At the first two rounds of the Pure Insurance Championship, the Champions Tour Professionals go through a field cut to the low 50 and ties. In addition, only the low 23 junior scores will advance to the final round on Pebble Beach. The remaining juniors compete in a two-person team event at Poppy Hills.
Mara’s Perspective:
Sunday morning we had the opportunity to pair up for a fun tournament at Poppy Hills. While I would have loved the opportunity to play on Sunday at Pebble, having a chance for redemption at Poppy Hills while getting to meet more junior contestants was going to be fun.
The format for this two-person team event was a little different as well. We played six holes of best ball, six holes or alternate shot and six holes of scramble. This format definitely got us into the team spirit quickly.
I was paired with a boy from Phoenix, Arizona. At first our personalities were very different but we pushed each other to hit good shots and work towards the lowest score. I definitely feel like I was able to make some improvements on this course from the first round of the tournament and was glad to have that opportunity. We ended up shooting a team score of Even Par. Pretty good for two strangers coming together!
After our round we were asked to be at the 18th Hole to watch the final groups come in. It was fun to see some of the juniors I met during the week come down the last hole, be announced when they walked up to the green and finish off the round with their pro.
The atmosphere was electric and truly capped off an amazing experience that I will never forget.
