Local teens return from golf tournament at Pebble Beach

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Three local teen golfers have returned from the PURE Insurance Championship, which was held Sept. 21-26 at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course in Monterey County, California.

During the event, which is an official PGA TOUR Champions tournament, the teens were among 81 First Tee participants between the ages of 15 and 19 selected to compete for the Pro-Junior Team title. The participants represent 48 First Tee chapters from across the country.

The annual event, hosted by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, is televised internationally on Golf Channel.

Throughout the week, teen participants apply the life and leadership skills learned from First Tee programs during this one-of-a-kind event where they are paired with a PGA TOUR Champions player and amateurs from the business world. All three local teens are from First Tee – North Florida.

  • Grace Richards was paired with Jay Haas, 18-time PGA TOUR Champions tournament winner. Richards was a member of Nease’s varsity girl’s golf team for four years. She was on the track-and-field varsity team, was co-president of the Kindness for Kids Club and a member of other community service clubs. She attends Flagler College and aspires to work for the PGA TOUR.
  • Madelyn Campbell was paired with Stephen Ames, two-time PGA TOUR Champions tournament winner. A senior at Fernandina Beach High School, Campbell is a member of her high school varsity girl’s golf team and a member of the Allegiance Community Youth Choir. She aspires to be a best-selling author.
  • Matthew French was paired with David Frost, six-time PGA TOUR Champions tournament winner. A junior at Bishop John J. Snyder High School, French is a member of his high school’s golf team and was recognized as the MVP in 2019 and 2020. He aspires to play golf on the collegiate level.

This year’s field of PGA TOUR Champions players featured World Golf Hall of Fame members Bernhard Langer, Mark O’Meara, Vijay Singh, as well as three-time PURE Insurance Championship winners Kirk Triplett and Jeff Sluman. Clint Eastwood serves as chairman of the PURE Insurance Championship.

More than 1,000 teens from First Tee have played in the PURE Insurance Championship, having an opportunity to meet, play alongside and be mentored by PGA TOUR Champions players and amateurs in the field.

“We are proud to be a part of this incredible event and the support it provides to the many deserving young men and women from the First Tee,” said Katie Krum, chief marketing officer of the PURE Group of Insurance Companies.

First Tee is a youth development organization that teaches life skills and helps children 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.

For more information on the tournament, go to PUREInsuranceChampionship.com. To learn more about First Tee, go to TheFirstTee.org.