into opportunities within the agency industry.

“That was our first interaction,” DJ said. “We had only known each other for three hours. Having the ambition, the drive to really just want to do better for myself, want to expose myself to different environments — he recognized that and has been willing to share his experiences with me.”

After connecting with WME, DJ knew he had found a path worth pursuing. He made a point of thanking the employees he met and staying in touch afterward. That persistence paid off when he applied to WME’s internship program and was accepted as a brand partnerships intern in its New York City office.

Jimmie did not just help DJ get his foot in the door — he left him with advice to carry into the role: Take advantage of being young, approach every experience with an open mind and never hesitate to ask questions. DJ has taken that advice to heart, treating the internship less like a job and more like a mentorship experience, one built on curiosity and continuous growth.

A bond built to last

The relationship between DJ and Jimmie has only strengthened since their first encounter. “We have had a lot more time to bond and create more of a personal relationship than a transactional relationship,” DJ said. “We have a genuine bond.”

DJ credits Jimmie’s willingness to share his time and resources as a reflection of who he truly is: “It really speaks to his character, sharing his resources with people who are willing to put in the work for it.”

From attending Jimmie’s races to playing in Jimmie’s foundation golf tournaments, DJ is looking forward to continuing to strengthen his relationship with Jimmie and learning and growing from him at a personal level.

DJ’s story is proof of what is possible when curiosity meets ambition. With a mentor like Jimmie in his corner and a career only beginning to take shape, this is just the start of the path ahead for DJ.

Learn more about supporting First Tee programs to make opportunities available to participants in your area or around the globe.

Building Friendships on the Fairway: Golf 101 with Big Brothers Big Sisters

Last week, First Tee — Southeast Wisconsin partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee to host an evening Golf 101 clinic, and it turned into one of those nights that reminds us exactly why we do this work.

Five Bigs and Littles matches joined us for the clinic, and for almost all of the Littles, it was their very first time setting foot on a golf course. From the opening swing tips to the first attempts at putting, there was a great mix of nerves, excitement, and a whole lot of laughter as everyone learned the basics of the game together.

The highlight of the night came near the end of the program, during a group game of putting tic tac toe. In the final matchup, the Bigs faced off against the Littles, and one of the Littles was hesitant to step up and take his turn in front of the group. Without missing a beat, the rest of the Littles rallied around him, cheering him on and encouraging him to give it a shot. He stepped up and hit a great putt, and the group erupted in celebration.

That moment captured something special about the evening. This was a group of kids who didn’t know each other before they arrived, yet within just a few hours, real friendship and camaraderie had formed.

Partnerships like this one with Big Brothers Big Sisters highlight the power of what we do at First Tee. Golf is the vehicle, but the real impact is in the confidence, connection, and character built along the way, impact that extends well beyond the time kids spend with us on the course.

We’re grateful to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee for partnering with us, and we can’t wait for the next opportunity to bring more Bigs and Littles out to the course.

First Tee announces 80 teens selected to compete at PGA TOUR Champions’ PURE Insurance Championship

The PURE Insurance Championship, held at iconic Pebble Beach Golf Links, pairs First Tee teens with PGA TOUR Champions legends for a week of competition and mentorship

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (July 7, 2026) – First Tee and PGA TOUR Champions today announced the 80 teens selected to compete in the PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee, set for September 15-20, 2026, at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course on the Monterey Peninsula.

Hosted by PURE Insurance and Monterey Peninsula Foundation, the tournament is broadcast internationally on Golf Channel and pairs First Tee participants with PGA TOUR Champions professionals and business leaders for a week of personal growth. Participants age 15-18 will compete for the boys’ and girls’ pro-junior titles.

Representing 52 chapters, participants were selected based on both their golf ability and their growth through First Tee’s youth development program. Members of the 2026 field have been involved with First Tee for an average of 7.5 years.

