THE FIRST TEE & RBS SELECT TEN YOUNG PEOPLE FOR ANNUAL
RBS ACHIEVERS OF THE YEAR AWARDS

Awards will be presented at the PGA Championship

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL – The First Tee recently announced ten semifinalists for the fifth- annual RBS Achievers of the Year Awards, a program created by The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, in conjunction with Charter One and Citizens Bank, to recognize deserving participants of The First Tee and help fund their future education. 

RBS and Golf Digest Publications, both Trustees of The First Tee, will present the 2008 RBS Achievers of the Year Awards during an awards dinner in Detroit, MI on August 7.  Two finalists, one male and one female, will each receive $10,000 and eight semifinalists will each receive $1,500 to fund higher education. 

The RBS Achievers of the Year Awards recognize outstanding participants for succeeding in school and their daily lives as a result of their experience with The First Tee.  The program goal is to positively impact youth by rewarding selected participants for exemplifying one or more of The First Tee Nine Core Values™, by demonstrating leadership, community service, teamwork, overcoming obstacles and improving school grades and attitude.  The First Tee Nine Core Values are honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment.
 
The 2008 semifinalists for the RBS Achievers of the Year Awards are:

Girls	Age	Chapter
Dawn Carroll	18	The First Tee of Modesto (CA)
Shaneadra Graham	16	The First Tee of Pursell Farms (Sylacauga, AL)
Matalia Hill	15	The First Tee of Atlanta
Kirsti Teale	19	The First Tee of Fort Smith (AR)
Kiah Underwood	15	The First Tee of Cleveland

Boys	Age	Chapter
Joseph DiDio	18	The First Tee of Philadelphia
Demarcus Hopkins	18	The First Tee of Portland
Joseph Jankowski	19	The First Tee of Cleveland
Austin Lenth	17	The First Tee of Greater Sacramento
Anthony Smith	17	The First Tee of Greater Seattle

“This is a wonderful opportunity for these young people and it would not be possible without the continued support of RBS and Golf Digest Publications,” said Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., chief executive officer of The First Tee. “Despite the challenges some of these young people have faced, they continue to exemplify The First Tee Nine Core Values. The First Tee is very proud of these participants for their achievement.”

RBS has been a supporter of the game of golf for over 100 years, through its association with The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and The Open Championship.  By partnering with The First Tee, they are extending their commitment to the game of golf in the U.S. 

About The First Tee:
The First Tee (www.thefirsttee.org) is an initiative of the World Golf Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in St. Augustine, FL at World Golf Village, home of the World Golf Hall of Fame.  Its mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.  Since its inception in 1997, The First Tee has introduced the game of golf and its values to more than 2.2 million participants and students in 48 states and four international locations – Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Singapore.   Former President George Bush serves as honorary chairman.

About RBS Group:
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group (“RBS Group”) is one of the world's leading financial services companies providing a range of retail and corporate banking, financial markets, consumer finance, insurance, and wealth management services. In 2007, RBS Group posted total revenue of $57.7 billion and operating profit before tax, goodwill amortization and integration costs of $20.76 billion. RBS Group serves more than 40 million personal customers world-wide and employs more than 168,000 people, including nearly 30,000 in the U.S.

In the U.S., RBS Group owns Citizens Financial Group (retail bank, credit card and merchant acquiring businesses). Following the acquisition of Charter One in September 2004 it has grown to become the eighth largest U.S. bank by deposits with a presence in 13 states.

About Golf Digest Companies:
Golf Digest Publications is part of Condé Nast Publications. Condé Nast Publications, a unit of Advance Publications, includes twenty-eight consumer magazines and their websites, eight uniquely branded websites, the Fairchild Fashion Group, Parade, the Condé Nast Media Group, and the Shared Services Centers.