Day 1 & 2 with Paul Broadhurst

Friday morning I woke up feeling confident. I really liked the layout of Pebble Beach Golf Links and felt very comfortable on the golf course. As my 1:19pm tee time slowly crept up, the dream started to become a reality. As I stood over the ball on the 10th Tee, our first hole of the day, I was so nervous I could feel myself shaking and I thought I was never going to be able to hit the ball. Luckily, my tee shot ended up in the fairway and I made a par on my first hole! WHEW. Holes 11 – 13 were a struggle but I bounced back with birdies on Hole 14 and 15 and then later on Holes 3 and 4. Mr. Broadhurst and I’s combined score for the day was a 7 under par, 65. Post round, my mom and I went straight to our evening event – the Jake Owen concert. My mom loves country music so I wanted to have her come as my chaperone tonight. As the concert began, we all gathered around the stage cheering and enjoying all the songs. Everyone was having such a great time that Jake Owen ended up playing an extra hour than planned! At the end of the night, Drew and I were able to grab a really cool souvenir – a guitar pick from Jake Owen! So far, Friday has definitely been my favorite day of the week! It was a quick turnaround to our second round on Saturday morning at Poppy Hills Golf Club. While the golf course is wonderful, it just didn’t set up to my eye as well as Pebble Beach Golf Links. I fought myself but hit some good shots. Sadly, my putter let me down and I didn’t contribute to our team score much today. Our running joke was that we weren’t sure if Mr. Broadhurst would be able to play on Sunday because his back had to hurt from carrying me all day! Thanks to his stellar play, at the end of the day we finished 11 under par and in contention to make the Pro/Junior cut to play Pebble Beach Golf Links again on Sunday! Our Saturday evening was capped off by getting to have dinner with my cousin, Haley, and watching the sunset on Seventeen Mile Drive! What a great ending to our first two days of golf!

Round One with Michael Bradley

The day had arrived! We were up early to get ready for Round One of the Pure Insurance Championship. I have waited for this moment a very long time. While my dad has been my official chaperone all week, today he handed duties to my mom and she was able to enjoy player dining breakfast with me. Post breakfast, we took a shuttle over to Poppy Hills to warm up for our early tee time off the 10th Tee. I was extremely nervous. I feeling you truly can’t prepare for. Once I settled into the day, I was able to make a few pars and birdies. A good feeling of achievement after the emotional start to the day! Michael Bradley was extremely kind to me the whole round, he kept the conversation going and he really helped me feel more comfortable playing in this atmosphere. In addition, our amateurs were a lot of fun to play with and really lightened the whole mood of our group. Post round, I had the chance to ride back to Pebble Beach with Mr. Bradley. We had lunch together and headed to the practice area. He helped me for a bit at the practice facility, truly a kind gesture and special experience! Later, my dad came over to the practice facility as we prepared for what was going to be a very windy second day over at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Friday night our special event was a Jake Owen concert behind the 18th Green of Pebble Beach GL. That was a TON of fun! The food was awesome and it was really fun to hang out with all the friends I had made this week. Towards the end of the night, I ended up getting a guitar pick that Jake had used in the concert. What a cool souvenir!

A Practice Round at Poppy Hills

Thursday was our second, and final, practice round before official competition kicked off! While the golf has truly been secondary to the experiences I have gained this week, it’s been quite fun preparing. I did my best to approach today with the same mindset as the day before – to truly enjoy every moment of our walk. Poppy Hills GC is an incredibly nice course. It reminded me a lot of Pinehurst No. 2 and 8. The layout, green shapes and various shots you must hit. A really cool course to have the opportunity to play. After our practice round, I saw Bernard Langer in player dining and introduced myself. What a legend! I was asked to sit down for a pre-recorded interview that may be used during the Golf Channel coverage. I had practiced for this possible moment and it was really cool to have it happen. During the interview they touched on many of the questions we were asked as part of our application process, so that helped me feel comfortable and confident in the conversation. I can’t wait to see if it ends up on TV this week! Our Thursday evening ended with a special dinner at Spanish Bag and watching the Bag Piper’s perform as the sun set over they bay! It was a great day to unwind before things restart tomorrow. Paul Broadhurst and I tee off Hole 10 in the afternoon on Pebble Beach Golf Links. I can’t wait! Thanks for following along!

