Category: Events

The week has finally arrived!

The once-in-a-lifetime experience for BJ Boyce and Drew Spurlock to participate in the 2019 Pure Insurance Championship in Pebble Beach, California. Twelve weeks ago they joined hands watching the selection show LIVE on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive, prepared mentally for how to handle the news, regardless of its outcome, and elated to know they would get to share in their experience on this trip to the west coast. They have joined 76 teens from across the country for a week full of first. From playing two rounds of golf at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course – one on each course with a PGA TOUR Champions Professional. To attending functions allowing them to network and be mentored by top leaders across the globe from various industries and life experiences. All while applying what they’ve learned on and off the course at The First Tee!         Leading up to this week’s event, we spoke with BJ and Drew on how they were feeling to make the trip. BJ reflected on his past to describe his emotions. He said, ‘I initially wanted to start attending First Tee, at eight years old, because there were no junior programs nearby and I wanted to play golf with other kids. Looking back, it has helped me come out of my shell. The coaches pushed us to make new friends at class every week. That push has helped me become the person I am today and kept me coming back for the friendships I’ve made and the ones I will continue to make. While I’m in California I hope to overcome my golf nerves, take in every moment and simply have a great experience.’ Later in our conversation, as we discussed what would help overcome nerves, BJ reflected on how he has continued to apply the First Tee’s ALR exercise, Ask – Listen – Respond; saying it has helped him with meeting and interacting around new people, foster conversations and help ease his mind. He plans to practice this exercise throughout his trip and keep his internal nerves at bay! A senior at Union Pines High School, Drew felt ready to try and conquer the experiences to come this week at the Pure Insurance Championship. He reflected on how he had hoped the experience had come a year sooner, but his weak time management skills resulted in not completing the application process, in time. How growing from lessons learned, realizing the results of his weaknesses and changing his mind set by focusing on accomplishing timely task of importance and applying personal deadlines as allowed him to be more successful over the last year. Like BJ, Drew was quick to reference how First Tee has helped him become a more open individual, learning to apply meet and greet strategies while stepping out of his bubble around new people. Drew wrapped up his thoughts by expressing he’s learned to live in the moment, enjoy every moment and wants to take in all that life provides. A philosophy he made sure to pack for his trip to Pebble Beach! We can’t wait to hear about BJ and Drew’s first time experiences, successes and takeaways! First up in their week will be the Tuesday night’s Pairings Party, an exciting unveiling each year for the junior participants. This year’s field of professionals includes World Golf Hall of Fame Members Bernhard Langer, Davis Love III, Mark O’Meara, Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen, defending champions Paul Broadhurst, Ken Tanigawa, and many more stellar players, but better people! We can’t wait to find out who BJ and Drew will play with this weekend and catch up on their day to day experiences. Make sure to check back in our daily blog. It promises to be one for the books.  

Two Teens Headed to Pebble Beach!

Have you ever watched the NCAA Selection Show anxiously waiting to see if you favorite team will be announced? Or better yet, the team you coach or your kiddo plays for? Last Wednesday was our version of the selection show as we watched Golf Channel’s Morning Drive. And, what a morning it was for two kiddos from The First Tee of the Sandhills. After two plus hours of anxiousness, nerves, waiting, walking, more nervous energy, shaky giggles, more waiting, and then… pure joy!     BJ Boyce and Drew Spurlock, saw their names appear on LIVE television. An announcement they will never forget. They had been chosen to participate in this year’s PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee! Moments after the announcement came through, BJ and Drew were beaming from ear to ear. They felt proud, and ecstatic, to see all the hard work pay off in the end with the chance to attend the 2019 Pure Insurance Championship. It’s truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet, play and be mentored by PGA TOUR Champions players and amateurs in the field. Branden, BJ, Boyce is a rising 10th Grader who is in a homeschooler program. He lives in Spring Lake and joined The First Tee in 2011. Drew Spurlock is a rising Senior at Union Pines High school. He lives in Whispering Pines and joined our local chapter in 2014 after a family military move from Tampa where he was a participant with The First Tee Tampa.           These young men, will join 76 teens from across the country to play with PGA TOUR Champions Professionals and two amateurs as they compete for the Pro-Junior team title during the Pure Insurance Championship contested at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf course in Pebble Beach, California, September 24 – 29. Congratulations, BJ and Drew. We look forward to helping you prepare for your trip to California in September! PS: Make sure to follow along as we release more details in the coming months!

