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Where are they now: First Tee National Championship winners 

First Tee returns to Clemson University this year for its 4th annual National Championship. This year’s field includes 24 boys and 24 girls from First Tee chapters across the country to experience what golf looks like at the next level.

In addition to showcasing their skills and perseverance on the course, players will also attend a golf careers panel and a keynote address from First Tee alumnus Gavin Parker. 

This year’s tournament will be streamed on Gamecast, and you can follow scoring on Golf Genius. 

Before we head to Clemson, we caught up with our past winners to see what they’re up to. 

Ashton Harper  
First Tee — Roanoke Valley 

Ashton won the inaugural First Tee National Championship at Clemson in 2021 and is now a member of the golf team at Virginia Tech, where he is majoring in business. Ashton said his experience with First Tee taught him valuable lessons in perseverance. “Golf is not a game of perfect, and there will always be ups and downs when playing this game, but they are magnified in tournaments due to the high stakes. I was able to use perseverance to fight these ups and downs,” he said. 

Ashton aims to become an All-ACC player by the end of his tenure at Virginia Tech before going on to play professionally. 

Symran Shah 
First Tee — Greater Dallas 

Like Ashton, Symran won the First Tee National Championship at Clemson in 2021 and now plays golf at Virginia Tech. She studies business and plans to have a career in healthcare administration. 

Hannah Lydic 
First Tee — Delaware 

Hannah won the 2022 First Tee National Championship held at Notre Dame and is now a member of the golf team at the University of Richmond, majoring in business administration with a concentration in marketing. Her experience in the First Tee National Championship taught her patience and perseverance in both herself and her game, she said. 

As a Spider, she’s won awards for golf and academics. “What’s cool about the game of golf is that if you play calm and treat your playing partners with kindness, you will ultimately have a better experience on the course which will allow you to play at a higher level,” she said. Because of her experience with First Tee coaches, she fell in love with golf and now has the goal to become a collegiate golf coach. 

Hunter Swanson 
First Tee — Green Valley Ranch 

Hunter won the First Tee National Championship at Notre Dame in 2022 and is now a business student and member of the golf team at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Hunter lost to Ashton in a playoff at the 2021 First Tee National Championship, which inspired him to have the perseverance to come back and win at Notre Dame and taught him how to be more comfortable in high stress situations, he said.  

As a college golfer, Hunter said the most important lesson he learned from First Tee is confidence. “I find I play more relaxed and have a better game when I practice enough to believe in my abilities,” he said. Since winning the First Tee National Championship, Hunter has made the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, been a Pac-12 Men’s Golfer of the Week and the Nevada State Amateur runner up. 

Megan Meng  
First Tee — Greater Trenton 

Megan won the 2023 First Tee National Championship at Stanford and is preparing to begin her college golf career at Northwestern, where she’ll study economics. Her experience playing in the First Tee National Championship challenged her to be hardworking and patient. She said she continues to use other First Tee lessons. “I find that it is important to always apply respect, sportsmanship and courtesy to those you are playing with,” said Megan, who also won the 2022 PURE Insurance Championship. 

Recently, Megan was a member of Team USA at the 2023 Junior Solheim Cup and a 2023 Rolex Scholastic Junior All-American. She’s currently in the Top 10 of the AJGA Rankings and plans to pursue professional golf. 

Cooper Groshart 
First Tee — Central Coast 

Cooper won the 2023 First Tee National Championship at Stanford and now attends California State East Bay, as a business administration major and a member of the golf team. Confidence is a First Tee lesson that Cooper keeps with him today while playing competitive golf. His experience in the First Tee National Championship was inspiring, as he saw so many people from different places share the same drive to compete and succeed in golf, he said.  

Cooper played in the 2023 U.S. Junior Amateur in Charleston. As a freshman, he competed in 12 tournaments with his college team and has been on the dean’s list both semesters. He said his goal is to continue to improve as a player and a person. 

Learn more about the First Tee National Championship.

First Tee College Scholarship Program celebrates first graduating class 

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. – (May 14, 2024) – Four years ago, President George W. Bush had a big surprise for seven exemplary First Tee participants. First Tee’s honorary chair told the teens they were selected as inaugural members of the First Tee College Scholarship Program. Now the organization is thrilled to celebrate their graduation. 

“Congratulations to the first graduating class of First Tee College Scholarship Program,” said First Tee CEO Greg McLaughlin. “We are very proud of your hard work and commitment, and we look forward to watching you move into the next stages of your journey. First Tee is proud to have played a role in your development.” 

“First Tee is family,” said Ricky Lam, a First Tee Scholar who is graduating from Harvard University and pursuing a career in insurance. “Ultimately First Tee is a place where you have such a strong support system to be able to pursue your passions, ask for help, expand your horizons and network so you can be the person you strive to be.” 

The First Tee College Scholarship Program is a need- and merit-based scholarship program through which Scholars receive financial support and access to a wide range of professional development opportunities. Each Scholar is paired with an adult mentor to ensure they are equipped with the tools they need to be successful in college and beyond. 

“The First Tee College Scholarship Program really helped me find connections, especially with my mentor,” said Malisone Chanthanpanya, now a graduate student and member of the golf team at Texas Wesleyan University. Mali is one of three Scholars who graduated early to bring the total number of graduated First Tee Scholars to 10. “She was a great resource who I could talk to about not just college and my career but about life. I got to meet a lot of people through the scholarship program.” 

The First Tee College Scholarship Program was launched in 2020, and it recognizes First Tee participants who have shown dedication to academics, community service and their First Tee chapters. It has since grown to include 70 Scholars, with the 2024 class slated to be announced next month.  

Meet the graduates: 

Luke Boldt 
First Tee – Coastal Carolina / East Carolina University 
He has accepted a position as a medical missionary for two years and plans to apply to medical school. 

Malisone Chanthanpanya 
First Tee – Fort Worth / Texas Wesleyan University 
She’s in graduate school and prepping for LPGA Q-school in the fall.  

Jessica Jiao 
First Tee – Metropolitan New York / Georgetown University  
She has accepted a position with BNP Paribas Bank in its equity capital markets department in New York. 

Ricky Lam 
First Tee–Tri-Valley / Harvard University 
He has accepted a position with Sompo as a commercial underwriter.  

Kelly Low 
First Tee – Fort Worth / University of Texas at Dallas 
She has accepted an offer with Amazon Web Services as an associate solutions architect in Austin. 

Nicole Monsalve 
First Tee – Miami / Duke University 
She has accepted a position with the NFL in its two-year rotation program in New York. 

Sara Rintoul  
First Tee – Central Florida / University of Florida 
She has accepted an offer at Proctor & Gamble as a brand manager in Boston. 

Remi Shendell 
First Tee – Metropolitan New York / Emory University 
She is graduating with a double-major in biology and political science. 

Borina Sutiko  
First Tee – Silicon Valley / Santa Clara University 
She hopes to attend Cal Berkely this fall to earn her master’s in information systems.  

Denise Wei 
First Tee – San Francisco / University of California, Irvine 
She has accepted an offer with PwC in its audit division. 

2024 First Tee- Scheels Game Changer Clinic at Columbia Driving Range

Join us for a free golf clinic hosted by First Tee- Minnesota and Scheels at Columbia Driving Range and Learning Center! First Tee coaches will cover basics such as putting, chipping and hitting the ball really far. All golf equipment (and ice cream!) will be provided at the course. Fill out the form below to register your junior.

When: Sunday, May 19th

Time: 1-2 PM

Location: Columbia Driving Range- 445 St Anthony Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55418

Age: 6+

Space is limited and spots fill quickly! The deadline to register is May 14th.

2025 First Tee – Highland District Council Game Changer Clinic

This clinic is now full! To join the waitlist please enter your information below.

Join us for a free golf clinic hosted by First Tee- Minnesota and the Highland District Council! First Tee coaches will cover basics such as putting, chipping and hitting the ball really far. All golf equipment (and ice cream!) will be provided at the course.

When: Saturday, May 10th

Time: 1-2 pm

Location: Highland National Golf Course- 1403 Montreal Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55116

Age: 6+

Please fill out this form to join the waitlist for the free clinic:

Waitlist 2025 Highland District Council & First Tee – Minnesota Golf Clinic Registration

Parent/Guardian Name(Required)
Child Name
Parent/Guardian Email(Required)
Waiver(Required)

You are invited to the 16th Annual March Madness Season Kickoff!

Please join us for First Tee – Minnesota’s 16th Annual March Madness Season Kickoff

We’ve combined bowling, NCAA Basketball, and the Master’s into a fun, active and non-gala event!

Sunday, March 17, 2024

5:30 to 8 pm

Pinstripes, 3849 Gallagher Drive, Edina, MN 55435

For more information and to register …

Click Here!

The importance of embracing differences and different experiences 

February is Black History Month, an important time to recognize the contributions and remember the hardships endured by generations of African Americans. Appreciating diversity and what makes us each unique remains an integral part of First Tee’s DNA year-round.  