A look at Drew’s Practice Days

Wednesday was here! It was our first day of practice rounds at the Pure Insurance Championship. Jet lag had hit hard and I was up even earlier for the day to get started. Today’s round would be on Pebble Beach Golf Links and we were lucky enough to get a practice round with 2016 Champion, Paul Broadhurst. A really unique tie to the tournament is that all players – Professionals, Amateurs and Juniors – all eat meals together. So, we have the chance to meet and mingle with folks of all backgrounds from around the country. Today at breakfast, we had the chance to sit down and eat with Paul before heading out for pre-practice round warm ups. The minute I stepped on the practice facility and rolled my first few putts, I was blown away at the condition of the course. When we arrived at the first tee, I was admittedly nervous. I pushed my tee ball into the rough but managed to make a par. The front 9 was a total blur. I was still in shock I was playing at Pebble Beach Golf Links and had a million thoughts running through my head. As we made the turn, I was able to clear my head and settle in to playing golf. A funny moment, on the 18th Hole, my tee shot hit the trunk of the famous tree in the middle of the fairway! After dinner, we prepped for tonight’s main event – the Legends and Leaders Core Value Banquet. The dinner was amazing. I had the opportunity to meet more participants from the First Tee and build new relationships. A huge surprise for me – we received a $1,000 college scholarship! What a great event to participate in and hear from speakers across the country with impactful stories to tell. Thursday brought a new day and our last day of practice before the official tournament kicks off! We headed over to play Poppy Hills GC – today with two fellow First Tee participants. Poppy Hills is another amazing course with completely different shots from Pebble Beach the day before. If was fun to make a few birdies early in our practice round. As the day went on, the winds began to pick up, creating a new set of challenges as we navigated the course. After our round, we headed back over to Pebble Beach Golf Links to cheer on the First Tee participants playing in the Chevron Shoot Out. The wind was really ripping at Pebble Beach so it was a lot of fun to watch them play Hole 17! Post shoot out we went and spent some time with our host family before going to dinner at a really great local Italian restaurant called Cafe Fina. Between all the golf, walking, wind and events I was tired and made it an early bed time as Michael Bradley and I would be teeing off early on Poppy Hills tomorrow morning. Can’t wait to play with Mr. Bradley and see how our rounds unfold!  

We are HERE! Someone pinch me.

Good Morning from Pebble Beach, California! BJ Boyce & Drew Spurlock, here. After awaking at 3:30AM EST, we arrived to West Coast time together via a direct flight from Atlanta, GA to San Jose, CA. Landing in San Jose at 10:30AM Pacific Time, which we choose to refer to as In-N-Out Burger time! Stomachs full, we made the drive south, separately, in our rental cars with parents in tow! The views of the coast were amazing. Excitement continued to grow as we went through the gates entering Pebble Beach. Once on property, we went straight to Player Registration, signed up for our practice round tee times, and were distributed our gear for the week including golf shirts, a pullover, a book bag and Taylormade Golf Bag with our name on it! Our golf bags were lined up on the practice putting green at Pebble Beach for us to find and pick up. It was a really cool moment to see my bag waiting there. And, it only took a few minutes to put all my equipment into the new bag! After taking in the ‘awe’ of the 18th Hole of Pebble Beach, we headed over to Poppy Hills Golf Club for a brief practice. Then, Drew, had the opportunity to meet his host family. They are truly so kind to let us into their home for the week and they were as excited to greet us as we were to meet them! Last night was our first official event. We had a First Tee Participant Meeting followed by the Pairings Party where we would learn WHO our PGA TOUR Champions Golf Professional for the week would be. For this year’s reveal, we were handed a sealed envelope to hold onto. HOW HARD IS IT TO NOT PEAK! Then, they introduced ALL 78 of us one by one. And in one swift moment we all opened our envelopes. From there, our Golf Pros began coming over to introduce themselves and kick off a fun week! BJ Boyce’s envelope revealed Paul Broadhurst and Drew Spurlock’s was Michael Bradley! Two really awesome pairings! Both of us were able to meet and talk with our pros. Later, we enjoyed a Glow Golf putting course, Corn Hole and Connect Four while getting to interact and meet our fellow First Tee participants from all over the country. What a truly GREAT first day at the Pure Insurance Championship! Wednesday we have our first practice round, on Pebble Beach Golf Links, at 9:40am. We can’t wait to get Day 2 started! Talk to you after!    

