One of the most popular young champions in the game, Jordan visited New Jersey fresh off a runner-up finish at the PGA Championship, where the 22-year-old from Dallas, Texas, looked to add a third major title to his impressive 2015 resume. Spieth, who won both The Masters and U.S. Open Championship and was fourth at the British Open, is competing in The Barclays PGA TOUR event this week at Plainfield Country Club in Edison.
Spieth joined the event hosts and participants at The First Tee Classic at Liberty National for an interactive golf clinic and group discussion.
“More than half the children enrolled are able to participate thanks to financial scholarships provided by our donors,” said Michael Blackwell of The First Tee alliance. “We are so appreciative of our numerous supporters and partners, particularly Paul Fireman and Dan Fireman of Liberty National Golf Club, who made our inaugural event today a resounding success. And I want to extend a very special thanks to Jordan, for making it even more memorable.”
Almost one year ago to the day, and in conjunction with announcing an unprecedented 25-year partnership with the PGA TOUR, the Fireman family, founders of Liberty National Golf Club, committed to donating $5 million to The First Tee over the next five years. Half of this total donation is earmarked specifically for the four local chapters benefitting from the outing at Liberty National.
The non-profit chapters of The First Tee in New Jersey — Essex and Plainfield, Monmouth and Ocean, Raritan Valley and Greater Trenton, are official hosts of the golf outing and fundraiser. Their mission is to positively impact the lives of local young people by providing structured educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.
The four chapters reached nearly 64,000 young people in 2014 through programs that seamlessly incorporate The First Tee Nine Core Values and character-building life skills lessons with golf. The chapters have a goal to reach 125,000 young people by 2020, with the support of local individuals and businesses committed to The First Tee’s mission.