Jacobsen Win is a Victory for The First Tee of Portland

On February 23 and 24^th in Kaanapali, Hawaii Peter Jacobsen and Fuzzy Zoeller rallied to win the Wendy’s Champion Skins Game, winning six skins and $320,000 in alternate shot play to beat defending champions Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. It was the second appearance for both Jacobsen and Zoeller and their first as a team.

It was a nice win for Jacobsen and Zoeller, but the real winner was The First Tee of Portland who this week received a $16,000 contribution from Peter Jacobsen as his designated charity for the event. Each player agrees to donate five percent of their winnings to the David Thomas Foundation for Adoption, and another five percent to the charity of their choice.

Jacobsen’s gift comes at a good time for The First Tee of Portland as they start spring clinics, after school programs, and the summer golf program at Heron Lakes Golf Course in North Portland. The money will be used in the organization’s outreach to inner city and minority participants. The First Tee provides year-round instruction by PGA Professionals and experienced volunteer instructors. Equipment and lessons are provided at little or no cost to each participant. Golf equipment and supplies are obtained through donations.

Quincy Heard, executive director of The First Tee of Portland credits program graduate Anna Jenks with securing the donation from Jacobsen during time she spent talking with him earlier in the year when she was a player at the Wal-Mart First Tee Open in Pebble Beach. Jenks, from Battleground, Washington, is a Senior at Prairie High who began golfing at age 10 and started with The First Tee program in 2003. An article from the Winter Issue of GolferGirl magazine is attached for additional information on Jenks’ trip to Pebble Beach.

The First Tee® of Portland (http://www.pyga.org/) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that began in 1994 as the Portland Youth Golf Association (PYGA). Our mission: to impact the lives of young people by providing educational and mentoring programs that incorporate life skills, character development, family values, and personal growth through the game of golf. Since its inception, PYGA has introduced the game of golf and its values to over 10,000 participants in the Portland metropolitan area.