The week has finally arrived!

The once-in-a-lifetime experience for BJ Boyce and Drew Spurlock to participate in the 2019 Pure Insurance Championship in Pebble Beach, California. Twelve weeks ago they joined hands watching the selection show LIVE on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive, prepared mentally for how to handle the news, regardless of its outcome, and elated to know they would get to share in their experience on this trip to the west coast. They have joined 76 teens from across the country for a week full of first. From playing two rounds of golf at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course – one on each course with a PGA TOUR Champions Professional. To attending functions allowing them to network and be mentored by top leaders across the globe from various industries and life experiences. All while applying what they’ve learned on and off the course at The First Tee!         Leading up to this week’s event, we spoke with BJ and Drew on how they were feeling to make the trip. BJ reflected on his past to describe his emotions. He said, ‘I initially wanted to start attending First Tee, at eight years old, because there were no junior programs nearby and I wanted to play golf with other kids. Looking back, it has helped me come out of my shell. The coaches pushed us to make new friends at class every week. That push has helped me become the person I am today and kept me coming back for the friendships I’ve made and the ones I will continue to make. While I’m in California I hope to overcome my golf nerves, take in every moment and simply have a great experience.’ Later in our conversation, as we discussed what would help overcome nerves, BJ reflected on how he has continued to apply the First Tee’s ALR exercise, Ask – Listen – Respond; saying it has helped him with meeting and interacting around new people, foster conversations and help ease his mind. He plans to practice this exercise throughout his trip and keep his internal nerves at bay! A senior at Union Pines High School, Drew felt ready to try and conquer the experiences to come this week at the Pure Insurance Championship. He reflected on how he had hoped the experience had come a year sooner, but his weak time management skills resulted in not completing the application process, in time. How growing from lessons learned, realizing the results of his weaknesses and changing his mind set by focusing on accomplishing timely task of importance and applying personal deadlines as allowed him to be more successful over the last year. Like BJ, Drew was quick to reference how First Tee has helped him become a more open individual, learning to apply meet and greet strategies while stepping out of his bubble around new people. Drew wrapped up his thoughts by expressing he’s learned to live in the moment, enjoy every moment and wants to take in all that life provides. A philosophy he made sure to pack for his trip to Pebble Beach! We can’t wait to hear about BJ and Drew’s first time experiences, successes and takeaways! First up in their week will be the Tuesday night’s Pairings Party, an exciting unveiling each year for the junior participants. This year’s field of professionals includes World Golf Hall of Fame Members Bernhard Langer, Davis Love III, Mark O’Meara, Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen, defending champions Paul Broadhurst, Ken Tanigawa, and many more stellar players, but better people! We can’t wait to find out who BJ and Drew will play with this weekend and catch up on their day to day experiences. Make sure to check back in our daily blog. It promises to be one for the books.  

Two Teens Headed to Pebble Beach!

