Category: Events

PURE Insurance Championship: Golf has been a constant for Bella Villarin 

Bella Villarin has plenty of experience writing the news. But next week, she’ll be making it as a participant in the 2023 PURE Insurance Championship impacting First Tee, a PGA TOUR Champions event that will air on Golf Channel. 

A senior at Coronado High School, Bella is a First Tee – San Diego participant and captain of her school’s golf team. She took up the sport 13 years ago and now boasts a +0.8 handicap. Bella is also an accomplished journalist, having published more than 200 articles as an intern for The Coronado Times.

Now 17, Bella has already traveled the globe and experienced diverse cultures. 

She originally joined First Tee – Hampton Roads in Virginia when she was 4, but later her family moved to Singapore where her father was stationed for the military. The four years Bella spent in Singapore were longer than she had ever lived in one spot, and returning to the U.S. was difficult, she said. 

“There were vast differences between Singapore and San Diego. The food, the people, the weather – nearly every aspect of our lives were brand new,” she said. 

However, one thing carried through: Bella continued to play golf in each of the places she lived.

Bella became involved with First Tee – San Diego when her family moved back to the U.S. through her cousin, Reece, who is a First Tee – San Diego and Harvard alumna. One of the things Bella has enjoyed most about First Tee is getting to meet kids from different backgrounds. She’s met participants from Somalia to Ukraine, and she’s been able to serve as a mentor and mentee.

“I have made countless friendships and lifelong relationships with fellow golfers, coaches and volunteers,” she said.

Off the golf course, Bella completed more than 100 hours of community service in 2022, and she volunteers with the American Red Cross. She is also president of her school’s Days for Girls Club, which supports women and girls in developing countries by creating reusable feminine hygiene products that allow them to attend school during their menstrual cycles. 

Along with the other 79 First Tee participants in the tournament this week, be sure to cheer on Bella as she competes in her first PURE Insurance Championship. 

Learn more about the PURE Insurance Championship.

How golf helped First Tee – Manhattan’s Tate Reid through difficult times 

Tate Reid started playing golf with his dad when he was just a toddler. Now he’s a high school junior preparing to play with professionals at the PURE Insurance Championship, where 80 First Tee juniors will play alongside PGA TOUR Champions players at Pebble Beach. 

He’s excited and a little nervous, he said. “Getting to experience playing with PGA TOUR Champions pros on these amazing courses, that’s what I’m looking forward to,” said Tate. 

Tate is a junior coach at First Tee – Manhattan, where he shares his love for the sport with younger participants.  

“I think I just enjoy the desire to get better and improve yourself,” he said. “When you hit good shots, it’s fun. You just keep coming back for that feeling.” 

Golf helped Tate get through a difficult time when he was younger. He was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at age 8, just a month after moving to Manhattan, Kansas. He went through over three years of chemotherapy but is now in remission. “Golf just made me feel like a normal kid again,” he said. 

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, which was created to highlight the importance of investing in lifesaving research and supporting those families who’ve been touched by the disease. Acknowledging his own experience is important to Tate because he believes it might help children in the future. 

Tate’s mom said First Tee – Manhattan was a safe place for her son during his illness. “It’s such a great program,” Amy Reid said. “It doesn’t matter your level as far as skills, everyone is so encouraging. When Tate was in treatment, we had to be careful with him being exposed to germs and his coaches were fantastic about keeping an extra eye on him.” 

She’s proud of how Tate has overcome challenges but not let them define him, she said. “He’s kind of a quiet old soul, super responsible guy who doesn’t like to have the spotlight on him but works hard and excels at what he does,” she said. 

In addition to golf – Tate has an +0.1 handicap and works at a local golf course – he also plays trumpet as section leader in the pep band. 

You can watch Tate and the full field of 80 juniors competing in the 2023 PURE Insurance Championship on Golf Channel, Sept. 22-24.  

Participant Advisory Council visits First Tee headquarters 

This week a group of eight participants from across the country joined the staff at First Tee Headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, as part of the Participant Advisory Council. This group not only acted as representatives for their respective chapters, but for the thousands of participants in First Tee. The council shared its thoughts with First Tee leaders about various business operations like programming, social media, technology and participant events. First Tee values the opinions and counsel that participants can offer.  

“Being able to represent my chapter and my age group and all the participants in this program which I love is so amazing. I totally recommend [applying for PAC],” said Lorelei O’Donnell of First Tee – Fort Worth. 

The group was chaperoned by two First Tee alumni, Sara Diaz and David Singh. Sara is an alumna of First Tee – San Antonio and continues to work in golf. She was even a part of the first Spanish-language stream on PGA TOUR Live during the 2023 Mexico Open. David Singh is an alumnus of First Tee – Tampa Bay. He is currently a graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh where he works as a graduate administrative assistant at University of Pittsburgh Medical Centers. 

Members of the 2023 Participant Advisory Council: 

Maya Fitzgerald, First Tee – West Michigan 

  • Maya has been involved with First Tee for eight years. As a member of the Participant Advisory Council, she wanted to help grow the game of golf and emphasize inclusion. 

