(Participant Spotlight: Alexis Chu Published 9/8/2026) Meet our spotlight participant, Alexis Chu. She joined our program in 2018 and has made a positive impact on FTSV ever since. Alexis started by taking our life and golf skill classes, then participating in our tournaments, Ace classes, and Junior Council, where she worked with other FTSV participants to brainstorm and execute ideas for the betterment of our program overall. Lastly, she has been an active volunteer with over 80 service hours as a coach. Her engagement, hard work, and willingness to help others resulted in her being selected to several First Tee National Opportunities.
Alexis has been selected for multiple First Tee National opportunities.
2026 First Tee National Championship
Together with Annie Lu and Arden Xu, Alexis competed in the annual First Tee National Championship held at University of NC, Chapel Hill, North Carolina from June 21st to 25th. The First Tee National Championship brought together First Tee’s elite players for an opportunity to showcase how the program has helped them build the strength of character needed to play at the collegiate or next level. This is a 54-hole stroke-play event featuring a Girls and Boys division for high school participants.
“My experience at the National Championship was honestly such an amazing and unforgettable experience. I got to meet so many new people who shared the same passion for golf and First Tee as me, and it was really cool being able to connect with everyone and hear about their different experiences. Being surrounded by so many juniors my age who are all working toward their own goals really opened my eyes to how many opportunities are out there for me. This experience also made me realize how much First Tee has impacted my life and how I want to continue giving back and being involved in the community.”
Leadership Summit in Montana with PGA TOUR Superstore
Held in Emigrant, Montana – The First Tee Leadership Summit is held in August every year. First Tee golfers from chapters across the country were selected to attend this unique and rewarding event. Participants engaged in team building activities and challenged themselves by exploring positive risk taking. Over the course of the week, they were encouraged to step out of their comfort zone, learn about themselves and what it takes to be an effective leader, all while creating long lasting relationships and memories.
“I’m incredibly grateful to have been given the opportunity to attend the First Tee Montana Leadership Summit through First Tee and PGA TOUR Superstore. The experience taught me so much, not only from the incredible speakers, but also from all of the amazing people I had the chance to meet and connect with. I learned a lot about leadership, confidence, and how I can use my experiences to make a difference in my community. I’m so excited to take everything I learned back to our chapter and put it into action. Most of all, I can’t wait to be the leader I learned I can be at the summit and use what I learned to help and inspire others in our First Tee community.”
PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach 2025 and 2026
For more than 20 years, the PURE Insurance Championship has provided selected First Tee participants from around the country with the unique opportunity to showcase the skills and values they’ve gained through their respective First Tee Chapters. The tournament pairs 80 standout teens from First Tee Chapters nationwide with PGA TOUR Champions players and amateurs from the business community. The teens were selected by a national panel of judges who evaluated their essays, letters of recommendations, and golf resume.
In 2025, Alexis placed 4th at the PURE insurance Championship and had this to say… “It was truly the most unforgettable experience of my life — playing these bucket-list courses, meeting incredible professionals, staff, and fellow participants, and soaking in every moment. I am especially grateful to have been paired with Mr. Tommy Gainey; we played so well together and proudly finished T-4 in the field. Huge congratulations to the winners, and a heartfelt thank you FTSV, First Tee, PURE Insurance and Pebble Beach Resorts for making this week so special. And thank you so much for my friends, family and Coach Matt for coming out to support me all week!”
We look forward to seeing Alexis play again in the 2026 PURE Insurance Championship impacting First Tee, September 18th – 20th. We will be there to cheer her on. GO ALEXIS!
2025 John Deere Drive Your Future Academy
In early November of last year, in Jacksonville Florida, together with FTSV participant, Alexis and Jennifer Barrientos from FTSV and 35 girls from First Tee chapters from across the country were welcomed to the annual 2025 Drive Your Future Academy, a five-day leadership program specifically for girls, designed to help develop critical skills that will serve students in college and beyond. Kathryn Newton – actress, First Tee – Miami alum, and First Tee Ambassador – headlined the list of mentors on hand to lead a variety of workshops centered around topics such as: advocating for yourself and others, overcoming adversity, cultivating meaningful relationships, roadmap to successful mentorship, and embracing self-awareness.
“It was such an incredible experience meeting 35 other girls from all over the country who share the same passion for golf and growth. This was my first time traveling to Florida on my own, and I’m so grateful I got to spend the week learning, exploring Jacksonville and St. Augustine, and being inspired through all of the education workshops.” said Alexis.
Being selected to these national opportunities is no easy task. First you have to put in the work. Alexis practices her golf all the time and completes in many local, regional, and national tournaments. When she applied for opportunities, she met with our staff to work on her essays and application to make sure she was putting in her best effort. Second, you need to be engaged as a FTSV participant. To this end, Alexis has engaged in every FTSV class and opportunity. Lastly, but most importantly, she demonstrated high character and lifted others up in her classes as a participant and as a coach.
If your child is interested in golf or looking for a new extracurricular activity where they can learn, grow, have access to resources and opportunities, and become part of something bigger than themself, consider enrolling them in FTSV programming. There are tons of opportunities for important early development for younger students, and equally as many for leadership and growth for middle and high schoolers.