TOUR Championship announces 2025 HOPE Tee Shot honorees

Samuel West and Aiko Benford were named the HOPE Tee Shot honorees by the TOUR Championship Photo by Tracy Wilcox PGA TOUR The TOUR Championship has communicated its HOPE Tee Shot honorees with First Tee Metro Atlanta members Aiko Benford and Samuel West selected to each hit the opening tee shots at the TOUR Championship on Aug As part of this annual tournament tradition both honorees also receive a scholarship on behalf of TOUR Championship partner Accenture The HOPE Tee Shot has become a cherished tradition and one of the greater part exciting moments during TOUR Championship week Alex Urban Executive Director of the TOUR Championship disclosed in a press release This moment before the start of competition exemplifies all that makes this event unique to Atlanta the desire to create opportunities for the region and to spotlight the next generation We re honored to provide a platform where these honorees feel the impact of this incredible moment long after they step off the tee box Since the TOUR Championship has recognized members of First Tee Metro Atlanta who exemplify the HOPE that continues to build in the East Lake locality and throughout Atlanta Each year both honorees emerge from an intense selection process comprised of a golf competition essay contest and interviews with tournament leadership Benford and West will be honored during the HOPE Tee Shot Ceremony on Aug on the No tee box at East Lake Golf Club Aiko Benford Benford a rising junior at Druid Hills High School has been a member of First Tee Metro Atlanta for over eight years Throughout her golf career Aiko has relied on her commitment to Judgment one of First Tee s Nine Core Values which has helped her prepare for the HOPE Tee Shot Benford demonstrates Judgement on the lesson through respect sportsmanship and honesty while confidence integrity and perseverance guide her life off the program When not playing golf Benford can be determined working on her latest crochet project or watching her favorite performer Lexi Thompson compete on the LPGA Tour Samuel West West a rising senior at Drew Charter School has been envisioning his chance to hit the HOPE Tee Shot ever since he began his career at First Tee in Sam has leaned on Perseverance another one of First Tee s Nine Core Values and his ability to mentally push through when things don t go as planned on the golf curriculum He believes adapting your mindset helps to persevere through hardship West s favorite PGA TOUR athlete is Lucas Glover and he looks up to his grandmother as the greater part influential person in his life Aiko and Sam represent everything we hope to instill into our participants through the First Tee Metro Atlanta initiative strong character perseverance and the confidence to lead Jenae Jenkins Executive Director of First Tee Metro Atlanta noted in the press release Their selection celebrates their hard work and shows what s practicable when young people are supported and inferred in We re grateful to the TOUR Championship and Proud Partner Accenture for helping us elevate stories like theirs and for inspiring what s manageable in the lives of so multiple others Earlier this year the TOUR Championship hosted video auditions for Atlanta s local talent to perform the National Anthem at the HOPE Tee Shot Opening Ceremony Logan Guiles a -year-old learner at New Manchester High School in Douglasville was selected for this year s inaugural tradition Fellow Georgia native and current senior at Georgia Tech University Andie Countryman was selected as an ASL interpreter to sign the anthem alongside Guiles The TOUR Championship returns Aug - at East Lake Golf Club as the PGA TOUR s top players compete in the FedExCup Playoffs For more information about the event visit TOURChampionship com The post TOUR Championship announces HOPE Tee Shot honorees appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta