TAMPA, Fla. — Fred Couples was just one of a dozen legendary PGA Champions Tour golfers playing in the Pro-Am at the Avila Golf and Country Club, benefitting the National First Tee organization.
“For us golfers, we enjoy this day because we know where the money is going,” Couples said.
The mission of First Tee is to empower kids and teens through the game of golf.
“It’s such a great program,” professional golfer John Daly said. “It gets these kids into golf. Some have become really good golfers, get scholarships for college, it pays for their education.”
“These kids that are 12-14, they need to realize they’re not going to go on the PGA Tour, but in business, if they can play golf and play with business people, it’s going to help them in life,” Couples added. “That’s something the First Tee gets.”
First Tee not only introduces kids to the game, but it enables them to build the strength of character.
“More importantly, it helps them in their life and values,” professional golfer Corey Pavin said. “If you don’t have a foundational basis for how to live your life, it’s pretty hard to live.”
Since it is a Pro-Am, the players are a lot more laid back — especially when Daly is teamed up with former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden.
“Any time I get to hang out with Coach Gruden, it’s awesome,” Daly, who’s been friends with Gruden for 15 years, said. “You get him talking football; that’s what I want to talk about. I want to talk about football, and he wants to talk about football. It’s perfect.”
The dream team of 12 professional golfers have combined for 98 PGA Tour wins and seven majors. Ann Rudolph, who lives in the neighborhood, is star-struck that Couples is playing the course in her backyard.
“This is a big deal for me,” she said. “He has always been one of my favorites. I’ve always followed him. I think he’s a great guy. He’s been good for the game. It’s exciting for him to have him at Avila in Tampa.”