‘Amazing Week’: Kenzel Competes At PURE Insurance Championship

The final words from Jaclyn Kenzel’s week at The PURE Insurance Championship in Pebble Beach, California were, “I can’t emphasize enough how much this trip has meant to me! It has been the most amazing week of my life and I will never forget it! I’m beyond thrilled to have had this opportunity! I have not only gained friends but created memories that will last a lifetime!” So, now that you know the conclusion, how did she get there? Let’s take a look at the highlight reel! The entire week included a long list of firsts – from flying across the country, staying in private housing, eating an omelet, playing golf in fog, paddle boarding, seeing new wilderness, and attending a concert! On Day 1 all the participants gathered at Poppy Hills GC for the PURE Welcome Party and Pairings release. Each junior went onto the putting green to find an oversized flag adorning their name and chapter they are representing. Underneath the flag was a brand new golf bag with their name on it and inside the bag they found the name of their pro. For Jaclyn, it was Brian Henninger. Mr. Henninger immediately came up to Jaclyn for introduction and a chat. She was beaming from ear to ear about the week getting started! Day 2 brought Jaclyn’s first practice round – at Poppy Hills GC with fellow junior participant, Vivian Guite from The First Tee of Naples. The highlight of their day on course included sharing the fairways with deer and ‘bumping’ into Bernard Langer. Wednesday evening participants attended a very special event called ‘Legends and Leaders’ where nine special guest spoke on the Nine Core Values, each highlighting a unique Core Value that carries special interest in their lives. While every guest had an amazing and inspiring story to tell – the two that resonated with Jaclyn the most were from Jeremy Poincenot and Victoria Arlen – speaking on Perseverance and Confidence. Oh, and she ‘bummed’ into Tom Watson at dinner! Thursday was Day 3, bringing many more special experiences for Kenzel. Not only did she get to play Pebble Beach Golf Links, she played with the 2016 tournament winner, Paul Broadhurst, who her Pinecrest High School golf teammate, Mara Hirtle, played with in 2017! When Kenzel reflected on the experience, she remembered how incredible the undulation changes were, both beautiful and challenging to play. She determined it’s completely impossible to become upset when you’re surrounded by the visual art Pebble Beach Golf Links provides. At the turn, she decided to apply good Judgment and began ‘clubbing up’ as her shots were coming up 10 yards shorter than they typically do in Pinehurst. This gave her some putts for birdie, resulting in made birdies on Holes 11 and 17! Also, while practicing on the 12th green, Paul Broadhurst pulled Jaclyn aside and gave her a few chipping pointers to work on when she gets home. Double score for the day! During the first and second rounds of the PURE Insurance Championship, Kenzel and Henninger would play Poppy Hills GC and Pebble Beach GL, each day with a different pair of amateur partners. Kenzel’s personal golf highlights including make a birdie on Hole 18 at BOTH courses! How cool! While #TeamHenninger didn’t make the Pro-Junior cut, it was truly an experience of a lifetime both on and off the course. And to cap off a week of excitement, as all the juniors were gathered around the 18th green of Pebble Beach GL watching the final groups come in, they witnessed Ken Tanigawa make a bomb of an eagle putt to win the tournament by one! What an ending to a dream week for Jaclyn Kenzel.

