THE PLAYERS Championship provided 75 tickets for participants and families from The First Tee – North Florida for each day of the championship, courtesy of the tournament’s Proud Partner, Optum, a diversified health services company and part of UnitedHealth Group.
In addition, ahead of the 2021 championship, 17 participants from the chapter were selected to interview Optum brand ambassador and THE PLAYERS’ 2019 champion, Rory McIlroy, through a virtual kids’ press conference, where they asked him various questions related to personal health, golf’s impact on his life and his interests outside of the game.
“THE PLAYERS and Optum have provided multiple opportunities that allow our participants to not only put their life skills and core values they’ve learned to the test, but also created moments they will remember for the rest of their lives. We are grateful for THE PLAYERS, Optum and Rory’s generosity in providing these opportunities to our children,” said Jeff Willoughby, executive director of First Tee – North Florida. “They are helping us make a difference in the lives of young people by providing opportunities to engage in meaningful experiences, where kids feel excited to grow, safe to fail and better equipped for whatever comes their way.”
Jared Rice, executive director of THE PLAYERS, expressed gratitude to Optum and McIlroy for giving First Tee youth this opportunity.
“First Tee is one of our tournament’s, and organization’s, longest-served charitable beneficiaries, and we are honored to continue supporting its mission of building game changers on and off the course,” Rice said.
Additionally, Optum made a $50,000 donation to First Tee – North Florida to help with the expansion of a new Learning Center at Blue Cypress, a public golf course and park near downtown Jacksonville. Currently, the chapter is serving more than 150,000 young people in North Florida. New facilities, like Blue Cypress, will give more children the opportunity to explore the game of golf and grow their character foundation.
“Optum is honored to support First Tee – North Florida and its important mission of enabling children to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges,” said Eric Murphy, chief growth and commercial officer, Optum. “As a Proud Partner of THE PLAYERS and together with our health ambassador, Rory McIlroy, we are excited to help empower future generations of leaders through unique experiences here at the championship and through the expansion of the new First Tee Learning Center at Blue Cypress.”