Have you ever watched the NCAA Selection Show anxiously waiting to see if you favorite team will be announced? Or better yet, the team you coach or your kiddo plays for? Last Wednesday was our version of the selection show as we watched Golf Channel’s Morning Drive. And, what a morning it was for two kiddos from The First Tee of the Sandhills. After two plus hours of anxiousness, nerves, waiting, walking, more nervous energy, shaky giggles, more waiting, and then… pure joy!     BJ Boyce and Drew Spurlock, saw their names appear on LIVE television. An announcement they will never forget. They had been chosen to participate in this year’s PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee! Moments after the announcement came through, BJ and Drew were beaming from ear to ear. They felt proud, and ecstatic, to see all the hard work pay off in the end with the chance to attend the 2019 Pure Insurance Championship. It’s truly a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet, play and be mentored by PGA TOUR Champions players and amateurs in the field. Branden, BJ, Boyce is a rising 10th Grader who is in a homeschooler program. He lives in Spring Lake and joined The First Tee in 2011. Drew Spurlock is a rising Senior at Union Pines High school. He lives in Whispering Pines and joined our local chapter in 2014 after a family military move from Tampa where he was a participant with The First Tee Tampa.           These young men, will join 76 teens from across the country to play with PGA TOUR Champions Professionals and two amateurs as they compete for the Pro-Junior team title during the Pure Insurance Championship contested at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf course in Pebble Beach, California, September 24 – 29. Congratulations, BJ and Drew. We look forward to helping you prepare for your trip to California in September! PS: Make sure to follow along as we release more details in the coming months!

‘Amazing Week’: Kenzel Competes At PURE Insurance Championship

The final words from Jaclyn Kenzel’s week at The PURE Insurance Championship in Pebble Beach, California were, “I can’t emphasize enough how much this trip has meant to me! It has been the most amazing week of my life and I will never forget it! I’m beyond thrilled to have had this opportunity! I have not only gained friends but created memories that will last a lifetime!” So, now that you know the conclusion, how did she get there? Let’s take a look at the highlight reel! The entire week included a long list of firsts – from flying across the country, staying in private housing, eating an omelet, playing golf in fog, paddle boarding, seeing new wilderness, and attending a concert! On Day 1 all the participants gathered at Poppy Hills GC for the PURE Welcome Party and Pairings release. Each junior went onto the putting green to find an oversized flag adorning their name and chapter they are representing. Underneath the flag was a brand new golf bag with their name on it and inside the bag they found the name of their pro. For Jaclyn, it was Brian Henninger. Mr. Henninger immediately came up to Jaclyn for introduction and a chat. She was beaming from ear to ear about the week getting started! Day 2 brought Jaclyn’s first practice round – at Poppy Hills GC with fellow junior participant, Vivian Guite from The First Tee of Naples. The highlight of their day on course included sharing the fairways with deer and ‘bumping’ into Bernard Langer. Wednesday evening participants attended a very special event called ‘Legends and Leaders’ where nine special guest spoke on the Nine Core Values, each highlighting a unique Core Value that carries special interest in their lives. While every guest had an amazing and inspiring story to tell – the two that resonated with Jaclyn the most were from Jeremy Poincenot and Victoria Arlen – speaking on Perseverance and Confidence. Oh, and she ‘bummed’ into Tom Watson at dinner! Thursday was Day 3, bringing many more special experiences for Kenzel. Not only did she get to play Pebble Beach Golf Links, she played with the 2016 tournament winner, Paul Broadhurst, who her Pinecrest High School golf teammate, Mara Hirtle, played with in 2017! When Kenzel reflected on the experience, she remembered how incredible the undulation changes were, both beautiful and challenging to play. She determined it’s completely impossible to become upset when you’re surrounded by the visual art Pebble Beach Golf Links provides. At the turn, she decided to apply good Judgment and began ‘clubbing up’ as her shots were coming up 10 yards shorter than they typically do in Pinehurst. This gave her some putts for birdie, resulting in made birdies on Holes 11 and 17! Also, while practicing on the 12th green, Paul Broadhurst pulled Jaclyn aside and gave her a few chipping pointers to work on when she gets home. Double score for the day! During the first and second rounds of the PURE Insurance Championship, Kenzel and Henninger would play Poppy Hills GC and Pebble Beach GL, each day with a different pair of amateur partners. Kenzel’s personal golf highlights including make a birdie on Hole 18 at BOTH courses! How cool! While #TeamHenninger didn’t make the Pro-Junior cut, it was truly an experience of a lifetime both on and off the course. And to cap off a week of excitement, as all the juniors were gathered around the 18th green of Pebble Beach GL watching the final groups come in, they witnessed Ken Tanigawa make a bomb of an eagle putt to win the tournament by one! What an ending to a dream week for Jaclyn Kenzel.