Cayden Leslie, First Tee – Tennessee  

  • Cayden has been involved with First Tee for five years. He aimed to provide insight into creating an improved teenage curriculum that is clearer and more engaging for participants.  

William Liu, First Tee – Greater Seattle 

  • William has been involved with First Tee for six years. During his time as a member of the Participant Advisory Council, he aimed to use his experience as a student and coach to provide a first-person perspective on the participant and coach experience.  

Whitley Shields, First Tee – Greater Washington, D.C. 

  • Whitley has been involved with First Tee for six years. She’s passionate about teenage retention at First Tee chapters.  

Kaylee Nguyen, First Tee – Gulf Coast  

  • Kaylee has been involved with First Tee for five years. She joined the PAC to increase the focus on promoting diversity, specifically in the availability for participants to offer unique perspectives to overcome problems and spark new ideas.  

Lorelei O’Donnell, First Tee – Fort Worth  

  • Lorelei has been involved with First Tee for ten years. Her goal with her time on the Participant Advisory Committee was to update the ACE program – First Tee’s capstone project program – and explore how participants will reach ACE level.  

Ethan Selvers, First Tee – Metropolitan New York 

  • Ethan has been involved with First Tee for eight years. His aim as a member of the Council was to help relay First Tee’s message of diversity and equality, and how important it is to the success of First Tee.  

Jiali (Bennie) Zhu, First Tee – Orange County  

  • Bennie has been involved with First Tee for five years. He aimed to expand First Tee’s reach to youth across the nation as well as attract and retain student volunteer coaches.  

As First Tee continues to grow, we look to participants and alumni for innovative ideas and feedback to ensure we are meeting the evolving needs of today’s kids and teens. First Tee thanks the 2023 Participant Advisory Committee and all who continue to carry on the mission and commitments of First Tee year-round.  

“PAC can only be described as innovating, enthralling and empowering.” said Kaylee Nguyen.  

More information on the Participant Advisory Council can be found here.  

80 First Tee Teens Selected for PGA TOUR Champions’ PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee at Pebble Beach

Golf Channel announced the full field of teens with help from PGA TOUR player Joel Dahmen and PGA TOUR Champions players Tim O’Neal, Rod Pampling and defending PURE Insurance Championship winner Steve Flesch.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (July 10, 2023) – First Tee and PGA TOUR Champions announced today the 80 First Tee participants selected to play in the 2023 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the event will bring teens from First Tee chapters to Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course for the PGA TOUR Champions tournament, Sept. 19-24. The annual event, hosted by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, is televised internationally on Golf Channel.

This unique event pairs each First Tee participant with a PGA TOUR Champions player and amateurs from the business world. Ranging in ages from 14 to 18, the First Tee players compete for the pro-junior team title. The teens represent 44 First Tee chapters from across the country and for the third year in a row, a participant from First Tee — Morocco will be in the field. Participants were selected by a national panel of judges based on their personal growth and development through First Tee’s programs, as well as their playing ability. On average, participants have been involved with First Tee for more than seven years, have a 3.95 GPA and have recorded a 1.5 handicap.

“I’m so proud to continue our involvement with this incredible event,” said Martin Leitch, CEO of PURE Insurance. “Being selected to play in this tournament speaks volumes about the character of each of these 80 participants and I’m so excited to see this unforgettable experience play out for them.”

The full junior field was revealed live on Golf Channel’s “Golf Today,” featuring surprises that the network recorded at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach. Additionally, several players helped surprise select participants leading up to the full field announcement, including PGA TOUR player Joel Dahmen, and PGA TOUR Champions players Tim O’Neal, Rod Pampling and the tournament’s defending champion, Steve Flesch.

Each year two juniors receive exemptions into the PURE Insurance Championship based on their play at the First Tee National Championship, which took place at Stanford Golf Course in July. This year, Alaythia Hinds of First Tee – Greater Sacramento, who

finished second among the girls, and Sean Kwok of First Tee – Tri Valley, who finished in a fourth-place tie, earned those spots.

“Earning the opportunity to play at the PURE Insurance Championship is a goal for many First Tee participants,” said Greg McLaughlin, First Tee CEO. “Congratulations to the 80 teens who will represent First Tee at this year’s event. This marks the 20th anniversary of the tournament, and we are grateful to our partners at PURE Insurance, PGA TOUR Champions, Pebble Beach Resorts, Monterey Peninsula Foundation and Golf Channel for their ongoing commitment to First Tee. Our alumni who have played at the PURE Insurance Championship have told us it is a life-changing opportunity, and we are so excited for the 80 First Tee teens who will get to experience it in September.”

This year’s field of PGA TOUR Champions players will feature legends including Ernie Els, Mark O’Meara, Vijay Singh, Steve Stricker, Fred Couples, Davis Love III and Jim Furyk, as well as three-time PURE Insurance Championship winner Kirk Triplett and Steve Flesch, who will defend his title. Clint Eastwood serves as chairman of the PURE Insurance Championship.

