By Dave Shedloski
Courtesy of PGATOUR.COM

Team RBS members will visit local Chapters of The First Tee as part of the RBS support of The First Tee.

Jack Nicklaus may be scaling back his competitive schedule, but that doesn't mean he won't continue to have an impact on the game of golf or influence people of all ages with his high principles and emphasis on excellence.

About 80 youngsters, many of them disadvantaged and minority, learned that first-hand on June 17 when the legendary Golden Bear conducted a clinic and gave lessons at Mosholu Golf Course in the Bronx, N.Y., home to The First Tee Metropolitan New York. Nicklaus, 64, was there on behalf of a new partnership between the Royal Bank of Scotland Group and The First Tee.

"What a wonderful way to spend the morning," Nicklaus, winner of a record 18 professional major titles, said after sharing high-fives, smiles and some good golf shots with the eager children in attendance. "We're here teaching life lessons as much as golf lessons, but working with these young golfers reminds me why I love the game. They have so much excitement and energy. I'm thrilled to be participating in this."

RBS, one of the world's leading financial services companies and the fifth largest bank, supports The First Tee as a national trustee, offering assistance with funding and creating new programs. The First Tee, backed by the PGA TOUR among many organizations, is a non-profit organization that gives youngsters of all backgrounds an opportunity to develop, through golf and character education, life-enhancing values such as honesty, integrity and sportsmanship.

Who better than Nicklaus, whose reputation for sportsmanship and integrity are as much a part of his identity as a golfer as his 100 world-wide victories, to get the RBS relationship with The First Tee off to a strong start?

"I'm impressed by what RBS has done to further the game on a community level in Europe. This is a natural extension of that in the U.S.," said Nicklaus, who not only demonstrated golf shots and shared golf tips, but also shared his experiences about how to be a sportsman and a true professional.

As a First Tee partner, RBS plans to implement several new programs. Most significant among them is the RBS Mentor Program launching this fall in the Bronx. The program, inspired by Team RBS (composed of Nicklaus, Luke Donald and Charles Howell III ) and RBS' commitment to mentoring, will match The First Tee participants with mentors in their local community, who will serve as role models and impart The First Tee values of sportsmanship, honesty and integrity. Expanding later in the year to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Chicago, the RBS Mentor Program also provides an opportunity for two children annually to earn a $10,000 stipend toward a college education.

"The motto, 'Make It Happen,' is central to the way RBS goes about both its business and its commitment to the local communities in which it operates. Over the past year, I've worked closely with RBS and I've seen this in action," Nicklaus said. "I'm delighted that we're going to extend our involvement in such a practical way -- using the very best of golf and some of the very best current golfers in the U.S. to help the young golfers achieve their best. I know that Charles and Luke join me in welcoming this important partnership and we encourage The First Tee participants to make the most of this opportunity."