My last day at the PURE Insurance Championship

Today was my last day at the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach! While I hate having to say it’s the final day, it was definitely one to remember! We participated in a 7:30am Shotgun start event at Poppy Hills GC where we played a Ryder Cup style event. I was assigned Hole 16 to kick off the day and was paired with Calton Kong. We played against Grace Kehoe and Christopher Khan. The format was a scramble on Holes 10 – 18 and Best Ball on Holes 1 – 9. A few golf highlights from my morning included Birdies on Holes 11, 12, 13 and 18 with a final score of 67 (-4). We ended up just short of a trophy, finishing in 4th place. It was a really fun round though! My host family even came on the front nine and walked with us through Hole 9!  After lunch at Poppy Hills GC, we then headed towards Pebble Beach Golf Links to watch the final players come in! As soon as we got there and realized both Mr. Henninger and Mr. Broadhurst had finished, we rushed towards the players dining area to see if they were there. Sadly, I wasn’t able to catch Mr. Henninger but I did get to talk to Mr. Broadhurst about how his day went on the course. And what a cool end to the tournament. The winning Pro made a BOMB of an Eagle Putt on the 18th green to win by 1! Wow. Monday morning I have to be up at 2:00am because our flight leaves San Jose International Aiport at 6:55am. Whew!  I can’t emphasize enough how much this trip has meant to me! It has been the most amazing week of my life and I will never forget it! I’m really sad it has to end but am beyond thrilled to have had this opportunity! I have not only gained friends but created memories that will last a lifetime! Thank you for following along in my travels to California. It’s been fun to write about the trip and have a blog to look back on! Signing off with gratitude, Jaclyn Kenzel

My 1st & 2nd Round with Brian Henninger!

