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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
Recently, Mara Hirtle, a rising junior at Pinecrest High School, joined 95 other teens from around the country at The Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. Life Skills and Leadership Academy hosted on campus at Michigan State University.
Annually, this week-long Academy provides participants golf and leadership instruction that incorporate The First Tee’s Nine Core Values while enhancing skills that will help teens on and off the golf course.
During the event, participants had the opportunity to develop and hone skills to become leaders in their chapters, schools and communities while experiencing championship golf, career exploration and dorm living.
We asked Mara to provide us a few highlights from her week at Michigan State University. When reflecting, she said, “Not only was it an enlightening experience as we worked through what it means to be a leader, while also succeeding as a team, our event leaders made sure to include all 96 of us in fun activities like mini golf and bowling on campus.”
She noted that one of their leadership seminars was led by RISE, Michigan State University’s Residential Initiatives on the Study of the Environment. Mara said the leaders inspired The First Tee Teens to reach for their goals which others may believe are unreachable, or impossible.
RISE’s learning outcomes for those engaging in their year round program include the ability to form an opinion, demonstrate leadership, enact social change, value collaboration, describe strengths, and engage in sustainability work – essentially growing a community of learners committed to stewardship and sustainability.
After arriving home, Mara expressed that the week long experience was inspiring! It build her up as an individual and encouraged her to strive for things she thought were unreachable before. Returning rejuvenated to take on personal goals.
Way to go, Mara!
To apply for the Life Skills & Leadership Academy, participants must have reached, at a minimum, Birdie Level status in The First Tee, complete a school and community activities chart, answer four questions in essay format, provide a letter of recommendation from a mentor, teacher or school administrator, and receive recommendation from The First Tee of the Sandhills. As with all National Participant Opportunities, selected participants enjoy the trip free of charge.
Ready to get involved in The First Tee? Make sure to sign up for one of our Fall Programs in the Sandhills before registration closes. Visit firstteesandhills.org or call us at 910.255.3035.
Raise your hand if you’re a Mom, Dad, Mimi, Grammy, Papa, Great Uncle, Best Aunt, Super Cool Big Brother, or Cousin twice removed of a kiddo that ranges between walking and graduating from college?
Great. You are in for a treat!
On Monday, August 20, The First Tee of the Sandhills and Pinehurst Resort are hosting Kick Back at The Cradle.
Whether you have an hour or all afternoon – this event is designed with each of our kid-at-heart in mind, to be fun no matter which is higher – age or handicap!
Fun and games will run from 3:00pm until dark.
For a $25 donation, your options for fun will be endless.
You’ll get a tee time on The Cradle, Closest to the Pin Contest, an age appropriate putt-putt competition on Thistle Dhu, shots at the Golfzilla, a Super Cool t-shirt, and a voucher for a grab a go dinner.
So organize the family, head over to firstteesandhills.org/thecradle, reserve your tickets, and we will see you on Monday, August 20 – for a ton of summer memories!
PS: Make sure to purchase your ticket in advance, walk up purchasers are not guaranteed a tee time on The Cradle!
Growing up as a golfer in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, team and golf were two words that didn’t get intermixed, frequently. At least not at the junior amateur level.
While we had the opportunity to play on our high school team, and later college team, the format was always the same – individual stroke play tallied up for a team score with the lowest team score winning the event.
Every other year, I would, and still do, boil over in excitement when the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup are contested. Wearing Red, White and Blue all week, tracking matches online and watching as much television coverage as possible.
Those matches aren’t about individual scores for eighteen holes. They are about teamwork, comradery, hole to hole competition in a match play format, and representing your country!
Now, back to amateur golf.
Originating in 1957, the Virginias – Carolinas Women’s Team Matches have been contested for 62 years while alternating venues annually between Virginia/West Virginia and NC/SC.
Each team is comprised of 24 players – 14 Amateurs and 10 Senior Amateurs – all of which have either received automatic exemptions, earned ranking points or were selected through a captain’s pick.
In mid-June my cell phone rang. It was a call I had been anticipating, but with a bit of uncertainty.
It was good news. I had been extended a Captain’s invitation to compete on the Carolinas Team in the upcoming matches.
I was elated!
And, overwhelmed with the responsibility to come.
As a captain’s pick, I wanted to be an asset for my teammates and captains while representing the Carolinas Golf Association to the best of my ability.
This year’s matches were contested at Sea Pines Country Club on Hilton Head Island.
A private strip of heaven on earth. Truly one of the best golf courses I have played in a really long time.
It was fair, but tough. Lots of nagging hazards and overhanging limbs, Par 5s that were three shot holes, and uniquely shaped green complexes.
The format for the matches included Four-Ball Match Play, Pinehurst Modified Alternate Shot Match Play and Singles Match Play. Each format provided opportunity to earn up to three points – 1 for front, 1 for back, and 1 overall. Keeping every match ‘in play’, all day.
It was our captain’s responsibility to pair up personalities for the first two days of matches. Hoping to garner as many points as possible early on as the Day 3 singles would be worth 50% of the overall points for the week.
Day 1 my partner was Courtney McKim. A 28 year old lefty who played at Alabama.
After the front nine, I decided to focus on safely driving the golf cart and making pars because Courtney was on fire. She rolled in 8 birdies over the course of the round and I wasn’t going to get in her way!
At the end of Day 1, the Carolinas were up 23.5 to 12.5.
Day 2 my partner was Kayla Thompson. A 22 year old, freshly minted Alum from University of North Carolina at Wilmington. My home for the first two years of college – go Seahawks!
It took us a few holes to get comfortable with the alternate shot format as it plays very differently on Par 3s, 4s, and 5s.
To get a visual, you both tee off, then hit from your partners tee shot, then decide which ball you want to play and alternate from that point in.
