NORTON, Massachusetts (August 8, 2026) – On a hot August afternoon, The Links at Mass Golf played host to The First Tee’s third annual Chapter Championship. Unlike typical Mass Golf events, this one is played at a par-three course and allows kids, whether they are heading into elementary school or their senior year of high school, compete.
This years winners are Logan Anderson shooting a 55 (+1) in the boys division, Jenna Saini with an 57 (+3) in the girls divison and The Links at Mass Golf taking home the team championship.
This year’s Chapter Championship started at 10 a.m. Saturday morning in a shotgun style start. Headed out in groups of three, each group was assigned a live scorer, and for one special group, that was 2026 Massachusetts Open winner Evan Harmeling.
In the Boy’s Division, Logan Anderson won with a score of 55, 1-over par. Anderson defeated defending champion Sawyer Hemingway in a playoff, replaying the first hole.
“It feels really good, I was nervous the whole round. I had my best round I’ve ever had, I went 1-under on the front, then two over on the back”
On the day, Anderson made 15 pars, one birdie and just two bogeys. Being a shotgun start, there wasn’t much time between the round and playoff so Anderson had to refocus. Teeing first on the playoff hole, Anderson would stuff his tee shot from about 95 yards to three feet applying the pressure to Hemingway. Hemingway would also hit the green but two-putt, leaving the door wide open for Anderson, which he took advantage of.
In the Girl’s Division, Jenna Saini won for the second straight year, with a score of 57, three over par. Starting on the ninth hole, Saini double bogeyed her opening hole but settled in after making six-straight pars. Back-to-back bogeys on 16 and 17 would slow her round, but she would later get one back, making birdie the 2nd. Before her rounds ended, she had another birdie and bogey, finishing the day three over.
Taking home the Chapter Team Championship were two-time defending champs on their home soil The Links at Mass Golf, with a combined score of 297 (+27).
In 2003, Mass Golf was selected by First Tee to join its national network with the goal of bringing an affordable junior golf program to youth and communities that did not have them.
Since that time, Mass Golf has introduced 11 program locations: Cyprian Keyes Golf Club (Boylston), D.W. Field Golf Course (Brockton), William J. Devine GC at Franklin Park (Boston), Hyannis Golf Course (Cape Cod), Cranberry Valley Golf Course (Harwich), Fenway Golf Center (Springfield), KOHR Golf (Natick), Sagamore Spring Golf Club (Lynnfield), The Links at Mass Golf (Norton), The Ranch Golf Club (Southwick), and The Reggie Lewis Center (West Roxbury).
As part of the curriculum, the children progress through a series of golf lessons where they are introduced to the different aspects of a golf course including the green, tee, fairway, rough, bunkers, and water hazards. The participants are also introduced to the basic elements of the game of golf and the swing including distance and accuracy control, course management, how to score, pace of play, honor, and proper, grip, stance, and posture. As participants grow and improve their golf skills, they will meet new challenges and potentially earn opportunities to play and compete on the local or national level.
In addition to golf, the participants are introduced to the First Tee Program, which is the curriculum of age-appropriate life skills that are interwoven into our golf lessons. Participants develop resilience, grit, and integrity as they experience lessons that fall into one of our five Key Commitment categories, which include Pursuing Goals, Growing through Challenge, Collaborating with Others, Building Positive Self Identity, and Using Good Judgment.