“Having experienced firsthand the lasting impact of youth sports, I am proud to support such a worthy cause and help create opportunities for these remarkable young people to build relationships and confidence that will stay with them long after tournament week,” said Katie Krum, Chief Marketing Officer at PURE Insurance.

The junior field was unveiled live on Golf Channel, where reigning girls’ champion Margaret Kerr of First Tee – Greater Houston and her pro partner, Steven Alker, joined the broadcast to discuss their experience competing in the 2025 championship. Kerr will begin her collegiate golf career next fall at West Texas A&M University.

Two members of the 2026 PURE Insurance Championship field earned exemptions into the tournament by finishing Top 5 at the First Tee National Championship, which was held at the University of North Carolina’s Finley Golf Club in June. Nakul Shrivastava of First Tee – Tri-Valley won the boys’ division, while Sadie Goodman of First Tee – Central Florida finished 4th, making her the top finisher in the girls’ division who has not previously played the PURE Insurance Championship.

“These 80 teens have put in years of work at their chapters to earn this incredible opportunity, and we are proud to have them represent First Tee,” said First Tee CEO Greg McLaughlin. “We are grateful to PURE Insurance, PGA TOUR Champions, Pebble Beach Resorts, the Monterey Peninsula Foundation and Golf Channel for their continued investment in these young people and in this extraordinary event.”

Tournament play begins Friday, Sept. 18, on both Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course. Following Saturday’s rounds, the top 24 juniors will advance to Sunday’s final round at Pebble Beach, where one male and one female First Tee participant will be crowned champions.

The junior field for 2026 PURE Insurance Championshipcan be viewed here.

For more information on the tournament, visit PUREInsuranceChampionship.com.

Vote for First Tee — Southeast Wisconsin in Target Circle™

Vote now: target.com/circle/community-voting

We’re proud to be a featured nonprofit in Target Circle™, Target’s Community Giving Program, now through September 30. Every vote helps direct a share of Target’s charitable giving to First Tee — Southeast Wisconsin, at no cost to you beyond your regular Target shopping.

How to Vote

  1. Visit target.com/circle/community-voting, or open the same link in the Target app.
  2. Sign in to your Target account.
  3. Find First Tee — Southeast Wisconsin and cast your votes.

How Voting Works

Every time you shop at Target, in store or online, you earn a vote as a Target Circle™ member, and those votes add up. You may already have votes waiting for you from recent purchases. When you vote, you can assign as many as you’d like to us at once, and you’ll keep earning more throughout the campaign, so check back and vote again each time you shop between now and September 30.

Don’t See Us Listed?

Voting is tied to the preferred store saved in your Target account, not your home address. If your preferred store isn’t one of the following, you can temporarily switch it in the Target app or at target.com to vote for us:

Brookfield, Glendale North Shore, Menomonee Falls, Milwaukee Chase, New Berlin, Oak Creek, Waukesha, Waukesha South, Wauwatosa, West Allis, or West Milwaukee.

Why It Matters

Your vote helps us continue building character and confidence in young people through the game of golf, right here in Southeast Wisconsin. Thank you for your support, and please consider sharing this page with friends and family who shop at Target. Every vote counts.

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First Tee – Triangle’s Arianna Beverly reflects on the opportunities she’s earned through golf

When Arianna Beverly was six or seven years old, her dad signed her up for First Tee. She liked the little games well enough, but she wasn’t exactly serious about it. Then the world stopped, and golf became everything.

“COVID hit, and all we could do was play golf,” Arianna said. What started as a casual activity gradually became a lifelong passion.

Now a rising senior and member of the First Tee – Triangle community, Arianna just competed at the 2026 First Tee National Championship at Finley Golf Club in Chapel Hill — the same course where she recently attended a skills session as part of the PGA TOUR’s Pathway to Progression program. This week, she also stepped into a different kind of spotlight, moderating a conversation with player and golf personality Will Lowery at the championship’s welcome dinner.

