South Bend, Indiana and Fort Worth, Texas – (June 27, 2022)
Madison Le, Aspen Hopper, Braylon Mahanay, and Colin Price of First Tee – Fort Worth will compete this week in the First Tee
National Championship at the University of Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course, June 27 – July 1.
The 54-hole event brings 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 collegiate or next level. The field includes 24 boys and 24 girls, ages 14-18, who were selected based on their golf skills and competitive golf experience. Each of our selected teens have been long time participants
with successful high school golf careers. This will be Colin, Braylon, and Aspen’s first time competing in the First Tee National Championship while Madison will be returning for her second year of competition in the event.
“Congratulations to each of the participants in the field,” said Greg McLaughlin, First Tee CEO. “We look forward to hosting them at Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course, a tremendous venue that provides our participants the opportunity to explore what their future may look like as they consider college and potential plans to pursue competitive golf beyond high school. A special thanks to our long-time Trustee Fred Tattersall for his commitment to our mission and for providing meaningful national opportunities like the First Tee National Championship.”
The winners of each girls’ and boys’ divisions will be awarded with the Tattersall Cup and will earn an exemption, if eligible, into the PGA TOUR Champions’ PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee held at Pebble Beach Golf Links September 20-25, 2022. Our four participants will compete against top players from across the country. Four players in the field are ranked on the American Junior Golf Association and Junior Golf Scoreboard Top 250 (players listed below).
During the week, participants will have the opportunity to hear from PGA Head Golf Professional Steve Scott on what it means to be a game-changer and how his values intersected with his experience of finishing runner-up to Tiger Woods in the 1996 U.S. Amateur Championship.
First Tee National Championship is held annually at various college campuses around the nation, providing First Tee participants the opportunity to network with others from across the country and take in the college experience. The 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.
Top-ranked junior golfers in the field:
Hunter Swanson, First Tee — Green Valley Ranch:
o Finished tied for 2nd in the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior at Walnut Creek Golf Preserve, Westminster, CO., Jun 6-9, 2022
o Competed in the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur at The Country Club of North Carolina, July 19-24, 2021
o Ranked 90th on AJGA / 93rd on JGS
o Letter of intent: University of Colorado
Sophie Thai, First Tee — Silicon Valley:
o Won the AJGA Se Ri Pak Desert Junior in Rancho at Mission Hills Country Club, Mirage, Calif, June 14-17
o Ranked 196 on AJGA / 135 on JGS
o Letter of intent: Dartmouth College
Hannah Lydic, First Tee — Delaware:
o Ranked 210 on AJGA / 181 on JGS
o Verbal intent: University of Richmond
Symran Shah, First Tee — Greater Dallas:
o Inaugural Winner of 2021 First Tee National Championship Girls Division held at Clemson University
o Ranked 246 on AJGA / 178 on JGS
o Letter of intent: Virginia Tech
In addition, Matthew French from First Tee — North Florida recently qualified for the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur at Brandon Dunes Golf Resort, Brandon, Ore. July 25-30.