Republicans top Dems at charity golf game

Republican lawmakers gained bragging rights over their Democratic colleagues on Monday with a decisive victory at the 17th annual First Tee Congressional Challenge.

House Republicans captured the charity golf event’s Joe Louis Barrow Jr. Trophy for the seventh year in the row. They now have the longest winning streak in the history of the event.

Seventeen members of the House — eight Republicans and nine Democrats — participated in the tournament, held at the Columbia Country Club in Chevy Chase, Md.

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The event raised more than $100,000 for The First Tee, a charity that supports youth golf players around the world.

“The First Tee Congressional Challenge is a pretty special event,” said Keith Dawkins, The First Tee’s CEO.

Dawkins praised the lawmakers who came out “for the purpose of positively impacting kids.”

“It’s a bunch of people who are passionate about the sport of golf. It’s also a bunch of people who have their own political differences, but rally around the idea of positively impacting the next generation of kids. They’ve raised $2 million over the last 17 years from this event specifically.”

“This is one of those opportunities we have to establish relationships across the aisle,” said Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.). “It’s resulted in a lot of friendships that have lasted.

“They really haven’t paid off in any compromises in legislation, but it changes the tone a little bit,” he added. “I’ve become good friends with [Rep.] Trey Gowdy [R-S.C.] and [Office of Management and Budget Director] Mick Mulvaney because of this event.”

Yarmuth, who sits on the board of The First Tee’s Louisville chapter, has played in the tournament for 11 years.

“The other forces that are out there drive us apart more than these bring us together. Still, it changes the tone. At some point, relationships we establish might pay off in terms of a better sense of commonality in policymaking,” Yarmuth said

Yarmuth captained the Democratic team. Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fla.) led the GOP squad.

Also on the winning GOP team were Reps. Duncan Hunter (Calif.), Rick Allen (Ga.), Steve Knight (Calif.), John Ratcliffe (Texas), Ryan Costello (Pa.), Luke Messer (Ind.) and Claudia Tenney (N.Y.).

On the Dem side, Yarmuth was joined by Reps. Albio Sires (N.J.), Joe Courtney (Conn.), Jim Clyburn (S.C.), Dan Kildee (Mich.), Cedric Richmond (La.), Stephen Lynch (Mass.), Earl Perlmutter (D-Colo.) and Jim Cooper (Tenn.).

“We’re really appreciative of all of our congressional leaders taking the time out,” said Dawkins, who was a top executive at Nickelodeon prior to joining The First Tee last year. “I think they do it because people prioritize things that are important to them. Kids, and the next generation of our future leaders, are important and something that both sides of the House can rally around.”

Former President George W. Bush serves as the honorary chairman of The First Tee. Bush took over for his father, former President George H. W. Bush.

“To be able to support The First Tee is very meaningful to me,” said Yarmuth. “I’ve been playing golf for 60 years, so to use golf to change lives is also pretty important.”