For Immediate Release: July 7, 2023

The Arkansas State Golf Association and the First Tee of Central Arkansas are pleased to
announce the award winners of the newly established Arnold Palmer Scholarship. The recipients
and their colleges of choice are:

 Sydni Hood, Mills University Studies High School, University of Arkansas-Little Rock
 Whit Warford, Benton High School, University of Arkansas-Fayetteville
 Maggie Huett, Lakeside High School, University of Cincinnati
 Collin Spangler, Conway High School, Southern Arkansas University at Magnolia

Following the very successful 2019 Arnold Palmer Cup matches held at The Alotian
Club in Roland, AR, the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation, together with four members of
The Alotian Club, established a scholarship program for recipients to be selected by the
Arkansas State Golf Association (ASGA) and the First Tee of Central Arkansas.
Monica Blake, Executive Director of The First Tee, stated “It was an honor to conduct
video interviews of these great young people along with board members of the ASGA. We
unanimously agreed that each of the recipients has proven themselves to be worthy of this
scholarship through their accomplishments in and out of the classroom. And they also exhibited
in a live interview that they are the types of people that will carry themselves in a way on and off
the golf course that would make Mr. Palmer himself most proud.”
“My mom and dad were dedicated to supporting youth, and they would be proud to
know that the Arnold Palmer Cup was helping to further the education of these fine young men
and women,” said Amy Palmer Saunders, Chair of the Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation.
“Working together, Warren Stephens and everyone at The Alotian Club, the ASGA, First Tee of
Central Arkansas and our Foundation supporters have made a real difference, and I couldn’t be
more grateful or more excited for these students as they move forward in their lives.”
Warren Stephens, founder of The Alotian Club, added “It was an honor to host the
Arnold Palmer Cup and I know Mr. Palmer would be proud of these recipients as are we.”
Representatives of the ASGA and First Tee of Central Arkansas completed the process of
reviewing all the applications and conducting interviews to award the scholarships on the basis
of character, leadership qualities, scholastic achievement, golf activities, and other criteria. Two
males and two females will be awarded a one-year Arnold Palmer Scholarship of $5,000 each
over a 10-year period. The recipients must be accepted in an accredited college or university in
Arkansas.

The Arkansas State Golf Association (ASGA) is a non-profit 501(c)3 association with
over 10,000 individual members and 126 member clubs. Through the ASGA programs, the association has had the ability to touch the lives of many golfers of all ages and skill levels in the state of Arkansas. In addition to the Arnold Palmer Scholarship, the ASGA scholarship program
alone has provided over $500,000 in scholarship dollars to young men and women since its inception.

Through The First Tee of Central Arkansas, children aged 5 to 17 are provided with year
around access to a state-of-the-art facility and Life Skills Experience.  The First Tee’s Life Skills
Experience provides age-appropriate programming that introduce Nine Core Values and Nine
Healthy Habits.  The Nine Core Values include honesty, integrity, respect, responsibility,
courtesy, sportsmanship, confidence, judgment and perseverance.  These values are essential for
young people to make positive choices and overcome challenges across all areas of their lives. 
Additionally, concepts around healthy choices (Nine Healthy Habits) reinforce the importance of
physical, social and emotional wellness.  

The Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation champions the Palmer family's philanthropic
legacy through grantmaking and initiatives, supporting efforts on behalf of youth character
development, children’s health, and a commitment to nature and its ability to enrich and heal us. 
The Arnold Palmer Cup is a co-ed, Ryder Cup-style tournament that pits the top
university/college golfers from the United States against a team of internationals. Played on
some of the world’s greatest courses since its 1997 debut, the tournament is supported by the
Arnold & Winnie Palmer Foundation and its partners, Rolex and Nike, in the Foundation’s
commitment to youth character development and to the growth of amateur/collegiate golf.