My last day at the PURE Insurance Championship

Today was my last day at the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach! While I hate having to say it’s the final day, it was definitely one to remember! We participated in a 7:30am Shotgun start event at Poppy Hills GC where we played a Ryder Cup style event. I was assigned Hole 16 to kick off the day and was paired with Calton Kong. We played against Grace Kehoe and Christopher Khan. The format was a scramble on Holes 10 – 18 and Best Ball on Holes 1 – 9. A few golf highlights from my morning included Birdies on Holes 11, 12, 13 and 18 with a final score of 67 (-4). We ended up just short of a trophy, finishing in 4th place. It was a really fun round though! My host family even came on the front nine and walked with us through Hole 9!  After lunch at Poppy Hills GC, we then headed towards Pebble Beach Golf Links to watch the final players come in! As soon as we got there and realized both Mr. Henninger and Mr. Broadhurst had finished, we rushed towards the players dining area to see if they were there. Sadly, I wasn’t able to catch Mr. Henninger but I did get to talk to Mr. Broadhurst about how his day went on the course. And what a cool end to the tournament. The winning Pro made a BOMB of an Eagle Putt on the 18th green to win by 1! Wow. Monday morning I have to be up at 2:00am because our flight leaves San Jose International Aiport at 6:55am. Whew!  I can’t emphasize enough how much this trip has meant to me! It has been the most amazing week of my life and I will never forget it! I’m really sad it has to end but am beyond thrilled to have had this opportunity! I have not only gained friends but created memories that will last a lifetime! Thank you for following along in my travels to California. It’s been fun to write about the trip and have a blog to look back on! Signing off with gratitude, Jaclyn Kenzel

My 1st & 2nd Round with Brian Henninger!

On Friday, Brian Henninger and I were scheduled to tee off in the afternoon wave at Poppy Hills GC, with no set morning activities, it was my first (and only) day I would get to sleep in! But not too late as I wanted to get to player breakfast before they closed! Being a week of first, I had my first omelet at player breakfast! YUM!  Later we headed to Poppy Hill GC to get ready for Round 1 – with a new tool in my pocket – a lucky ball marker from my host dad, Mr. Carl. It was a coin he had received during a golf tournament called The Clint, hosted at his home course, Tehama Golf Club. Playing in the afternoon wave, we had a little extra time so I was able to grab a pin sheet from the starter tent and take a few minutes to mark up my yardage book with where today’s pins would be. I also had the chance to watch a few of the morning groups play through Hole 18 green. Mr. Henninger and I were paired with two amateurs for Round 1, Greg Orr and Landry Gibbs of Texarkana, Texas. My first hole that I played was an absolute mess, I was just beyond nervous. I ended up hooking my tee shot all the way into the waste bunker area of the hole adjacent to us, where I had to wait for people in another group to tee off before I could go and hit my shot. Then from there, I hit too far behind my golf ball, luckily avoiding all trees, barely made it to the cart path. I took a drop and ended up shanking my shot so bad that it went straight right into the woods. I decided to pick up but was really sad. Mr. Henninger, however, made a birdie on our first hole (Hole 10) so that was really awesome!  On the 11th hole, our second hole, I hit a solid shot onto the green, assuring me the first hole was long gone! Then on the 12th hole, I hit an amazing drive, sealing the deal that I was on the right track. Hole 18 (our 9th Hole) was my highlight of the day! I hit a solid driver and had around a 200 yard carry over the hazard in front of the green (a par 5). My initial thought was to lay up on a safer line, about a 150 yard shot, but Mr. Henninger came over and talked me into going for the green. I hit my 4 wood and it carried just enough to get over the hazard and rolled onto the green about 15 ft from the pin!  I two putted for my first birdie of the tournament! On Hole 4 (our 13th Hole), I hit a long drive, giving me my favorite distance into the green – 88 yds. I hit my 52 degree to about 18 ft and drained my putt for birdie. I was so excited! My host dad for the week, Mr. Carl, was able to come out to watch our last four holes of the day. While I made a few bogeys coming in, it was really great to have his support and enthusiasm felt on the course.  After Round 1 of the PURE Insurance Championship, Brian Henninger and I were tied for 38th Place at 3 under par.  After golf, our Friday night event was the Core Values Dinner & Train Concert presented by EMoney. This event was on the lawn behind the 18th green at Pebble Beach Golf Links. It truly doesn’t get any better – dinner and a concert over looking Pebble Beach. I had never heard Train before and just loved the concert! And, an added bonus to the evening was that I had won a gift card to the Pebble Beach Golf Shop! They had a contest to guess the correct number of balls in a container and Mr. Henninger helped me come up with a number, which ended up being the closest! Tomorrow I have an 8:43am tee time on Pebble Beach Golf Links. I will be playing with Mr. Henninger and 2 new amateur participants. The weather is supposed to be beautiful and the sun is supposed to be out all day! I cannot wait to get my second crack at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Saturday morning was back to our early awake schedule! But it was well worth it because we were headed to the first tee of Pebble Beach Golf Links.  Some of my golf highlights from the day included almost holing out from green side bunkers on Hole 8 and 10, making a par on the famous Hole 7. Then when we reached Hole 18, I hit an incredible tee shot past the big tree in the fairway, able to go for the par 5 green in two, hit the green. Such a cool memory I will never forget! As we walked those 18 Holes, I just took in the immaculate beauty and landscape every hole provided. While I am incredibly competitive, I had to remind myself the uniqueness of being in California and the opportunity I was provided to walk the fairways of Pebble Beach Golf Links. After the round, I had the opportunity for another first this week! Coach Matt’s former co-worker now lives nearby Pebble Beach and set us up to go Paddle Boarding in the Monterey Bay. We got changed into wet suits and headed out. Being out on the water was even more beautiful then looking from a distance. I saw jellyfish, otters and sea lions. Initially I was nervous when we got close to the sea lions but as I got comfortable it was really neat to see them following me while paddle boarding and just swimming all around us out in the ocean. As we left dinner Saturday night, the 2nd round scores from the afternoon wave began to trickle in and it was clear that I would miss the junior cut to play Pebble Beach Golf Links, again on Sunday, by 2 strokes. Although I am disappointed, I do get to play Poppy Hills GC tomorrow with the other juniors in a Ryder Cup style match. On a positive note, I’m so happy Mr. Henninger made the cut! He bogeyed Hole 18 today and we thought he was going to miss the cut. What an amazing two days in California it has been!

