Each year, participants of the Tee It Up for the Troops Longest Day of Golf at Bunker Hills Golf Course in Minnesota raise pledges from friends and family and tee off at the crack of dawn to golf as many holes as they can in a day. Backs and arms were sore the next day with 1,795 holes of golf played by 25 dedicated individuals during this year’s 2021 Longest Day of Golf for the Troops at Bunker Hills Golf Course on June 11th.
Barstool Sports and Veteran Hereos Tee It Up
New this year, the event welcomed combat veteran and motivational speaker, John Kriesel and Barstool Sports personality and blogger, Uncle Chaps, a Marine and Purple Heart recipient who hosts the military popular podcast “Zero Blog Thirty.” Kriesel, Chaps, and the rest of the dedicated team members golfed from sunup to sundown, fundraising to assist disabled veterans and their families.
In 2007, Chaps McNealy was a Marine serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Chaps was a bomb-dog handler who focused on clearing IEDs with his four-legged partner, Csika. Chaps was medically retired due to injuries sustained from a gunshot wound and multiple concussions near Fallujah, Iraq. After years of struggling without answers, Chaps says that he finally became proactive in his medical care and sought treatment for PTSD and TBI. “Having PTSD and brain issues doesn’t make one weak,” Chaps says. “Recognizing that you need help and seeking that help makes you strong.” It’s the hidden scars – the mental ones of war – that Chaps is now fighting and trying to bring to light.
Chaps, who flew in from San Antonio for the event, has most recently used his social media to send out messages to his fan base to donate funds to our cause at Tee It Up for the Troops. Chaps’ show and Barstool Sports as a whole have been doing this sort of thing for a few years. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy accepted Chaps’ challenge on a previous pledge drive for mental health care for veterans and it matched Chaps’ fundraising efforts which led to a total of over $200K. Chaps and his fans are thrilled to help causes like these in any way they can.
Watch Chaps and the other veteran heroes and participants in the Longest Day of Golf.
Heroes On and Off the Course
Chaps spent much of the day golfing and raising funds alongside Kriesel and Tim Nelson. Kriesel and Nelson were in the same vehicle on December 2, 2006, when a roadside bomb near Fallujah, Iraq, cost Kriesel his legs, injured Nelson, and killed two fellow soldiers and friends.
John Kriesel, a Purple Heart recipient and retired National Guard Staff Sergeant, is currently a Director of Veteran Services in the Twin Cities. He is also a part-time contributor on KFAN Sports Radio and a former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. Kriesel’s drive and motivation were heightened that day in 2006 when he was nearly blown to shreds by a 200-pound roadside bomb in the parched sands of Iraq. He lost both legs and suffered numerous other major injuries. He is the author of “STILL STANDING: The Story of SSG John Kriesel,” winner of eight national book awards.
Former National Guard Staff Sergeant, Tim Nelson, who was Kriesel’s roommate and squad leader in Iraq, was in the Humvee seat behind him when it ran over the IED and was also injured. Nelson flew with Kriesel to the military hospital in Balad, Iraq, and held his hand when Kriesel’s survival was in doubt. Nelson received the Purple Heart from this attack.
Dedicated Patriots Participate Each Year
Many other veterans were not as “lucky” as Kriesel, Nelson, Chaps and others. “Those veterans are the reason for the “Longest Day of Golf” and why patriots participate each year knowing their efforts are helping to make a positive difference in the lives of veterans who need it,” said Pat Reis, Tournament Director.
This year’s event reached an all-time high in fundraising. Team “Johnny D” led by John Deedrick, whose family has served in the military in past generations and worked in the defense industry, was the leaderboard winner for fundraising. Robert McGinty’s team conquered the most holes played for the day at 132. Many other devoted Longest Day Golfers reinforced the day’s success. Over the last eight years, the Longest Day of Golf for the Troops at Bunker Hills has raised over $165,000.
Wounds After War
Tee It Up for the Troops is a nonprofit that helps veterans heal from the visible and invisible wounds of war that have impacted veteran and their families. “This is a great organization and a great cause,” Chaps tweeted. “After getting wounded myself, my close Marine friends were a lifeline. That doesn’t stop after service.”
Thank you to all who participated and for your efforts to make this event a huge success in support of America’s veterans!
prioritize corporate social responsibility or CSR. Companies of all sizes match donations their employees make to 
military fundraiser organization like Tee It Up for the Troops allows you to give back to the military community in big ways.
volunteers who are interested in supporting our mission and making a difference. By volunteering, you can help support veterans and their families when they need it most. Volunteer assistance can be provided in a variety of ways including:
To all our event leaders, committee members, volunteers- we thank you for your kind and generous support in helping us make a difference in the lives of so many American heroes and military families.
We have fully revamped our Patriot Pro Shop to include the Tee It Up for the Troops brands you’ve been asking for! We now have outerwear (rain jackets, vests, and more), expanded headwear (Bora Bora hats, bucket hats, visors, and more), youth apparel, additional accessories (golf balls, coolers, tote bags, and more), and we’re also proud to offer a new line of American-made products.
learned through our many events held across the country in 2020 that we can bring golfers, sponsors, and volunteers safely together. Ask any combat veteran and they will tell you—innovation is often the key to survival and to carry out the mission at hand. Their mission being, keeping us safe and free. These days, it is our turn to be innovative and carry out our mission; to honor, remember, respect, and support all those who serve(d) in the Armed Forces of this great nation.
Dataw initiated a new event this year-The Big Break Dataw Golf Challenge-which had holes set up a little differently and offering unique challenges on two of their courses, the Cotton Dike and Morgan River. With hole names such as “Maintenance Forgot Their Tools” and “Alligator Hole” players’ skills were surely challenged! The Big Break Challenge was a fun and innovative way to bring some new excitement to this fundraising classic!
Last year, Fearn played an amazing 251 holes of golf before raising over $35,000. This year, once all pledges are collected, Fearn will raise more than $40,000 bringing his seven-year total to $200,000! Fearn was able to complete an astounding number of holes (253) with great strokes (55 birdies and 2 eagles) to break his record!
“I have to admit,” said Fearn, “Waking up at 2:45 am and knowing that I’m about to play golf for 14 hours straight, with the first three-plus hours in the dark, is a little daunting, but it’s still a lot of fun since I know it’s for a great cause. Having members and veterans there cheering me on is really what keeps me going. Although it takes me a few days to recover afterward, it’s a small sacrifice that I’m happy to make in the make of Tee It Up for the Troops.”
Event Coordinator, Col. Glenn Blackburn, Ret. US Army, says that the Dataw Island partnership with Tee It Up for the Troops has made this charity event a nationally recognized fundraiser. “The support that Dataw Island shows each year for local and national non-profit service organizations is tremendous. Through sponsoring golf holes at our Veterans Classic, Head Golf Pro Chris Fearn’s golf marathon, and the raffle, residents show amazing support for our wounded and disabled veterans.”
For example, one combat veteran wrote, “Tee It Up for the Troops is a great organization. I wish I would’ve found them sooner as golf has played a significant role in my overall mental stability since coming home and transitioning into civilian life.” Another supporter wrote, “An essential organization that works hard to help Veterans of America’s Armed Forces and their families to heal, transition, grow and thrive…they believe in their mission, they achieve their goals and they help veterans in need succeed in life.”