A pathway opens

Arianna was invited to join Pathway to Progression at last year’s First Tee National Championship at the University of Notre Dame, where she played a practice round with Kenyatta Ramsey, vice president of player development at the PGA TOUR.

She won a qualifying tournament at Bally’s Golf Links in New York, “a very nice golf course, a different kind of experience,” she said. From there, the program brought her back to familiar ground: Finley Golf Club for sessions with coaches who helped with her swing, offered drills and talked through course management and the more technical aspects of the game. Through the program, she played her first AJGA tournament, a senior showcase in Las Vegas, and competed in a second AJGA event as well.

PURE Insurance Championship and Stewart Cink

If you ask Arianna about her favorite golf memory, there’s no hesitation.

“Playing at Pebble Beach. It was just the best experience of my life,” she said. “When I’m old and gray, I’ll still be reminding myself that I went to Pebble Beach and played with Stewart Cink.”

She competed at the 2025 PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links, where she was paired with the PGA TOUR veteran. The experience left a lasting impression. “He still gives me little bits of advice,” she said. “I learned so much from him about course management. I was just pampered by everyone at that tournament.”

More than a golfer

Off the course, Arianna is vice president of her school’s Black Student Association, a National Honor Society member and a jewelry entrepreneur. She started making earrings during COVID as a creative outlet, inspired by a find on Pinterest and encouraged by her crafty family. As her skills improved, her dad convinced her to turn her hobby into a small business. Her Christmas gingerbread men and cupcake designs have been particularly popular.

Before she heads off to Japan on an upcoming school trip, Arianna is also looking ahead to the next chapter: college golf, ideally at an HBCU, and a degree in marketing.

The impact of First Tee

Through new environments and everything that comes with growing up, one thing has remained constant.

“First Tee has been the steadiest thing in my life,” Arianna said. “That’s something you need when you’re changing schools and meeting new people. I always know I have my friends at First Tee.”

She also credits the organization with something she didn’t expect when she first teed it up as a kid: social confidence.

As she prepares to graduate in 2027, Arianna sees golf not just as a sport but as the throughline of her life — past, present and future. “Through First Tee, I’ve fostered my love for the game. Everything I’ve done in the golf world has been because I found that love through First Tee. It’s going to get me into college, into the next chapter of my life, and I’m going to keep it throughout my adulthood because of what happened when I was six.”

Veronica Diaz shares how First Tee – Connecticut helped prepare her for a life of service

When Veronica Diaz joined First Tee – Connecticut around age 8, she found not only a sport, but a place to practice values like honesty, integrity and perseverance. Years later, those values are essential to her career in law enforcement.

Today, Veronica serves as an officer with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Police Department, where her work spans patrol, investigations and community service. It’s a career that demands composure under pressure, accountability and genuine care for the people around her — qualities she traces directly back to her time with First Tee.

“The values of honesty, integrity, respect and perseverance are things I use every day as a police officer,” she said. “Golf teaches you accountability because there is no one else to blame for your score, and First Tee reinforced that mindset.”

She credits her First Tee Coach, Coach Lindsey, for teaching her the importance of showing respect, making confident eye contact and offering a firm handshake — small things that turned out to matter enormously. “Those simple lessons have never left me,” she said. “They are values I continue to carry with me today and pass on to others whenever I can.”

Veronica’s path from First Tee participant to law enforcement officer saw her through four years of high school golf, Division III collegiate golf, summers coaching in the program and a serious car accident that reshaped how she thinks about time and the people she shares it with. “It reminded me how quickly time can pass and how important it is to spend time doing the things you love with the people you care about most,” she said.

Her nephew is now a First Tee participant through the Waterbury Police Activity League, the same PAL program that first connected Veronica to golf and the officers who inspired her career choice.

