Local Teen Playing in Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach

Julia Dai_to Pebble Beach_49693bellevue160909-BEL-CLO_Julia_DaiWebBellevue golfer Julia Dai heads to Pebble Beach to play with PGA TOUR Champions
One young golfer from Bellevue is getting the chance of a lifetime to compete against PGA TOUR champions this month.
Julia Dai, 16, a participant in The First Tee of Greater Seattle program since 2013, is competing in the 2016 Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, an official PGA TOUR Champions event taking place this week. Practice rounds began Tuesday, with the 54-hole tournament scheduled to begin Friday. All three rounds will be televised live on The Golf Channel, from 3-6 p.m. each day.
Dai will be among 81 juniors nationwide (and one of three from Washington state, including Dylan Bissell and Maxwell Turnquist, both of The First Tee of Yakima) competing for the First Tee, a nonprofit dedicated to youth development through the game of golf. The Bellevue resident was selected by a national panel of judges who evaluated playing ability and comprehension of the life skills and character education learned through their involvement with The First Tee.
Dai, a junior at Bellevue High School, was listed as one of “Five Players to Watch” by The Seattle Times in this year’s boys and girls golf preview.
When not honing her own golf skills, Dai volunteers weekly as an assistant golf coach at The First Tee, helping younger players build confidence and character through the sport.
“Being able to play in The Nature Valley First Tee Open is honestly a dream come true, in every meaning of the phrase,” Dai says. “ I’m am excited to meet all of the other inspirational First Tee participants from across the country, and hopefully play my best golf next with some of the best golf professionals out there.”
The juniors will be teamed with 81 PGA TOUR Champions players and 162 amateurs as they compete for the pro-junior title at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course. Play will be conducted on these courses on Friday (Sept. 16) and Saturday (Sept. 17); the final round will be played on Pebble Beach on Sunday. Players committed to compete include two-time major championship winner John Daly, World Golf Hall of Fame member and 29-time PGA TOUR Champions winner Bernhard Langer, and defending champion Esteban Toledo.
“We are proud to have Julia representing Seattle on a national stage at this PGA TOUR Champions event,” says Heidi Wills, executive director of The First Tee of Greater Seattle. “Julia is a fantastic player and also an inspirational role model for younger participants in The First Tee program. She’s been working hard toward her goal of being selected for The Nature Valley First Tee Open for three years now. It is wonderful to see her earn the opportunity to play at Pebble Beach.”
To learn more about The First Tee of Greater Seattle, visit TheFirstTeeSeattle.org. For more information on the 2016 Nature Valley First Tee Open, visit www.thefirstteeopen.com.
About The First Tee of Greater Seattle
The mission of The First Tee of Greater Seattle is to positively impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. The First Tee of Greater Seattle, formed in 2001, serves more than 1,700 kids annually at seven area golf courses: Jefferson Park, Jackson Park, Crossroads Par-3, Riverbend, Tam O’Shanter, Willows Run and Blue Heron.
The local program also reaches more than 85,000 students in physical education classes through partnerships with 183 area schools. The not-for-profit organization raises funds for programs and scholarships through events, grants, sponsorships and contributions from individuals and corporations. More than one-third of participants served receive full scholarships to participate and no child is turned away based on ability to pa

More like this