With donations of more than $400K to the Policy Project, First Tee-Utah and the Utah Golf Legacy Fund
IVINS, Utah – The Bank of Utah Championship celebrated its community partnerships recently by announcing more than $400,000 in investments that create opportunities for Utah students and young athletes and build champions beyond the golf course.
Investments totaling $438,718.52 were made to benefit The Policy Project, First Tee – Utah and the Utah Golf Legacy Fund. Utah’s annual PGA TOUR event provides a statewide platform to bring people and organizations together, creating an impact that begins during Championship week and extends far beyond the fairways.
The Utah Golf Legacy Fund received a $303,508.42 investment, including $100,000 from the Utah Golf Association. The charitable arm of the Utah Golf Association, the Utah Golf Legacy Fund will provide a pathway for promising junior golfers with the ability and commitment to compete but who face financial barriers.
The fund will support reimbursement grants for eligible expenses, including tournament entry fees, travel, equipment, practice and green fees, and coaching.
The Championship has also created a pathway to golf’s highest level by awarding the 2026 Utah State Amateur champion, Bowen Mauss, a sponsor exemption into the Bank of Utah Championship.
“Champions are built when people see potential, remove barriers and provide the resources, relationships and opportunities needed to succeed,” said Ben Browning, Chairman and CEO of Bank of Utah. “For nearly 75 years, Bank of Utah has invested in the people, businesses and communities that make Utah strong. The Championship gives the Bank a powerful platform to continue that work — bringing partners together and investing in young people as they pursue their futures.”
An additional investment of $75,000 was made in The Policy Project, now in its second year. What began during the 2025 Bank of Utah Championship has grown into a year-round partnership supporting Teen Centers with the development of the Teen Finance Lab. Teen Centers serve students across Utah by providing food, clothing, hygiene supplies, laundry facilities and safe spaces where students can have their basic needs met with dignity. The Teen Finance Lab builds on that foundation by helping students develop practical skills in budgeting, understanding a paycheck, banking safely, preparing for employment and planning for the future. This week, the partnership also brought Bank of Utah, The Policy Project, the PGA TOUR Wives Association, Washington County School District and Black Desert Resort together to assemble 2,500 pantry packs for five local Teen Centers.
First Tee – Utah, which uses golf to help young people build character, confidence and life skills, received an investment of $60,210.10. Its programs serve children throughout Utah, with financial assistance available so that cost does not prevent a child from participating.
Utah Youth Sports Giving Day and the Miller Sports + Entertainment Group supported the investments in First Tee – Utah and the Utah Golf Legacy Fund with matching support of $118,718.52.
Utah Youth Sports Giving Day campaign created a statewide opportunity to support nonprofit youth sports organizations and help address the rising costs that can leave young people on the sidelines. After two weeks of donations, the campaign raised more than $4.3 million for nonprofits across all 29 counties, helping youth in Utah gain greater access to sports.
“We’ve been blown away by the generosity of Utahns in our first year of Utah Youth Sports Giving Day,” said Michelle Smith, president of Miller Sports + Entertainment. “Every child deserves the chance to experience the confidence, connection and joy that youth sports can provide. Thanks to the generosity of Utahns, we are one step closer to removing the barriers that prevent so many kids from participating.”
The investments were announced this afternoon during a special presentation at the Bank of Utah Championship attended by representatives of each organization, including:
- Ben Browning – Chairman and CEO (Bank of Utah)
- Ashley Dove – Executive Director (Bank of Utah Championship)
- Emily Bell McCormick – President & Founder (The Policy Project)
- Easton Folster – Executive Director (Utah Golf Association) (Utah Golf Legacy Fund)
- Paul Pugmire – President (First Tee – Utah)
- Dustin Dehlin – Representative for Utah Youth Sports Giving Day / Vice President of Business Development for Miller Sports + Entertainment
The Bank of Utah Championship is being held at Black Desert Resort in Southern Utah’s Greater Zion region for the third straight year today through Sunday. Tickets and VIP opportunities for the Bank of Utah Championship are available at www.bankofutahchampionship.com.