Reuniting at the Travelers Championship

This year, Veronica joined fellow First Tee alumni at a special meetup hosted during the Travelers Championship, made possible by the generous support of PGA TOUR Superstore. The gathering brought together alumni from across the First Tee network to reconnect, reflect and celebrate how far they’ve come.

“First Tee was such an important part of my childhood, so being able to reconnect with fellow alumni and see how everyone’s journeys have unfolded is special,” she said. “It’s also a great reminder of the impact the program has had on so many people.”

A message to the next generation

When asked what she’d say to a First Tee participant just starting out, Veronica’s answer was simple: Don’t be afraid if you don’t have everything figured out yet.

“The skills you’re learning through First Tee go far beyond golf and will help you no matter what path you choose,” she said. “Some of the experiences that shape your future may come from places you least expect. First Tee certainly did that for me.”

First Tee – Phoenix’s Ashley Shaw and First Tee – Tri-Valley’s Nakul Shrivastava claim 2026 First Tee National Championship 

 
Shrivastava and First Tee – Central Florida’s Sadie Goodman earned exemptions into the 2026 PURE Insurance Championship 
 

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina (June 25, 2026) – First Tee has crowned two new national champions: Ashley Shaw of Litchfield Park, Arizona, and Nakul Shrivastava of San Ramon, California, won the girls’ and boys’ divisions respectively. The First Tee National Championship took place at the University of North Carolina’s Finley Golf Club, June 21-25, 2026. 

The event brought together First Tee’s elite golfers for an opportunity to showcase how the program has helped them build the confidence, perseverance and skills needed to play at the next level. 

Shaw shot 68-67-65 to finish 10-under for the tournament. A rising high school senior, she’s committed to play collegiate golf at the University of Georgia. Currently 67th in the AJGA rankings, she made her LPGA Tour debut at the 2024 Cognizant Founders Cup after earning an exemption into the tournament. Shaw has been involved with First Tee – Phoenix for more than eight years and serves as a volunteer coach and ambassador. 

“I’m so excited to be able to get the win,” Shaw said. “For me, staying patient and just knowing I could hit the shots and waiting for the putts to drop was the key, and I just let it happen and I was able to get quite a few birdies this week.” 

Shrivastava shot 66-64-67 to finish 13-under for the tournament. He recorded nine birdies in the second round, including six on the back nine. Shrivastava began playing golf with First Tee – Tri-Valley when he was 6. Now a rising high school junior, he has multiple Top 10 AJGA finishes. 

“I’m feeling pretty good, very excited that I got to win this, and it was a really good opportunity,” said Shrivastava. “No matter how nervous I got or doubted myself this week, I just remembered confidence is key, and I just persevered through that, and I played pretty well.” 

Both winners were awarded the Tattersall Cup in honor of First Tee Trustee Fred Tattersall, who generously supports the event. Photos from the tournament are available here. 

Based on their play, Shrivastava and Sadie Goodman of First Tee – Central Florida earned exemptions into the PURE Insurance Championship, a PGA TOUR Champions event that will take place at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course in September. The event pairs golf legends with First Tee juniors for a week of mentorship and competition. Goodman was 4th in the girls’ division, making her the top finisher who has not previously played the PURE Insurance Championship. 

“Congratulations to Ashley and Nakul on their outstanding victories at the First Tee National Championship,” said First Tee CEO Greg McLaughlin. “These young people demonstrated exceptional golf skills, sportsmanship and resilience. Thanks to the University of North Carolina for hosting this year’s event and Fred Tattersall for making this event possible.” 

The First Tee National Championship is held annually at college golf courses across the nation, providing First Tee participants the opportunity to network with others from around the country. The field included 24 boys and 24 girls, ages 14-18, who were selected based on their golf skills and competitive golf experience. A full list of results is available here. 

The championship is part of First Tee’s full slate of national participant opportunities, which is designed to help teens grow while keeping them engaged with the program. In addition to competitive golf opportunities, First Tee headquarters offers leadership programs, a girls empowerment event and a community service workshop.