The First Tee and Golf Channel today announced details of a new partnership naming Golf Channel as the title sponsor of the Golf Channel Invitational for The First Tee. This year’s event, the sixth overall, takes place October 12-14 at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Ga. Callaway Gardens, which previously hosted the PGA Tour’s Buick Challenge for more than a decade, first hosted the invitational in 2007.
“We are very proud to be able to take our long-time support of The First Tee to a new level through this new partnership,” says Golf Channel president Page Thompson. “This event will help grow the sport of golf and provide opportunities that will impact the lives of young people in a positive way.”
“We are very excited to have Golf Channel become a major part of this tournament, especially in time for our sixth anniversary,” says Bobby Rearden, co-chairman of Osprey Events, which produces the tournament. “The Callaway Family truly embraces the opportunity to host this event. With Golf Channel’s level of involvement, and continuing support from our other corporate partners, this tournament will provide added exposure and networking opportunities for our sponsors while doing what it was created to do, supporting the objectives of The First Tee.”
More than 30 participants from Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee Chapters of The First Tee will attend a youth teaching clinic and the opening night dinner on Sunday. Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., chief executive officer of The First Tee, will be the featured speaker.
A maximum of 36 four-person teams will participate in the two-day event. Event proceeds will support The First Tee in its mission to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.
Golf Channel will air a one-hour special about the tournament, “Celebrating The First Tee,” twice during the holiday season, at least once in prime time. Broadcast dates and times will be announced at a later date.
