The First Tee is hosting a Participant Selection Process at Kansas State University and Colbert Hills Golf Course, July 22-26, 2006 to choose 40 juniors to represent The First Tee in the third-annual Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. Ninety participants from The First Tee Chapters around the world will compete for a place in the Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, an official Champions Tour tournament taking place Labor Day weekend. Click here to view field.
The First Tee has developed a selection process that will recognize participants who have integrated the life skills and values that The First Tee teaches into all aspects of their lives. Participants will be evaluated both on and off the golf course, through a series of interviews, essays and a 36-hole golf proficiency event. A committee of representatives from The First Tee, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Kansas State University and special guests from the golf industry will judge the participants based on the following criteria:
- Proficiency on the golf course
- Personal interviews
- Life Skills Certification level and curriculum knowledge
- Personal essay describing the impact of The First Tee on their lives
- Letter of recommendation from a Chapter representative
- Summary of community involvement, awards/recognitions and extracurricular activities
- Decorum
“The past two years, the participants selected to play in the Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach demonstrated character, leadership and a commitment to the game and its values,” says Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., The First Tee executive director. “Through the collective efforts of Wal-Mart, the Champions Tour and the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, The First Tee is able to create tremendous opportunities for participants worldwide.”
“As wonderful as the tournament at Pebble Beach is, the Participant Selection Process may be my favorite part of the Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach,” says Champions Tour president Rick George. “The young people display so much pride, emotion and maturity. You see them grow up right in front of your eyes. It’s a very touching and moving experience. The event, and that includes the qualifying tournaments and the Participant Selection Process, in addition to the tournament at Pebble Beach, is gaining great momentum. We thank Wal-Mart for their profound desire to make the Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach a huge success, as well as our other partners, The First Tee and the Monterey Peninsula Foundation.”
The Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach offers 78 junior golfers the opportunity to compete alongside 78 Champions Tour members and 156 amateurs at Pebble Beach. The tournament will take place on Pebble Beach Golf Links and Del Monte Golf Course, and will be televised nationally on The Golf Channel and NBC.
“To see the looks on the faces of the juniors when they walked in to player registration at Pebble Beach was something I will never forget,” says Ollie Nutt, president and c.e.o. of the Monterey Peninsula Foundation. “The opportunity to play alongside the legends of the game on one of the most storied venues in the world is something that no other sport can offer our youth.”
“Wal-Mart is extremely proud to be associated with The First Tee," says Tom Schoewe, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Wal-Mart. "Our mission and the mission of The First Tee are very tightly aligned. Over the past couple of years, thousands of our associates have volunteered locally, at regional qualifiers, at the Participant Selection Process and the event at Pebble Beach.”
Thirty juniors have already qualified for the Wal-Mart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach through three regional open qualifiers, which took place in June and July. The Monterey Peninsula Foundation will distribute eight exemptions for the remaining spots.
Visit www.thefirsttee.org or www.thefirstteeopen.com for more information.