A Note from Coach Matt

Today on Hole 7 at Poppy Hills Golf Course, Jaclyn’s 16th Hole of the day, she became faced with a key decision. Her execution reminded me WHY we do the work we do each week at our Life Skills Curriculum Programs.
I’ll set the scene.
Off the tee she hit a drive through the fairway, it kicks off the cart path and bounces back towards the fairway but about a foot from the cart path and in need of a drop.
She goes through the routine to find the nearest point of relief, places a tee in the ground, and makes her drop.
Her ball bounces and rolls down the hill.
Jaclyn looks around and I call tell she is in serious thought. I’m thinking to myself, ‘Did her ball move closer to the hole? Did it roll outside of the club length she was given to take her drop?’
She looks upset and I think I know why.
Jaclyn proceeds to go through her pre-shot routine and hits a shot that ends up on the front right of the green about 30 yards from the hole with a difficult pitch shot towards the pin.
After she walks away, I walk over to where she just hit her shot from and my thoughts were confirmed.
Her ball had come to rest in an old divot. She had free relief and she had just dropped her ball into a sand-filled divot.
Fast Forward 3 hours later. We are leaving the evening participant event and I brought up to Jaclyn I only wanted to talk to her about one shot, the one after her free drop on the 7th Hole from the fairway.
So, I asked her what happened when she took the drop from the cart path.
She looked puzzled towards me.
I told her it looked like she was distressed.
She said, “It came to rest in an old divot.”
I asked her if her ball had rolled forward on the drop and she stated, ‘it definitely did not.’
Hence, her drop was proper and the ball in play….
At this moment, Jaclyn had a decision to make.
No one saw what happened but her and I. No one in her group saw her even take the drop.
It would’ve been easy for her to pick up the ball and re-drop, claiming it moved forward, but she didn’t. She dealt with the misfortune, played by the rules, and showed huge amounts of integrity for the game.
THIS is why we do what we do.
THIS is why we teach the Nine Core Values.
THIS is why we teach the Par Level Curriculum lesson on Respecting the Rules.
THIS is why we do exercises in the Birdie Level Curriculum on Dealing with Challenges.
Jaclyn Kenzel may have impressed everyone with her golf skills this week, but THIS is what has impressed me.
This one decision said more about her as a human being than any shot she will hit over the next 2 days.
She is a competitor. She wants to win. She wants to be in the top 23 come Saturday night and get to walk the fairways of Pebble Beach Golf Links on Sunday.
But she is only willing to do it the right way, without taking shortcuts.