On Friday, Brian Henninger and I were scheduled to tee off in the afternoon wave at Poppy Hills GC, with no set morning activities, it was my first (and only) day I would get to sleep in! But not too late as I wanted to get to player breakfast before they closed! Being a week of first, I had my first omelet at player breakfast! YUM!  Later we headed to Poppy Hill GC to get ready for Round 1 – with a new tool in my pocket – a lucky ball marker from my host dad, Mr. Carl. It was a coin he had received during a golf tournament called The Clint, hosted at his home course, Tehama Golf Club. Playing in the afternoon wave, we had a little extra time so I was able to grab a pin sheet from the starter tent and take a few minutes to mark up my yardage book with where today’s pins would be. I also had the chance to watch a few of the morning groups play through Hole 18 green. Mr. Henninger and I were paired with two amateurs for Round 1, Greg Orr and Landry Gibbs of Texarkana, Texas. My first hole that I played was an absolute mess, I was just beyond nervous. I ended up hooking my tee shot all the way into the waste bunker area of the hole adjacent to us, where I had to wait for people in another group to tee off before I could go and hit my shot. Then from there, I hit too far behind my golf ball, luckily avoiding all trees, barely made it to the cart path. I took a drop and ended up shanking my shot so bad that it went straight right into the woods. I decided to pick up but was really sad. Mr. Henninger, however, made a birdie on our first hole (Hole 10) so that was really awesome!  On the 11th hole, our second hole, I hit a solid shot onto the green, assuring me the first hole was long gone! Then on the 12th hole, I hit an amazing drive, sealing the deal that I was on the right track. Hole 18 (our 9th Hole) was my highlight of the day! I hit a solid driver and had around a 200 yard carry over the hazard in front of the green (a par 5). My initial thought was to lay up on a safer line, about a 150 yard shot, but Mr. Henninger came over and talked me into going for the green. I hit my 4 wood and it carried just enough to get over the hazard and rolled onto the green about 15 ft from the pin!  I two putted for my first birdie of the tournament! On Hole 4 (our 13th Hole), I hit a long drive, giving me my favorite distance into the green – 88 yds. I hit my 52 degree to about 18 ft and drained my putt for birdie. I was so excited! My host dad for the week, Mr. Carl, was able to come out to watch our last four holes of the day. While I made a few bogeys coming in, it was really great to have his support and enthusiasm felt on the course.  After Round 1 of the PURE Insurance Championship, Brian Henninger and I were tied for 38th Place at 3 under par.  After golf, our Friday night event was the Core Values Dinner & Train Concert presented by EMoney. This event was on the lawn behind the 18th green at Pebble Beach Golf Links. It truly doesn’t get any better – dinner and a concert over looking Pebble Beach. I had never heard Train before and just loved the concert! And, an added bonus to the evening was that I had won a gift card to the Pebble Beach Golf Shop! They had a contest to guess the correct number of balls in a container and Mr. Henninger helped me come up with a number, which ended up being the closest! Tomorrow I have an 8:43am tee time on Pebble Beach Golf Links. I will be playing with Mr. Henninger and 2 new amateur participants. The weather is supposed to be beautiful and the sun is supposed to be out all day! I cannot wait to get my second crack at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Saturday morning was back to our early awake schedule! But it was well worth it because we were headed to the first tee of Pebble Beach Golf Links.  Some of my golf highlights from the day included almost holing out from green side bunkers on Hole 8 and 10, making a par on the famous Hole 7. Then when we reached Hole 18, I hit an incredible tee shot past the big tree in the fairway, able to go for the par 5 green in two, hit the green. Such a cool memory I will never forget! As we walked those 18 Holes, I just took in the immaculate beauty and landscape every hole provided. While I am incredibly competitive, I had to remind myself the uniqueness of being in California and the opportunity I was provided to walk the fairways of Pebble Beach Golf Links. After the round, I had the opportunity for another first this week! Coach Matt’s former co-worker now lives nearby Pebble Beach and set us up to go Paddle Boarding in the Monterey Bay. We got changed into wet suits and headed out. Being out on the water was even more beautiful then looking from a distance. I saw jellyfish, otters and sea lions. Initially I was nervous when we got close to the sea lions but as I got comfortable it was really neat to see them following me while paddle boarding and just swimming all around us out in the ocean. As we left dinner Saturday night, the 2nd round scores from the afternoon wave began to trickle in and it was clear that I would miss the junior cut to play Pebble Beach Golf Links, again on Sunday, by 2 strokes. Although I am disappointed, I do get to play Poppy Hills GC tomorrow with the other juniors in a Ryder Cup style match. On a positive note, I’m so happy Mr. Henninger made the cut! He bogeyed Hole 18 today and we thought he was going to miss the cut. What an amazing two days in California it has been!

A Note from Coach Matt

Today on Hole 7 at Poppy Hills Golf Course, Jaclyn’s 16th Hole of the day, she became faced with a key decision. Her execution reminded me WHY we do the work we do each week at our Life Skills Curriculum Programs.
I’ll set the scene.
Off the tee she hit a drive through the fairway, it kicks off the cart path and bounces back towards the fairway but about a foot from the cart path and in need of a drop.
She goes through the routine to find the nearest point of relief, places a tee in the ground, and makes her drop.
Her ball bounces and rolls down the hill.
Jaclyn looks around and I call tell she is in serious thought. I’m thinking to myself, ‘Did her ball move closer to the hole? Did it roll outside of the club length she was given to take her drop?’
She looks upset and I think I know why.
Jaclyn proceeds to go through her pre-shot routine and hits a shot that ends up on the front right of the green about 30 yards from the hole with a difficult pitch shot towards the pin.
After she walks away, I walk over to where she just hit her shot from and my thoughts were confirmed.
Her ball had come to rest in an old divot. She had free relief and she had just dropped her ball into a sand-filled divot.
Fast Forward 3 hours later. We are leaving the evening participant event and I brought up to Jaclyn I only wanted to talk to her about one shot, the one after her free drop on the 7th Hole from the fairway.
So, I asked her what happened when she took the drop from the cart path.
She looked puzzled towards me.
I told her it looked like she was distressed.
She said, “It came to rest in an old divot.”
I asked her if her ball had rolled forward on the drop and she stated, ‘it definitely did not.’
Hence, her drop was proper and the ball in play….
At this moment, Jaclyn had a decision to make.
No one saw what happened but her and I. No one in her group saw her even take the drop.
It would’ve been easy for her to pick up the ball and re-drop, claiming it moved forward, but she didn’t. She dealt with the misfortune, played by the rules, and showed huge amounts of integrity for the game.
THIS is why we do what we do.
THIS is why we teach the Nine Core Values.
THIS is why we teach the Par Level Curriculum lesson on Respecting the Rules.
THIS is why we do exercises in the Birdie Level Curriculum on Dealing with Challenges.
Jaclyn Kenzel may have impressed everyone with her golf skills this week, but THIS is what has impressed me.
This one decision said more about her as a human being than any shot she will hit over the next 2 days.
She is a competitor. She wants to win. She wants to be in the top 23 come Saturday night and get to walk the fairways of Pebble Beach Golf Links on Sunday.
But she is only willing to do it the right way, without taking shortcuts.

