Tony Finau Partners With Business Leaders on Literacy

The PGA golfer and Salt Lake Chamber target 100% third grade reading proficiency by 2030.

Updated on Oct. 24, 2026 in Golf

Expressive sports illustration of a golfer in mid-swing against a mountain backdrop, with stylized book shapes integrated into the motion blur. — PGA Tour winner Tony Finau has partnered with Utah business leaders to support early childhood literacy, pledging book donations based on his tournament performance. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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PGA Tour winner Tony Finau has teamed up with Utah business leaders to bolster early childhood literacy efforts across the state. The initiative aims to address a long-standing gap in reading proficiency among elementary school students.

Why it matters

Business leaders in Utah are focusing on reading levels to support the long-term health of the state economy, noting that the private sector generates 80% of local economic activity. This effort seeks to close a proficiency gap that has persisted for over a decade.

Literacy levels at the Tony Finau Foundation Literacy Center in West Valley have increased by 19% since the facility opened. The foundation also donates 1,000 books for every PGA Tour tournament victory earned by Finau.

The players

Tony Finau

He is a professional golfer with six PGA Tour tournament victories who established his namesake foundation in 2015.

Salt Lake Chamber

This organization represents the interests of the business community in Utah and has set a goal to reach 100% reading proficiency for third graders by 2030.

The details

The program leverages the Literacy Match Program to pair local elementary schools with businesses that fulfill material requests. Additionally, the Birdies for Books pledge incentivizes Finau's performance on the course by donating 25 books for every birdie and 50 books for every eagle recorded during play.

The Tony Finau Foundation was established in 2015.
Utah business leaders and Tony Finau met to discuss literacy initiatives on October 22, 2024.
The state goal for 100% third-grade reading proficiency is set for 2030.

Season Trajectory

This literacy push follows the pattern set by the Salt Lake Chamber's 2030 education proficiency mandate by mobilizing private resources to meet public educational goals. It marks a shift from purely sports-focused philanthropy toward targeted, measurable community benchmarks for the foundation.

The Birdies for Books pledge ties Finau's on-course performance directly to community aid, with 25 books donated per birdie and 50 per eagle. This initiative impacts local school supply requests by creating a direct funding pipeline through the Literacy Match Program.

The takeaway

The foundation currently supports a student population of 183,000 children in grades K-3 across the state. Readers looking to contribute can explore how local businesses are partnering with individual schools through the Literacy Match Program.