Three First Tee teens ace holes 5, 7 and 17 at the iconic course
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 25, 2022) – Seventy-eight First Tee teens from across the country had the opportunity to learn from the game’s legends and explore possibilities in golf and beyond during the PURE Insurance Championship impacting First Tee, an official PGA TOUR Champions event, which concluded today at Pebble Beach.
Bryson Hughes representing First Tee – North Florida and paired with Alex Cejka, and Megan Meng representing First Tee – Greater Trenton and paired with Charlie Wi, claimed the male and female Pro-Junior titles today, respectively. Hughes and Cejka finished 18-under and won in a scorecard playoff, while Meng and Wi capped off the event 22-under.
The PURE Insurance Championship, in its 19th year, brings 78 teens from First Tee chapters nationwide to Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course. Throughout the week the teens apply character strengths to play at an elite level at an iconic golf course where they are paired with and mentored by a PGA TOUR Champions player and amateurs from the business world. The annual event, hosted by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, was televised internationally on Golf Channel.
Three teens in the field made holes-in-one at Pebble Beach during their tournament practice rounds – Cooper Groshart from San Louis Obispo, Calif. on #7 (video), Theresa Shaw from Auburn, Calif. on #17 (video) and Sophia Bardunias from San Ramon, Calif. on #5 (video).
“We are proud of all the teens who played with confidence and composure this week at the PURE Insurance Championship,” said Greg McLaughlin, First Tee CEO. “These young people exemplify the character and values we instill through the First Tee programs every day. A special congratulations to Bryson and Megan for winning the Pro-Junior titles. Thank you to our partners – PURE Insurance, PGA TOUR Champions, Chevron, Monterey Peninsula Foundation and Golf Channel – for making this a special week for 78 First Tee participants.”
Hughes is a 15-year-old sophomore at Creekside High School in St. Johns Country, Fla. where he holds a 3.8 GPA. He has been involved with First Tee – North Florida for nine years and playing in this tournament has been a goal since he first watched it on TV as a six-year-old. Hughes holds a +2.3 handicap and is the No. 1 player on the golf team at Creekside High School.
“Thanks to PURE Insurance and First Tee for an amazing experience,” said Hughes. “Pebble Beach is golf heaven and it feels great to get a win at such a cool course. I’ve tried to make the most of this week by focusing on what I could learn from Alex and all the pros in the field. My biggest takeaway is how well they handle themselves during high-pressure situations.”
Meng is a 16-year-old junior at Hopewell Valley Central High School in Pennington, NJ where she holds a 4.5 GPA. She’s been involved with First Tee – Greater Trenton for nine years and has progressed from participant to volunteer junior coach mentoring the younger participants in the program. Meng holds a +2.3 handicap and aspires to play collegiate golf. She was named 2022 NJ.com Golfer of the Year.
“I’ve worked really hard to get to this moment,” said Meng. “But the biggest thing I’ve learned this week is that golf is meant to be fun. I’ve had a really great time and I’ve made memories I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. I’d like to thank my pro Charlie, PURE Insurance and First Tee for this opportunity.
During the week, First Tee partners PURE Insurance and Chevron both hosted events to celebrate their commitment to First Tee’s mission and raise additional funds to support the First Tee College Scholarship Program. Leaders from PURE Insurance extended a surprise invitation to the scholarship program to 17-year-old Isabelle Junio, a high school senior from First Tee – Phoenix. The program pairs Scholars with a mentor and provides professional development workshops and financial assistance throughout the college experience.
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.
To access photos from the event, visit here. For more information on the tournament, visit PUREInsuranceChampionship.com. To learn more about First Tee and see the full field list, visit TheFirstTee.org.
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About PGA TOUR First Tee Foundation (“First Tee”)
First Tee (www.firsttee.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization that is supported by the PGA TOUR. Its mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character and instill life-enhancing values through the game of golf. In 2022, First Tee celebrates its 25th anniversary and reaching millions of youth through its network of 150 chapters, 10,000 schools and 1,700 youth centers. Headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA, programs are delivered in all 50 United States and select international locations. President George W. Bush serves as Honorary Chair.
About Monterey Peninsula Foundation
Monterey Peninsula Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization which donates funds from the proceeds of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA TOUR and the PURE Insurance Championship Impacting the First Tee, a PGA TOUR Champions tournament. The Foundation focuses on improving the quality of life in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties.
www.pureinsurancechampionship.com
About PURE Insurance
Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange (PURE) Insurance is a property and casualty insurance company designed exclusively for successful, responsible families. We opened for business more than 15 years ago with the goal of offering something different in the insurance space: a company focused on doing what’s right for our membership (policyholders), one that promotes transparency and alignment of interests, and delivers greater value.
Today, after growing at least 15% in each year since we began, we are the most awarded insurer in our category, offer coverage in all 50 states that includes high value homeowners, automobile, collections, watercraft, personal excess liability, fraud & cyber and flood to a membership of more than 100,000 individuals and families.
Pureinsurance.com | 888.813.7873
About PGA TOUR Champions
PGA TOUR Champions is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older, including 34 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Tour’s mission is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back and generate significant charitable and economic impact in tournament communities. Follow PGA TOUR Champions online at PGATOUR.com, at facebook.com/PGATOURChampions, on Twitter @ChampionsTour and on Instagram @pgatourchampions.
All events are televised in the United States, with most receiving complete coverage on Golf Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA TOUR Champions. Tournament programming is available via 25+ TV linear partners in 145+ countries and territories, with 25 channels carrying long-form and/or highlights coverage, and 200+ hours of live coverage distributed in 135+ countries and territories. Programming is also available via the OTT platform GOLFTV powered by PGA TOUR in every market outside of the United States, excluding China and Korea, with live coverage distributed in 130+ countries and territories.