Pebble Beach Golf Links, Chevron Shoot-Out & STEM Zone

Thursday has been so special! Not only did I play Pebble Beach Golf Links for the first time, I played with Paul Broadhurst!  My day started at 5:45am to get prepped for our 8:30am tee time. During breakfast, I had the chance to sit and eat with Glenn Weckerlin, the Director of University Partnerships and Association Relations for Chevron. After driving range warm ups, my first golf highlight of the day came on the practice putting green where I drained 2 putts in a row from about 40 feet! When we arrived to the first tee, I met my practice round group, including, Jim Sims and Lee Finley. Standing on the first tee, I could feel myself become nervous and tense, though, I ended up hitting that first shot pretty well! Another special memory came on the 2nd Hole when I realized I had out driven Mr. Broadhurst (yes he is playing a longer course, but still cool!). Some of the hills and undulation changes throughout the course are just incredible. On Hole 4, I chipped in for par from the side of a cliff! On Hole 6, a par 5, there is a significantly steep hill that you must hit over on your second shot, I had to make sure I had enough room to even have a chance to get over the hill and hit my third into the green.  Our playing group let me hit a ‘mulligan’ on the famous par 3, Hole 7 – I took advantage of the second chance and landed by ball about 4 feet from the pin! I honestly didn’t play great on the first nine, however, it’s completely impossible to become upset when I’m surrounded by the most beautiful course I’ve ever laid eyes on. When reviewing the front nine, I applied good Judgment and realized my shots were coming up about 10 yards short, so as I headed to the back, I began clubbing up and was able to give myself opportunities to putt for birdie on the back. It was super fun to make birdie putts on Holes 11 and 17!! On the 18th Hole, Mr. Broadhurst and I looked over the cliff behind the tee box and saw Sea Lions and Pelicans hanging out on the rocks. So calming and unique to the west coast. After today’s practice round, we immediately headed to Cypress Point. While site seeing over the ocean, we saw otters playing in the water! This afternoon was the Chevron Shoot-Out for STEM Scholars. Six PGA Champions Tour Pros were paired with six juniors competing for a $100,000 scholarship money purse.  While cheering on my fellow participants, I had the opportunity to meet Keith Dawkins, the CEO of The First Tee. Mr. Dawkins is was very enthusiastic about this week’s event, congratulated me for being selected and complimented my Sandhills business cards that I passed out to adults.  Ahead of the Chevron Shoot-Out, I noticed my friend Vivian, who I played my practice round with on Wednesday, was playing the 18th Hole. I decided it would be fun to run up and caddie for her on the last. As we were walking down the fairway, I had the opportunity to introduce myself to her practice round partners, Matt Ginella and Alfonso Ribeiro! Our evening participant activity was the Chevron Slice Party at the STEM Zone. All the activities were focused on math, science and physics. The one that gained my attention the most was the golf ball launcher!  Tomorrow kicks off the official tournament rounds for the PURE Insurance Championship and I couldn’t be more excited for the experience. I’ve been able to get my nervous jitters out over the last few days and am looking forward to spending, at least the next two days, with Brian Henninger. We tee off at 1:13pm (I finally get to sleep in!) off Hole 10 of Poppy Hills.  Thanks for continuing to follow along!

A Practice Round at Poppy Hill GC + Legends & Leaders!

Hi everyone! Today I was up at 4:30am to get out the door for breakfast and warm up before playing my first practice round at Poppy Hills Golf Course!  We had a lot of fog to start the morning, a new experience for me, but by the 2nd Hole it had lifted! I got to play today’s practice round with Vivian Guite from The First Tee of Naples. Vivian and I were both selected to attend The First Tee National Par 3 Championship earlier this year and met during the event.  I played pretty well, and again, was wowed by the views and wildlife! As you will see in our pictures, we saw MANY deer just meandering across the fairways. So cool!  After our practice round we ‘bumped’ into Bernard Langer in the Player Hospitality tent! So cool! (Yes, I think I’m going to say that a lot this week) Wednesday afternoon we had the chance to experience 17 mile drive. We weren’t able to stop and get out of the car but it was surely a beautiful view from the window. If everything works out, we plan to walk around Cypress Point, tomorrow!  The event event participants attended was called ‘Legends and Leaders presented by EMoney‘ and was hosted at Monterey Peninsula Country Club. During the event, 9 special guest spoke on the 9 Core Values, each highlighting a unique Core Value that carries special interest in their lives.  Each guest had an amazing and inspiring story to tell – but my personal favorites came from Jeremy Poincenot and Victoria Arlen. First, Jeremy Poincenot spoke about Perseverance (my favorite Core Value!). His personal story was about e spoke about how he suddenly became blind and had perseverance along with encouragement to continue. Now his dad and he are #1 in the world blind golf association. My second favorite speech was Victoria Arlen who spoke about Confidence. She was paralyzed from a young age and was scared that she wouldn’t be able to play sports. Victoria grew up in a family that golfed a lot. One day she had the Confidence to tell her family she wanted to learn how to golf – despite her condition. Today, she is able to walk, golf and even speaks three languages! Oh, and she is an Olympic Paralympic Swimmer (and medalist!)  Tomorrow I will play by second practice round, on Pebble Beach Golf Links, at 8:30am with 2016 PURE Insurance Championship winner, Paul Broadhurst! I am very excited! PS – I forgot to mention, I also met Tom Watson at last night’s dinner!

