The Drew Charter School's golf teams support each other on the road to success

First Tee, a youth development organization that helps kids and teens build their strength of character through golf, is expanding its relationship with PGA TOUR Superstore, thanks to a $9.5 million grant from PGA TOUR Superstore and The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. The new grant will help First Tee reach more children across the U.S. and strengthen First Tee's curriculum for teenage participants. PGA TOUR Superstore and The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation have supported First Tee for more than a decade, helping First Tee grow from reaching 260,000 kids in PGA TOUR Superstore markets in 2011 to more than 1.5 million young people in 2019. This new grant will help First Tee focus on the critical teenage years, where in the U.S. one in five public school children drop out before they finish high school. Beginning in 2021, more than 1,300 First Tee teenagers will have the opportunity to participate in an annual five-week leadership development program at PGA TOUR Superstores. Additionally, 40 teens from across First Tee will be selected annually for a week-long summit at West Creek Ranch in Montana, an inspiring retreat space owned by PGA TOUR Superstore owner, Arthur M. Blank and with an intended purpose of growth, education and coming together to make a difference. "We are committed to being a positive influence in our communities and truly believe in the purposeful impact sports can have in developing and supporting youth," said Arthur M. Blank, Chairman, PGA TOUR Superstore and The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. "This is the embodiment of the First Tee's mission and we are proud to support them. For more than a decade, we have built a strong partnership with the First Tee and will continue to work together to empower young people with core values such honesty, integrity and sportsmanship that will help them succeed throughout the course of their life." Currently reaching kids through programs at 150 chapters, 10,000 schools and 1,600 youth centers, First Tee is opening the door to more kids and teens across its network, especially inviting those who are in underserved communities, to have access to programs and new opportunities. By leveraging the relationship with PGA TOUR Superstore, the investment will also allow First Tee to provide continued support to chapters located in PGA TOUR Superstore markets nationwide. "We are grateful for leaders like Arthur Blank and his family of businesses who understand the power of investing in young people and their communities through First Tee," said Jay Monahan, Commissioner, PGA TOUR and Chairman, Board of Governors, First Tee. "First Tee's ability to connect with and empower the next generation in intentional and innovative ways is realized through partnerships like this one. Thank you to Mr. Blank and his store executives for investing in our future." "The new leadership program and summit will be game-changing opportunities for the young people involved, and we are sincerely grateful for the support of our work and our chapters in Superstore markets," said Greg McLaughlin, Chief Executive Officer, First Tee. Mr. Blank, Chairman and owner of the PGA TOUR Superstore, has donated more than $3.6 million to First Tee since 2011. He is also owner of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons, MLS' Atlanta United, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and three ranches in Montana, and co-founder of The Home Depot. In 2019, the PGA TOUR assumed responsibility of the First Tee and re-organized it as a nonprofit subsidiary PGA TOUR First Tee Foundation (First Tee).

Click here to read the full article…

Tiger Woods was even outdriving world No. 1 Dustin Johnson at times Friday, according to playing partner Brad Faxon.

