ST. AUGUSTINE, FLA. – Fred Tattersall, founder and president of The First Tee of Richmond, has made a $100,000 pledge to the American Junior Golf Association through The First Tee. The pledge will make the AJGA Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grants available to participants of The First Tee. The goal of the ACE Grant is to give competitive golf opportunities to young golfers regardless of financial resources. “I would like to thank Mr. Tattersall for his continued dedication to The First Tee and foresight to assist our participants in competing at the highest level of junior golf,” said Joe Louis Barrow Jr., executive director of The First Tee and senior vice president of the World Golf Foundation. “This is an excellent opportunity for The First Tee to align with the AJGA for our participants who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through national junior tournaments.” The AJGA developed the ACE Grant to combat the costs of playing a national junior golf schedule for players without financial backing. Since 2003, ACE Grants have helped 63 junior golfers play in AJGA events they otherwise might not have attended. Of those 63, 15 have procured some form of financial aid at the collegiate level because of their golfing prowess showcased at AJGA tournaments. “In the AJGA’s attempt to bring competitive junior golf to those with the talent but not the financial resources, Mr. Tattersall has helped the ACE Grant’s mission tremendously,” said Stephen Hamblin, AJGA executive director. “His contribution will allow The First Tee juniors with the skill to compete on the national level the opportunity to continue their growth and development by testing themselves during AJGA events.” Since the inception of The First Tee in 1997, many participants have developed the talent and skill to compete amongst the nation’s elite junior golfers. In September 2004, The First Tee made its inaugural step onto the competitive stage when twenty boys and girls from Chapters across the country participated in the Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. Tattersall also serves on the steering committee of GOLF 20/20 for junior golf and as a national trustee of The First Tee. He lends a significant philanthropic and leadership role to both The First Tee of Richmond and The First Tee of Chesterfield in Virginia. The First Tee has opened 201 golf-learning facilities and introduced the game of golf to over 450,000 participants since 2000. The focus is to give young people of all backgrounds an opportunity to develop, through golf and character education, life-enhancing values such as honesty, integrity and sportsmanship. For more information contact Mandy Riceman
with The First Tee at (904) 940-4324. For more information about the AJGA contact Steve Ethun
at (770) 868-4200. |