We made it to Pebble Beach! Day 1 is in the books.

Hi All! It was a pretty great day. It started out (very) early in the morning when my first flight took off at 5am from RDU. Wowzers.  Having not flown but a few times in my life, I was starting to get comfortable with it and flying to Pebble Beach, California will help anyone get over their nerves quickly!   The flight from ATL to San Jose was an especially fun flight because previously, when flying, it was dark out and now I was able to see all the clouds and houses. From San Jose, CA airport we made the two hour drive towards the Pure Insurance Championship Player Registration.  Driving through 17 Mile Drive, I was able to see a sneak peak of the golf course and the wildlife that surrounded it.  After registration we were able to walk out to the 18th green at Pebble Beach and I was stunned by the breathtaking scenery.  This evening we had Junior Player Orientation followed by the PURE Welcome Party, Convert and Pairings Release – all at Poppy Hills GC. They had us sit in rows based off of our last names, then took us out to the practice putting green. There they introduced all of the 81 juniors who were playing in the event and the chapter they came from.  Flags with our name and chapter, as well as a tournament week golf bag, were set up to circle the putting green. So cool!  Then the big moment came when they revealed to us who our pros were. We were told to look in the front zipper of the golf bag and find an envelope. I am paired with Brian Henninger. Once the announcement was made Mr. Henninger came right up to me and we started talking. He was very nice and had only words of encouragement.  I ended the night by sitting by the fire and playing glow in the dark golf with fellow junior participants. Post event I was able to meet my host family for the week, Brad and Mary Carl. Mrs. Carl welcomed me with some delicious chocolate cookies! It was a great end to an amazing first day in Pebble Beach. I am looking forward to my 8 o’clock practice round tomorrow on Poppy Hills GC! 

Get to know Jaclyn Kenzel

The PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach is here!
  This coming Tuesday, during the wee hours of the morning, Jaclyn Kenzel will head to RDU bound for Pebble Beach Golf Links in California and the 2018 championship.
Jaclyn, a longtime participant in The First Tee of the Sandhills and a Pinecrest High School student, was one of 81 The First Tee participants nationwide to earn a berth in the tournament. She will be paired with a PGA Tour Champions pro and compete for the pro-junior title.
An experience of a lifetime, Jaclyn, can’t help but beam ear to ear when the mention of this week’s trip comes up.
So, we thought it would be fun to host a rapid fire Q&A with Jaclyn. Here’s how it went …  
Favorite sports team? Green Bay Packers, Go Cheeseheads! Favorite food? Spaghetti or just take me to an Italian Restaurant. Favorite post golf round splurge? Fudgy brownies with walnuts and vanilla ice cream.
Yum!
  OK … Slightly more serious stuff now … Lowest competitive round? 72 at Pinehurst No. 6. Favorite golf course? Pinewild CC. First it was the Par 3 course because I played PGA Junior League there and just loved it but now it’s the “big” course because earlier this year I had my first hole-in-one out there during a TYGA tournament!
  Favorite professional golfer? Paula Creamer. Why? Well, as a little kid I always loved how she was dressed head to toe in pink. But, today, I admire her for the way she handles adversity on and off the golf course.
  Your dream foursome would include who?
Hands down Jack Nicklaus, Annika Sorenstam and Mia Hamm.
  Last question … what’s your favorite core value? Absolutely it’s perseverance. I’ve learned that no matter your goal, you can’t achieve it without learning and living through perseverance.
Great job, Jaclyn. Thanks for giving us a bit of insight into YOU.
On the heels of a really busy week of firsts for Jaclyn, we’ve assembled a landing page, firstteesandhills.org/purechamp, where you can stay up to date with her daily blogs, find out which PGA Champions Tour professional she is paired with, access the Golf Channel’s TV coverage times, and check out all her behind the scenes photos.  
Everything kicks off Tuesday and we hope you will join us in cheering on Jaclyn as she represents The First Tee of the Sandhills and our communities, proudly.