Once we got in the groove, we had a blast. On most holes we ended up using my tee shot, Kayla’s approach and my putt. Together we compiled 6 birdies and were able to secure all three points for the Carolinas.
At the end of Day 2, the Carolinas were up 51 to 21 with 72 points still on the table for Day 3.
Day 3 was Singles. In a random draw, I was paired against Katie Turk, who Courtney McKim and I played again during Four Ball on Day 1. Katie is another lefty and a rising senior at JMU.
Our match started on the back nine. We both hit some good shots the first few holes and our putters were just a bit cold. But, as we got in the groove my putter found a few hot holes and I was able to get up early in the match.
After working to control my nervous energy and capitalize on confidence built throughout the week, I secured our team three full points in Singles play.
At the end of Day 3, the Carolinas had secured the cup, winning the matches with a final score of 89 to 55.
What a great feeling to have participated in my first team event for the Carolinas Golf Association.
I was humbled to have been selected and look forward to working hard to earn a spot on the team in 2019.
Go Carolinas!
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.
More than ever, local and world news reminds me why it’s so important to invest in the next generation.
Teaching young people the value of respect, how to manage emotions and embrace diversity. By being a positive influence on these individuals we are making deposits in the future of our communities.
Earlier this month, on June 18, 96 golfers, 16 volunteers, 12 local youth, 18 sponsors and local businesses joined forces to celebrate and elevate.
It was a coming together of community to embrace the mission of The First Tee and make deposits in its future in the Sandhills. Volunteers, Youth Participants, Board Members and Donors wore various hats as we successfully pulled off another CADDIEMASTER Open.
This year held at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club.
Participants enjoyed a friendly Shamble competition, where a Low Net and Low Gross Champion was crowned, followed by a reception and awarding of prizes for closest to pin, long drive, battle of the sexes – and more!
While the field was strong, participants were given a little assistance from youth of The First Tee, staged on Par 3s to play as the 5th Man (or woman) by hitting extra tee shots and stroking extra putts as well as one hole where a high school participant played the entire hole with the group.
Chatter around the scoring table told the story of their help!
Another twist on their round was two-fold, as participants approached the hardest Par 3 on the course, they would be given the opportunity to be guaranteed a Hole in One for their team, before hitting a shot, simply by signing up to Sponsor a Child, ensuring a scholarship for a future curriculum program participant with The First Tee of the Sandhills.
The generosity of our supporters paid off as 37 Hole in One’s were recorded and 37 new youth scholarships opened up.
While the overall winner of the day was The First Tee of the Sandhills, the hardware was ready for distribution.
Our 2017 Winners at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club included Low Net Team, sponsored by Pepsi Bottling Ventures, of Shannon Pankey, Tom Lee and Doug Dickens as well as Low Gross Team of Pat McGowan, Ralph Ronalter, Mike Fields, and Attie Giles.
As we look back on another successful Caddiemaster Open, thank you to each and every individual that contributed to the success of the day. Your enthusiasm and commitment to The First Tee of the Sandhills is ensuring that together we are going good kids through golf!
Be on the lookout for an announcement coming soon in regard to our 2019 event date and details – held at the prestigious Country Club of North Carolina.
As Mark Twain once said, ‘plan for the future, because that’s where you are going to spend the rest of your life.’
Planning for the future is one of the six Core Lesson’s focused on through Eagle Level Curriculum programs at The First Tee of the Sandhills. During this portion of the curriculum, participants are engaged in self-exploration, academic and career exploration, and implementation.
Throughout these exercises, we work to expose the high school age participants to various aspects of development including diversity, finances, scheduling and futures opportunities across many industries.
Thanks to the support of Methodist University, Eagle Level participants were able to spend a full day on campus where they learned about the admissions process, financial planning for college, what the Professional Golf Management program is and career doors it can open up after college, as well as touring the facilities and getting to play at little golf at the on campus course.
Here’s a little glimpse into their day on campus.
Jamie Legg, the Dean of Admissions, spoke about GPA, SAT, and ACT scoring – explaining what the University looks for in student performance. He stressed the importance of making good grades throughout High School and how they weight GPA above ACT & SAT.
Why? Because it shows which students put work in daily to succeed!
Mr. Legg also discussed the finances of attending college and in turn how to prepare to apply for scholarships and financial aid.
Next up was Kyle Fera, the PGM Program recruiter. Kyle spoke about the expansion of the golf industry and the vast variety of career opportunities that continue to develop, how these careers are becoming more specialized and the importance of aligning your career interests with internships throughout college.
As part of the Professional Golf Management program, college students are required to complete a minimum of four internships. Kyle shared a map of all the locations across the United States that Methodist PGM students have completed internships over the last seven years and the variety of exposure opportunities that were apart of these assignments.
PGM students can plug into learning opportunities that range from facility management and operations, teaching, club fitting, tournament operations, youth programs, and much more!
After lunch, Brock White, PGM Director, gave participants a tour of the University’s golf facility. In addition to the outdoor golf amenities, Methodist University has built indoor hitting bays, a putting lab and club fitting studio. All aspects of the industry that students will be engaged in to learn how to be successful in the future.
The on campus experience at Methodist University provided participants an opportunity for both college and career exploration.
As a follow up to this hands on experience, participants then utilized tools provided in their Eagle Curriculum Yardage Books to complete self-assessments on their interests, personality, skills and values – aiding in the process of determining the right campus and career fit, as well as next steps for future planning.
Thanks to the Methodist University staff, our local participants left engaged, excited and enthusiastic about their next steps.
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! 
I’ll set the scene.
Not only did I play Pebble Beach Golf Links for the first time, I played with Paul Broadhurst! 
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.
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!
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! 
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!) 
Great job, Jaclyn. Thanks for giving us a bit of insight into YOU.