Pebble Beach Golf Links, Chevron Shoot-Out & STEM Zone

Thursday has been so special! Not only did I play Pebble Beach Golf Links for the first time, I played with Paul Broadhurst!  My day started at 5:45am to get prepped for our 8:30am tee time. During breakfast, I had the chance to sit and eat with Glenn Weckerlin, the Director of University Partnerships and Association Relations for Chevron. After driving range warm ups, my first golf highlight of the day came on the practice putting green where I drained 2 putts in a row from about 40 feet! When we arrived to the first tee, I met my practice round group, including, Jim Sims and Lee Finley. Standing on the first tee, I could feel myself become nervous and tense, though, I ended up hitting that first shot pretty well! Another special memory came on the 2nd Hole when I realized I had out driven Mr. Broadhurst (yes he is playing a longer course, but still cool!). Some of the hills and undulation changes throughout the course are just incredible. On Hole 4, I chipped in for par from the side of a cliff! On Hole 6, a par 5, there is a significantly steep hill that you must hit over on your second shot, I had to make sure I had enough room to even have a chance to get over the hill and hit my third into the green.  Our playing group let me hit a ‘mulligan’ on the famous par 3, Hole 7 – I took advantage of the second chance and landed by ball about 4 feet from the pin! I honestly didn’t play great on the first nine, however, it’s completely impossible to become upset when I’m surrounded by the most beautiful course I’ve ever laid eyes on. When reviewing the front nine, I applied good Judgment and realized my shots were coming up about 10 yards short, so as I headed to the back, I began clubbing up and was able to give myself opportunities to putt for birdie on the back. It was super fun to make birdie putts on Holes 11 and 17!! On the 18th Hole, Mr. Broadhurst and I looked over the cliff behind the tee box and saw Sea Lions and Pelicans hanging out on the rocks. So calming and unique to the west coast. After today’s practice round, we immediately headed to Cypress Point. While site seeing over the ocean, we saw otters playing in the water! This afternoon was the Chevron Shoot-Out for STEM Scholars. Six PGA Champions Tour Pros were paired with six juniors competing for a $100,000 scholarship money purse.  While cheering on my fellow participants, I had the opportunity to meet Keith Dawkins, the CEO of The First Tee. Mr. Dawkins is was very enthusiastic about this week’s event, congratulated me for being selected and complimented my Sandhills business cards that I passed out to adults.  Ahead of the Chevron Shoot-Out, I noticed my friend Vivian, who I played my practice round with on Wednesday, was playing the 18th Hole. I decided it would be fun to run up and caddie for her on the last. As we were walking down the fairway, I had the opportunity to introduce myself to her practice round partners, Matt Ginella and Alfonso Ribeiro! Our evening participant activity was the Chevron Slice Party at the STEM Zone. All the activities were focused on math, science and physics. The one that gained my attention the most was the golf ball launcher!  Tomorrow kicks off the official tournament rounds for the PURE Insurance Championship and I couldn’t be more excited for the experience. I’ve been able to get my nervous jitters out over the last few days and am looking forward to spending, at least the next two days, with Brian Henninger. We tee off at 1:13pm (I finally get to sleep in!) off Hole 10 of Poppy Hills.  Thanks for continuing to follow along!