The First Tee of the Sandhills: Kenzel Earns Berth in Champions Tourney

The First Tee of the Sandhills is sending Jaclyn Kenzel to compete in the 2018 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee, an official PGA TOUR Champions event to be contested at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California, September 24-30. The tournament will be televised internationally on Golf Channel September 28-30. The PURE Insurance Championship is the only event of its kind in which 81 junior golfers from The First Tee are teamed with 81 PGA TOUR Champions players and 162 amateurs during an official PGA TOUR Champions tournament. Kenzel will be competing for the pro-junior title. She will join 80 other participants from The First Tee chapters, selected by a national panel of judges. The participants, which represent 22 states, were selected based on playing ability and application of the Nine Core Values and life skills learned through their involvement with The First Tee’s programs. The junior field was announced Wednesday morning on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive. Kenzel, her family fellow participants from The First Tee, Volunteers and Board Members gathered at Pinehurst Country Club to watch, together. Hoping for a positive outcome, but prepared to support Jaclyn and celebrate her achievements, the group anxiously awaited the announcement for the Central Atlantic Region. When Jaclyn’s name appeared on the TV monitor the room was filled with cheers, smiles and hugs. Kenzel’s immediate reaction was elation, her hands raise into the air and her smile stretch from ear to ear. She expressed, “I am so blessed to be surrounded by an amazing group of supporters at The First Tee. What an amazing opportunity this is going to be. I can’t wait to go to California this September!” As of July 11, players committed to compete in the PURE Insurance Championship include defending champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member Bernhard Langer, as well as fellow World Golf Hall of Fame members Colin Montgomerie, Mark O’Meara and Sandy Lyle. Kenzel, a participant in The First Tee since 2007, fell in love with the game of golf on a putting green at the age of 4. Since this first encounter, Jaclyn has become engaged in all the great opportunities this game can offer. Jaclyn has gone from a 5 year old child who simply wanted to beat her brother, in a game at The First Tee class, to a competitive junior player that strives to be one of the best in her age group. On the course, Jaclyn has posted several impressive finishes during the last year, including a T-3 in the 4A Girls’ State Championship and a T-8 at the Carolinas Junior Girls’ Championship. While Jaclyn’s golf accomplishments shine in newspapers and at award banquets, her work that is done without public recognition is just as impressive. A rising Junior at Pinecrest High School, she currently holds a 4.3636 GPA and is an active member of the National Honor Society. She balances school with several extracurricular activities, such as; the Girls Golf Team, the Pinecrest Marching Band, and giving back in the community. Kenzel spends her time volunteering in the community with the younger generations. She is an avid supporter of The First Tee of the Sandhills TARGET Program, which teaches 5 & 6 year olds the game of golf in a fun engaging environment. She loves that this group of kids are simply there to have fun and cheer on each other’s successes. Additionally, Jaclyn actively supports her church’s child care service and volunteers every year with the Moore County Special Olympics. Speaking on behalf of The First Tee of the Sandhills, Coach Matt said, “We are thrilled for Jaclyn to have received selection into this year’s PURE Insurance Championship junior field. This event is truly an experience of a lifetime and we are confident Jaclyn will represent our chapter proudly while taking away so many new life experiences, friendships and inspiration for her future.” The First Tee of the Sandhills plans to blog Jaclyn’s preparation leading up to the PURE Insurance Championship and provide daily recaps upon her arrival to Pebble Beach, California on September 25. Together, we can enjoy her experience.    

Goodbye to Pebble Beach and the Pure Insurance Championship

A Final Recap from our Executive Director, Courtney Stiles

Pebble Beach is breathtaking. Literally. My health tracker said we climbed the equivalent of 13 flights of stairs across 8 miles, daily, for five days!

