Eighty-One Juniors From The First Tee Selected To Compete In PURE Insurance Championship On PGA TOUR Champions

Pebble Beach

Golfers Ages 14 To 18 Representing 26 U.S. States To Play Alongside Game’s Legends At Pebble Beach. (Photo/Pebble Beach)

ST. AUGUSTINE, Florida – PGA TOUR Champions and The First Tee announced today the 81 junior golfers selected to play in the 2017 PURE Insurance Championship. The annual event, hosted by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, will be held September 19-24 at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, Calif., and will be televised internationally on Golf Channel.

During Sunday’s final round of the 2016 tournament, the PGA TOUR and Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange (PURE) announced an agreement making the policyholder-owned property & casualty insurer for high net worth families the title sponsor of the longstanding event, which dates back to 2004.

“We have been anticipating this day since PURE was announced as title sponsor of this prestigious event,” said Ross Buchmueller, President & CEO of the PURE Group of Insurance Companies. “This tournament has the ability to impact the lives of youth throughout The First Tee, and we are proud to serve an integral part in the PGA TOUR’s mission of creating a strong community footprint while also helping to grow this great game.”

The 81 participants, ages 14 to 18, were selected by a national panel of judges based on playing ability and comprehension of the life skills and core values learned through their involvement with The First Tee. The juniors will be teamed with 81 PGA TOUR Champions players and 162 amateurs as they compete for the pro-junior title.

As of June 28, players currently committed to compete in the PURE Insurance Championship include World Golf Hall of Fame members Tom Watson and Colin Montgomerie, as well as three-time tournament winner Jeff Sluman and defending champion Paul Broadhurst. Players have until Friday, September 8 to commit, with additional commitments to be announced in the coming months.

The junior field was announced this morning on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive. The show included PGA TOUR player Luke Donald, recent NCAA star Wyndham Clark, and Golf Channel hosts Matt Ginella and Lauren Thompson, with seven junior golfers receiving surprises informing them of their selection.

“We are proud of this year’s juniors selected for the PURE Insurance Championship” said Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of The First Tee. “Being selected demonstrates their understanding and application of life skills, and ability to play elite golf. We appreciate our partners—PURE Insurance, PGA TOUR Champions, Pebble Beach Resorts, Poppy Hills Golf Course, Monterey Peninsula Foundation and Golf Channel—and their commitment to the event which is a life-changing experience for the juniors.”

In this 14th tournament year, more than 790 participants from The First Tee chapters have benefited from the opportunity to play in the tournament by meeting and learning from PGA TOUR Champions players and amateurs in the field, utilizing the leadership and life skills they have acquired at their chapters.

The First Tee is a nonprofit youth development organization with golf programs centered on building character through Nine Core Values™: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment. The PURE Insurance Championship is one of 11 national opportunities provided by The First Tee home office to encourage and motivate young people as they progress through the program and toward high school graduation.

Clint Eastwood is chairman of the event. Play will be conducted on Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course on Friday and Saturday, with the final round contested solely at Pebble Beach on Sunday.

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

To learn more about The First Tee, please visit TheFirstTee.org.

The First Tee participants selected to play in the 2017 PURE Insurance Championship:

Participant First Name:

Participant Last Name:

Chapter:

City:

State:

Evan

Griffith

The First Tee of Fort Smith

Greenwood

AR

Brinkley

Beever

The First Tee of Northwest Arkansas

Siloam Springs

AR

Kaitlynn

Criswell

The First Tee of Phoenix

Mesa

AZ

Dalton

Marsh

The First Tee of Phoenix

Chandler

AZ

Edward

Anaya

The First Tee of Contra Costa

Moraga

CA

Jackielou

Caniete

The First Tee of Contra Costa

Antioch

CA

Genevieve "Skye"

