NAPLES, Florida – The 19th edition of the Golf to Paradise-First Tee Champions Challenge is set to return to Naples, Feb. 12-15, when 10 First Tee participants representing five First Tee Chapters throughout the country converge upon Southwest Florida to compete in a three-day tournament, taking place in conjunction with the Chubb Classic presented by SERVPRO.
In partnership with the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Golf to Paradise – First Tee Champions Challenge will feature three days of competition and community service.
New for 2026, the First Tee Champions Challenge will take place concurrently with the Chubb Classic, with the teams competing on both the Black and Gold Courses at Tiburón Golf Club.
The Golf to Paradise – First Tee Champions Challenge will kick off Thursday, Feb. 12 with a special clinic with a PGA TOUR Champions player on the back of the driving range at Tiburón Golf Club. The teams’ first day will conclude with a special sunset cruise aboard the Miss Naples Catamaran.
On Friday, Feb. 13, the teams will kick off the day by participating in a community service project at the Naples Botanical Garden. In the afternoon, the first round of competition will take place on the Black Course at Tiburón Golf Club – the same tournament course as the Chubb Classic.
On Saturday, Feb. 14, the second round of competition will take place on the Gold Course at Tiburón Golf Club. Both rounds will be a “shamble” format.
Sunday, Feb. 15 will be a special day for the teams. They will be “Honorary Observers” for Sunday’s final round of play at the Chubb Classic, walking inside the ropes with the players as they compete in their final round.
In the afternoon, the teams will compete in their final day of competition: a special Skills Challenge that will take place on No. 1 on the Black Course. Following the conclusion of the Skills Challenge, each of the teams will participate in the Chubb Classic Trophy Ceremony on the 18th green.
Each day of competition will feature points for the participating teams. The chapter that earns the highest number of points throughout all three formats will be named 2026 Golf to Paradise – First Tee Champions Challenge winners.
The five First Tee Chapters scheduled to be represented are:
First Tee – Massachusetts
First Tee – Metropolitan New York
First Tee – Minnesota
First Tee – Greater Philadelphia
First Tee – Greater Chicago
“As a globally renowned golf destination with over 90 public and private courses, we are excited to once again sponsor the Golf to Paradise – First Tee Champions Challenge in partnership with the Chubb Classic, which is an ideal fit for showcasing Florida’s Paradise Coast,” said Sandra Rios, Public Relations & Communications Manager for the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
“We are thrilled to welcome the First Tee chapters from across the country as well as the PGA TOUR Champions’ top talent to our community and are proud to be able to support this very worthy initiative.”
“We are honored and grateful to once again partner with the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention and Visitor’s Bureau in welcoming First Tee participants from throughout the country to our paradise in Southwest Florida and the Chubb Classic,” said Sandy Diamond, executive director of the Chubb Classic. “As the former chief development officer at First Tee – Metropolitan New York, I understand firsthand how these opportunities and events can help mold and shape young people’s lives on and off the course.
“With the new format for the First Tee Champions Challenge, we are integrating the First Tee participants even more into tournament week, which will provide an enhanced experience and lifelong memories for them. We look forward to welcoming them to the Chubb Classic in February.”
First Tee is a national youth development organization that enables kids to build inner strength, confidence and resilience – qualities that will serve them on the golf course and in life. Its character education programs are offered at golf courses, schools and youth centers in all 50 states and at six international locations.
“We are looking forward to leaving the cold weather behind for a few days and return to beautiful Naples and Florida’s Paradise Coast for the Golf to Paradise – First Tee Champions Challenge,” said Bill Hyndman, chief executive officer of First Tee – Greater Philadelphia. “The experience our First Tee kids have through this event – tournament golf, community service and meeting legends of the game at the Chubb Classic – speaks volumes to the efforts that the Chubb Classic and the Naples, Marco Island and Everglades CVB are putting into giving life lessons and introducing our kids to memories they will take with them forever.”
The Chubb Classic presented by SERVPRO, Naples’ Flagship PGA TOUR Champions event, will take place Feb. 12-15 at Tiburón Golf Club’s Black Course. A field of 78 players consisting of World Golf Hall-of-Famers, major champions, past champions and legends of the game will compete in the 54-hole championship for a share of the $1.8 million purse.
Tickets are now on sale for the 2026 Chubb Classic, including exclusive packages offering a wide degree of entertainment and access. Tickets can be purchased at www.ChubbClassic.com/tickets. A portion of the proceeds from all ticket sales at the Chubb Classic will go directly to the First Tee and the First Tee five participating chapters.
Tiburón Golf Club, managed by Troon, the only facility to host a PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions and LPGA Tour event in the same calendar year, features two 18-hole Championship golf courses, The Gold and The Black.
The Black Course, which opened in 2001, has a very distinctive look with pine straw-lined fairways, crushed coquina waste areas and undulating greens nestled amidst acres of pine trees and native Florida foliage. The Black Course is designated as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary by Audubon International to protect and enhance its natural surroundings.
For more information on the Chubb Classic, visit www.ChubbClassic.com