“When you bring together people with different perspectives and different experiences, the whole becomes stronger than the sum of its parts,” said Pepper Peete, whose career in golf began more than two decades ago when she established the men’s team at Edward Waters College, an HBCU in Jacksonville, Florida. Peete now helps lead culture and inclusion efforts at First Tee headquarters. 

Access for All 

First Tee has always been committed to reaching kids from all backgrounds and making sure they feel included in our programming. At First Tee we commit to: 

  • Appreciating what makes us different. 
  • Providing everyone ​with what they need ​to succeed, knowing that our needs and challenges may differ. 
  • Creating space that makes every individual feel like they belong and can see themselves reflected.​ 

Collaborating with others – including those who are different from you – is a Key Commitment at First Tee, and it means showing respect, kindness and care for everyone. Regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, ability, sexual orientation or lived experience, we’re all unique.  

Here are some ways kids can get more comfortable learning about and from others. 

A-L-R is a tool for learning about others 

First Tee coaches introduce the concept of appreciating diversity by explaining that people differ in many ways and are similar in other ways, and we all have strengths and weaknesses. It is important for kids and teens to understand, accept and appreciate their own strengths and weaknesses, but it is equally important they do the same with others. 

Engaging others in conversation doesn’t always come naturally to children, but it can be one of the best ways to form meaningful connections across perceived barriers. A-L-R is a strategy we teach at First Tee. 

  • Ask questions: Invite your child to ask questions to discover more about a person’s background and past experiences, which might provide insight into who they are today and the commonalities they share. 
  • Listen to understand: Introduce active listening by encouraging your child to focus on what others are saying rather than thinking about what to say next. 
  • Reflect and respond: Invite your child to show how they were listening by responding with a thoughtful question or sharing your own thoughts or feelings on the topic at hand.  

Through this exercise, kids might learn they share common interests with someone who looks or sounds different to them. 

Don’t forget that in addition to learning about others, preteens are often grappling with and discovering their own identities. If your family positions diversity as an asset, your child might feel more comfortable being themself.  

Exposing your child to food, music or books from other cultures can help them see the commonalities we share and appreciate that our differences make the world a richer place. You can also discuss the diversity that exists within your own family or community to show that diversity is everywhere, including the golf space. 

“Golf has given me an opportunity to go places I never would have been able to go and meet people I never would have been able to meet,” said Peete, who was married to Calvin Peete, one of the most successful Black professional golfers in history. “I think golf can open up unexpected doors.” 

A lifelong golfer and mother to two daughters who played golf at HBCUs, Peete has seen the sport become more accessible, especially to women, and she believes the golf course is a perfect place to break down barriers. “You get to meet so many different people through golf,” Peete said. 

Fall 2023 Newsletter

Click to view our Fall 2023 Newsletter

We recently mailed out our first printed newsletter featuring highlights from this summer’s activities, including green grass activities, school and community programs, our presence at the 3M Open, and fantastic national leadership opportunities for teens. 

Compass Challenge

Supporting the Seiwert Family

Brian Seiwert was a long time Minnesota PGA Golf Professional, Head Professional at Burl Oaks GC and friend of First Tee – Minnesota. His passion for family, community and the great game of golf was a blessing for so many. Sadly, over the past few years, Brian battled Non-Small Cell Metastatic Lung Cancer and passed in November. If you would like to support Brian’s family, please visit the GoFundMe page.

We would like to thank all the courses listed below that took part in the Oct 15/16 Fundraiser. We raised $5000 for the Seiwert Family. (That’s 100% of all the tee-times)

Edina Country Club

Minneapolis Golf Club

White Bear Yacht Club

TPC Twin Cities

Wayzata Country Club

Midland Hills Golf Club

Olympic Hills Golf Club

Bearpath Golf Club

Hazeltine Golf Club

Woodhill Country Club

Minnesota Valley Golf Club

Minikahda Country Club

Town and County Country Club

Windsong Farm Golf Club

Oak Ridge Country Club

Reminder: All funds go directly to the Seiwert Family.

Be The Change Golf Tournament

Be The Change MN Golf is Back!

For the third year in a row, First Tee – Minnesota is supporting the Be The Change MN Golf Tournament. Unlike any scramble you’ve ever played, this one combines great music, great food, and, most importantly, the opportunity to connect with community and business leaders in the spirit of improving the lives of the less fortunate in Minnesota.

The fun takes place on Sunday, September 10, at historic Theodore Wirth Golf Course in Minneapolis.

Click here for more information!

For more information and to register …

Click here