Mingming

The First Tee of Contra Costa

Walnut Creek

CA

Caitlin

Figura

The First Tee of Fresno

Fresno

CA

Claire

Oetinger

The First Tee of Fresno

Oakhurst

CA

Lauren

Parayno

The First Tee of Fresno

Fresno

CA

Adrian

Chiu

The First Tee of Greater Pasadena

San Marino

CA

Katelyn

Harris

The First Tee of Greater Sacramento

Antelope

CA

Sienna

Lyford

The First Tee of Greater Sacramento

Roseville

CA

Ryan

Parry

The First Tee of Greater Sacramento

Carmichael

CA

Hailey

Rietz

The First Tee of Greater Sacramento

Rancho Cordova

CA

Emma

Sand

The First Tee of Greater Sacramento

El Dorado Hills

CA

Jose

Calderon

The First Tee of Monterey County

Salinas

CA

Anitra

Khoth

The First Tee of San Joaquin

Stockton

CA

Dana

Condon

The First Tee of the Coachella Valley

Palm Desert

CA

Madison

Rincon

The First Tee of the Coachella Valley

Palm Desert

CA

Kevin

Thai

The First Tee of the East Bay

Oakland

CA

Annika

Borrelli

The First Tee of the Tri-Valley

Alamo

CA

Catherine

Phillips

The First Tee of the Tri-Valley

Danville

CA

Michael

Shaw

The First Tee of the Tri-Valley

Pleasanton

CA

Cole

Drew

The First Tee of Denver

Centenial

CO

Mateo

Manzanares

The First Tee of Denver

Denver

CO

Andrew

Maslar

The First Tee of Connecticut

Monroe

CT

Matthew

Ariza

The First Tee of Naples/Collier

Naples

FL

Sam

Nunner

The First Tee of Naples/Collier

Naples

FL

Tyler

Aulger

The First Tee of Northwest Florida

Pensacola 

FL

Nicholas

Dimitroff

The First Tee of Northwest Florida

Pensacola

FL

Meredith

Kiernan

The First Tee of St. Petersburg

St.Petersburg

FL

Carter

Harwell

The First Tee of Augusta

Evans

GA

Kambron

Taylor

The First Tee of Augusta

Augusta

GA

Abdel

Raoul

The First Tee of Greater Chicago

Chicago

IL

Jake

Huffaker

The First Tee of Salina

Salina

KS

Hallie

Boles

The First Tee of Pine Mountain

Barbourville

KY

Braxton

Caldwell

The First Tee of Pine Mountain

Pineville

KY

Jared

Winiarz

The First Tee of Massachusetts

Norton

MA

Charles

Blount

The First Tee of Greater Baltimore

Baltimore

MD

Lauren

Artis

The First Tee of Greater Washington, D.C.

Upper Marlboro

MD

Mason

Dirlam

The First Tee of Benton Harbor

St. Joseph

MI

Logan

Essig

The First Tee of Benton Harbor

Stevensville

MI

Cailey

Rooker

The First Tee of Benton Harbor

Saint Joseph

MI

Spencer

Faircloth

The First Tee of Brunswick County

Shallotte

NC

Jayla

Rogers

The First Tee of Brunswick County

Wilmington

NC

Gavin

Gwaltney

The First Tee of Greater Charlotte

Charlotte

NC

Mara

Hirtle

The First Tee of the Sandhills

Pinehurst

NC

Blake

Brantley

The First Tee of the Triad

Winston-Salem

NC

Josh

Lendach

The First Tee of the Triangle

Raleigh

NC

Trey

Diehl

The First Tee of San Juan County, NM

Farmington

NM

Tyler

Diehl

The First Tee of San Juan County, NM

Farmington

NM

Tyler

Kim

The First Tee of Metropolitan New York

New York

NY

Jake

Roach

The First Tee of Western New York

East Aurora

NY

Trace

Thomas

The First Tee of Greater Miami Valley

Hamilton

OH

Colby

Chrismon

The First Tee of Metropolitan Oklahoma City

Yukon

OK

Hayden

Meiser

The First Tee of Metropolitan Oklahoma City

Norman

OK

Matthew

Popielec

The First Tee of Metropolitan Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City

OK

Mikaela

Rindermann

The First Tee of Metropolitan Oklahoma City

Norman

OK

Alyssa

Wilson

The First Tee of Metropolitan Oklahoma City

Yukon

OK

Justin

Potwora

The First Tee of Greater Portland

Eugene

OR

Shelby

Shumaker

The First Tee of Pittsburgh

Verona

PA

Andrew

Greene

The First Tee of Aiken

Aiken

SC

Charlton

Hill

The First Tee of Aiken

Aiken

SC

Lincoln

Haymaker

The First Tee of Middle Tennessee

Nashville

TN

Kyle

Engelbert

The First Tee of Fort Worth

Fort Worth

TX

Brendan

O'Connell

The First Tee of Fort Worth

Benbrook

TX

Zachary

Slayton

The First Tee of Greater Austin

Austin

TX

Taylor

Lewallen

The First Tee of Greater Dallas

Waxahachie

TX

Matthew

Lewallen

The First Tee of Greater Dallas

Waxahachie

TX

Eunice

Bao

The First Tee of Greater Houston

Houston

TX

James

LaRue

The First Tee of Greater Tyler

Tyler

TX

Annaka

Watts

The First Tee of Greater Tyler

Tyler

TX

Connor

Howard

The First Tee of The Piney Woods

Hallsville

TX

Dalton

Northcutt

The First Tee of The Piney Woods

Longview

TX

Alisa

Caraballo

The First Tee of Roanoke Valley

Troutville

VA

John Hatcher

Ferguson

The First Tee of Roanoke Valley

Rocky Mount

VA

Grace

Huffman

The First Tee of Roanoke Valley

Fairfield

VA

Haley

Wong

The First Tee of Greater Seattle

Seattle

WA

Bradley

Wong

The First Tee of Greater Seattle

Seattle

WA

Drew

Halili

The First Tee of South Puget Sound

Port Orchard

WA