TOUR Championship Announces Alana Sims, Nigel Youmans as 2024 HOPE Tee Shot Winners

The TOUR Championship announced the winners of the 2024 HOPE Tee Shot Competition. First Tee – Metro Atlanta players Alana Sims and Nigel Youmans will tee off the first tee shot at the TOUR Championship on Aug. 29, just before the top 30 PGA TOUR players tee off in the first round.

As part of the tournament’s tradition, both honorees also received a $5,000 scholarship from Accenture, a proud partner of the TOUR Championship.

“The HOPE Tee Shot exemplifies everything that makes the TOUR Championship unique to Atlanta,” said Alex Urban, executive director of the TOUR Championship. “The desire to create opportunities for the community and its youth is something that this event and our partners have taken to heart. The HOPE Tee Shot has become a cherished tradition and one of the most exciting moments of Championship week. We are grateful to our partners at Accenture that the impact of this moment will be felt long after these honorees have stepped off the tee.”

Since 2008, the TOUR Championship has recognized First Tee – Metro Atlanta members who exemplify the “HOPE” that continues to grow in the East Lake community and throughout Atlanta. Each year, both honorees emerge from an intensive selection process that includes a golf competition, essay contest and interviews with tournament management. Sims, 17, and Youmans, 16, will be honored during the HOPE Tee Shot ceremony Aug. 29 on the first tee at East Lake Golf Club.

“It was a pleasure to witness the phenomenal leadership and golf skills that students gained from participating in First Tee – Metro Atlanta. We are proud to partner with them in supporting the upcoming generation of leaders,” said Chloe Barzey, Client Account Lead and Atlanta Office Managing Director, Accenture. “A huge congratulations to Alana and Nigel on this accomplishment. I can’t wait to see them hit their ceremonial first tee shot to kick off the tournament.”

Alana Sims Sims, a third-grader at Riverwood International Charter School, has been a member of First Tee – Metro Atlanta for six years. Throughout her golf career, Alana has relied on her commitment to integrity – one of First Tee’s nine core values ​​– to help prepare her for the HOPE Tee Shot. Her emphasis on integrity has earned her the respect of her peers, deepened her sense of self-worth and responsibility, and taught her that winning isn’t just about the outcome, but about the journey and ethical choices made to get there. Off the course, Sims can be found using her artistic talents to create stunning pottery or watching her favorite player, Collin Morikawa, compete on the PGA TOUR.

Nigel Youmans Youmans, a third-year student at Arabia Mountain High School, has been envisioning his chance to hit the HOPE Tee Shot since he began his golf career at First Tee in 2021. Nigel relied on perseverance—another of First Tee’s nine core values—and his ability to push when things don’t go the way he expected. His understanding that while life will throw up obstacles and setbacks, perseverance helps overcome them. Youmans’ favorite PGA TOUR players are Tiger Woods and Morikawa, and he counts his parents as the most influential people in his life.

“We couldn’t be more excited to have Alana and Nigel represent our chapter as the 2024 HOPE Tee Shot Award recipients,” said Jenae Jenkins, Executive Director of First Tee – Metro Atlanta. “Their growth in the program has been incredible, and their efforts to get to this point are what the HOPE Tee Shot Award represents. As we celebrate 25 years of service and positive impact in the Metro Atlanta community, Alana and Nigel are the latest examples of what can happen when we use golf as a foundation to help the next generation become game changers in our communities. We are incredibly grateful to the TOUR Championship and their proud partners Accenture, Coca-Cola and Southern Company for sharing their platform with two deserving young men.”

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