Play will be conducted on Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course on Friday and Saturday. The final round will be contested solely at Pebble Beach Golf Links on Sunday, where 24 First Tee juniors will compete based on their 36-hole performance. The tournament will crown one male and one female First Tee Junior Champion on Sunday.

More than 1,000 teens from First Tee have played in the PURE Insurance Championship, experiencing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet, play and be mentored by PGA TOUR Champions players and amateurs.

First Tee is a youth development organization that teaches life skills and helps kids and teens build their strength of character through golf. The PURE Insurance Championship is one of several national opportunities provided by First Tee Headquarters to encourage and motivate participants as they progress through the program and toward higher education opportunities.

The junior field for 2023 PURE Insurance Championship can be viewed here.

For more information on the tournament, visit PUREInsuranceChampionship.com.

Megan Meng, First Tee — Greater Trenton, and Cooper Groshart, First Tee — Central Coast, win 2023 First Tee National Championship

PALO ALTO, CA. (July 6, 2023) – Megan Meng of Pennington, New Jersey, and Cooper Groshart of San Luis Obispo, California, won the girls’ and boys’ divisions of the third annual First Tee National Championship at Stanford Golf Course. The event, July 2 to 6, brought together First Tee’s elite golfers for an opportunity to showcase how the program has helped build the strength of character needed to play at the next level.

Meng is a 16-year-old rising senior at Hopewell Valley Central High School who’s been involved with First Tee for more than 10 years. She finished the 54-hole tournament 5-under-par to win by five strokes. In the final round, Meng shot a tournament low 66 – including a front nine 30 – to secure her victory.

In 2022, Meng won another marquee First Tee event, the PURE Insurance Championship pro-junior title, a PGA TOUR Champions event held at Pebble Beach, shooting a 64 on Sunday. Meng – who currently stands at 27th in the AJGA Girls Rankings – is committed to play golf at Northwestern University. Off the course, she’s an avid reader with a 4.0 GPA.

Meng said the life skills she’s learned through First tee helped her this week. “Practice makes better, and practice definitely gets you where you want to go, so it’s all about how much time you’re willing to put in practicing on the course, but also make sure to have fun with it. Golf is a game for fun and spending time with your friends,” she said.

Groshart, 18, finished in the Top 10 at the 2021 and 2022 First Tee National Championships before winning in this, his third and final attempt. He finished the tournament 4-over-par after shooting a final round 71.

Groshart recently graduated from San Luis Obispo High School with a 3.92 GPA and will play golf this fall at California State University, East Bay. Like Meng, Groshart played at the 2022 PURE Insurance Championship, where he hit a hole-in-one on the iconic seventh hole during a practice round.

In 2022, Groshart completed nearly 100 community service hours, and as a junior First Tee coach, Groshart said he learned a lot about perseverance – a quality that certainly came in handy on Stanford’s challenging course.

“This week I’ve just made a ton of friends and seen old friends I don’t get to see that often,” Groshart said. Sportsmanship is one of the First Tee life skill he called on this week, he said. “This tournament feels like everyone is friends. Everyone is out here for a good time. We want to play some good golf too, but it’s a bunch of friends hanging out on the golf course.”

Both winners were awarded with the Tattersall Cup in honor of event Chairman Fred Tattersall.

Two players from the First Tee National Championship field were also awarded a one-time exemption into the PGA TOUR Champions’ PURE Insurance Championship Impacting the First Tee, held at Pebble Beach Golf Links September 16-24, 2023. With this year’s National Championship winners having already played in the tournament, the exemptions passed on to Alaythia Hinds of First Tee – Greater Sacramento, who finished second among the girls, and Sean Kwok of First Tee – Tri Valley, who finished in a tie for fourth among the boys.

For the first time, the four lowest scoring eligible players (two boys and two girls) from the National Championship field will also earn admission into the PGA TOUR’s new Pathways to Progression program, which aims to support talented golfers from backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in the sport. The PGA TOUR will announce the full roster for its Pathways program, including the four players who earned their spots at the First Tee National Championship, in the coming days.

“Congratulations to everyone who competed in the third annual First Tee National Championship this week, “said Greg McLaughlin, First Tee CEO. “Especially to Megan and Cooper. They represented First Tee with confidence and poise, and we look forward to seeing all that they continue to accomplish on and off the golf course. Thank you to Fred Tattersall for his ongoing support of this tournament and Stanford University for a memorable week.”

First Tee National Championship is held annually at various college golf courses around the nation providing First Tee participants the opportunity to network with others from across the country and take in the college experience. Stanford University hosted the third annual Championship, following the previous two years at University of Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course and Clemson University’s The Walker Course, respectively.

The field included 24 boys and 24 girls, ages 14-18, who were selected based on their golf skills and competitive golf experience including 15 competitors who are currently committed to play collegiate golf. Players came from 29 First Tee chapters across the country. A full list of results is available here.

The National Championship is one of more than 10 national opportunities provided by First Tee headquarters to empower and motivate teens as they progress through the program and toward higher education opportunities. For more information on the tournament and First Tee, visit www.firsttee.org.

Media Contact:

Megan Hart, First Tee
[email protected]
941-400-8793