During our trip to California for the Pure Insurance Championship, I learned I love walking the fairways whether swinging the clubs or carrying the bag. But, I’m terrible at spectating from ‘outside the ropes’. Antsy, anxious, and sweaty. Just terrible.

Everyone has a story. A story on how they learned integrity, the hard way, how they show judgment on a daily basis, and how they apply confidence, without being cocky. I saw first-hand that The Pure Insurance Championship benefiting The First Tee is truly a once-in- a-lifetime experience.

It’s an all-expense paid trip across the country to meet 81 other like skilled and like-minded high school age kids, 82 top-notch Champions Tour professionals, and their caddies, as well as 164 successful business executives, community leaders, artists and celebrities.

But it doesn’t come easy. At a minimum, participants must be actively enrolled in The First Tee for three years, or nine sessions, a Birdie Level participant and a single digit golfer. After those hurdles are checked off, then comes the application process. There’s a golf resume, school and community activities chart, five essays, and finally an in-person interview with a local board of director member, volunteers, coaches and staff representatives.

Once all of these items have been completed and submitted, you wait, and wait, for about 60 days, until the field selection is made, on none-other than, national television! If selected, the next phase begins.

Preparation.

From practicing public speaking, prepping her golf game and stamina, as well as playing Pebble Beach Golf Links, repeatedly, on the Tiger Woods PGA TOUR video game – Mara did it all. With that said, let’s be honest, you can’t completely prepare for this experience at the age of 15.

From leaving Eastern Standard Time, for the first time, staying in private housing, playing golf during the day, every day, and attending sponsor and leadership events every night. The schedule was tight and kept each of us on our tired toes!

Everyday featured a new hurdle to conquer. A new experience to take in. A new moment to be present and enjoy to its fullest.

For Mara, her week looked like this: Tuesday she was up at 2:00am EST, arrived at Pebble Beach for player registration at 3:00pm PST, met her host family, attended Junior Orientation, attended the PURE Welcome Party and Pairings unveiling event, and finally went to bed at 9:00pm PST… 22 hours after getting up for the day!

Each subsequent day was similar, awaking anywhere between 4:30am and 6:30am, and going to bed around 9:30pm.

After Wednesday’s practice round, where she played with 2016 Champion, Paul Broadhurst, participants attended the Champions Dinner where they would mingle with Champions Tour Players, Pro Am partners, key Pebble Beach staff and area business executives.

Thursday’s post golf activities were probably the longest, yet most impactful, as they attended the Legends and Leaders Event at Monterey Peninsula Country Club. The event featured CEOs and celebrities from all over the country who had taken the time to come and speak about one of the Nine Core Values that has had significance in their life.

From Condoleezza Rice, Matt Ginella, Kevin Sorbo, Alfonso Ribeiro, Leon Panetta, and others, their messages were impactful and well worth the later bedtime.

During the first two tournament rounds, Mara was paired with Champions Tour player, Jim Carter. Mr.Carter and his caddie, Tommy, were an invaluable asset to Mara’s experience. Playing ‘inside the ropes’ at a major event brings up a lot of different emotions and Mara having the opportunity to work through these taught her invaluable life lessons at every turn. From seeing how Jim used judgment, when navigating a difficult course, how he persevered through a bad hole, and re-engaged to make the next hole better. Then, the amateurs in our pairing, how a smile never left their face and you wouldn’t know if they were under par or nowhere close to breaking a 100!

My most proud chaperone moment was on Day 2 when Mara faced Holes 6, 7 and 8. She had talked about these holes all week. About how she played them the most on her TW golf game at home and was skeptical about conquering them in person.

But, when we arrived to this group of holes, Mara pushed her nerves down and smiled through the apprehension. While her smile may have not radiated through her face the entire time, I could see it in her eyes. She conquered hitting her second shot over the cliff on Hole 6, safely navigating her tee shot onto the green on Hole 7, and making it to the green in two on Hole 8.

Being provided the opportunity to attend the Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach as Mara’schaperone was a truly special experience. I’ve watched Mara grow over the last three years, and after having spent many hours with her these last few weeks, I am excited to see what her future holds.

This national event and the countless others that The First Tee provides our local youngsters the opportunity to attend are well worth the multi-year investment in our local programs. I can’t wait to see what’s up next for our kiddos here in the Sandhills!