Click here to read the full article…

It’s the final official event of the year, bringing the calendar to a close at the picturesque Sea Island Resort in St. Simons Island, Georgia. Tony Finau, who’s scheduled to return to Sea Island for the first time since 2014, leads the field. There are plenty of locals looking to win on their home turf, as well, as Sea Island is a popular gathering spot for some of the TOUR’s top players. FIELD NOTES: Finau, a two-time winner on TOUR last season, is the highest-ranked golfer in the field… Six of the top 40 in the world are teeing it up, with Brian Harman, Sepp Straka, Tom Hoge, 2015 RSM Classic winner Kevin Kisner and FedExCup leader Seamus Power, winner of the recent Butterfield Bermuda Championship, joining Finau. Qualifiers for last season’s TOUR Championship who are in the field are Straka, Finau, Hoge, Harman, J.T. Poston, Sahith Theegala and Scott Stallings… Recent RSM winners in the field include Kisner, two-time RSM winner Robert Streb, Chris Kirk, Austin Cook, Tyler Duncan, and Mackenzie Hughes, who won the Sanderson Farms Championship this fall… Tournament host Davis Love III will tee it up alongside fellow major champs in Webb Simpson, Francesco Molinari, Justin Rose, Stewart Cink, Jason Dufner, Zach Johnson, and Jason Day… Nick Hardy and Zac Blair are teeing it up on major medical extensions… Sponsor exemptions include four-time TOUR winner Aaron Baddeley, Camilo Villegas, Chris Gotterup, Jacob Bridgeman, Notre Dame’s Palmer Jackson and Georgia alum Spencer Ralston. Bridgeman (No. 2) and Gotterup (No. 7) were members of this year’s class in PGA TOUR University presented by Velocity Global. Gotterup, the 2022 NCAA Player of the Year, recently finished T3 at the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament, while Bridgeman finished T45 to earn conditional status. Jackson earned his spot in the field by winning the prestigious Jones Cup at nearby Ocean Forest Golf Club. Past champions of that amateur event include Justin Thomas, Corey Conners and PGA TOUR rookie Davis Thompson. Jackson is No. 20 in the PGA TOUR University Velocity Global Ranking. Baddeley has Monday qualified for two events this season, including a T6 finish at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. Villegas was a Captain’s Assistant at this year’s Presidents Cup. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 FedExCup points. COURSE: Sea Island Resort (Seaside), 7,005 yards, par 70; Sea Island Resort (Plantation), 7,060 yards, par 72. Tournament Davis Love III and his brother Mark re-worked the Plantation Course – inspired by the traditional profile of Walter Travis’ 1928 original – in 2019 with plenty of classic design features. Tom Fazio, meanwhile, redid the Seaside Course – a links-style layout adjacent to the ocean – in 1999. STORYLINES: Four of the last six editions of The RSM Classic have gone into a playoff, including three in a row from 2018-2020… Sea Island has been a haven for first-time TOUR winners but not so much for local residents. There are lots in the field this year, per usual, but none have won the event. While Kevin Kisner captured the title in 2015, he was actually living in Sea Island only because his South Carolina home was being renovated… If there is one golfer to look at continuing the first-timer-trend at Sea Island, look to Taylor Montgomery, who hasn’t missed a cut this fall (with finishes of 3-T9-T15-T13-T10)… Webb Simpson is hoping to finally take this tournament across the finish line. He finished inside the top 10, again, last season – the fifth time he’s done that, including two playoff losses… This is the last official PGA TOUR event on the calendar until the Sentry Tournament of Champions the first week of January. 72-HOLE RECORD: 260, Kevin Kisner (2015), Talor Gooch (2021) 18-HOLE RECORD: 60, Tommy Gainey (4th round, 2012), Sebastian Munoz (1st round, 2021), Tyler McCumber (4th round, 2021) LAST TIME: Talor Gooch fired a final-round 64 to win by three over 2016 RSM champ Mackenzie Hughes for his maiden TOUR title. Gooch made three birdies in four holes after making the turn on Sunday and no one else could get close as the tournament reached its conclusion. Gooch had a three-shot lead to start the day and was locked in early, making birdies of just five and nine feet on Nos. 2 and 4 to start his final round. Gooch’s 22-under 260 matched the tournament record set by Kevin Kisner in 2014, while he became the seventh golfer in the 12-year history of the tournament to make The RSM Classic his first TOUR victory. Hughes shot a tidy 8-under 62 to finish solo second, while Sebastian Munoz, who earlier in the week shot a course record-tying 60, finished third. Tyler McCumber, who shot a 60 of his own in the final round, finished tied for fourth alongside three other golfers. HOW TO FOLLOW: Television: Thursday-Friday, 12 p.m.-3 p.m. ET. Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. (Golf Channel) For outside of the U.S., click here for GOLFTV powered by the PGA TOUR PGA TOUR LIVE: PGA TOUR Live is available exclusively on ESPN+ Main Feed: primary tournament-coverage featuring the best action from across the course Marquee Group: new “marquee group” showcasing every shot from each player in the group Featured Groups: traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups Featured Holes: a combination of par-3s and iconic or pivotal holes Radio: Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. ET. Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio)

Click here to read the full article…