SD teen representative to play First Tee at Pebble Beach announced

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - First Tee and PGA TOUR Champions announced the South Dakota teen representative for the 19th annual PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee.

Mattie Weidenbach will represent First Tee — South Dakota in the competition in Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course on Sept. 20-25. The annual event, hosted by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, is televised nationally on Golf Channel, according to a press release from the organizations.

The play will be conducted on Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Course on Friday and Saturday. The final round will be contested solely at Pebble Beach Golf Links on Sunday, where 23 First Tee juniors will compete based on their 36-hole performance. The tournament will crown one male and one female First Tee Junior Champion on Sunday.

More than 1,000 teens from First Tee have played in the PURE Insurance Championship, experiencing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet, play, and be mentored by PGA TOUR Champions players and amateurs in the field.

“Supporting these incredible young men and women along with the great work of First Tee through this sponsorship is tremendously rewarding for our entire team,” said Katie Krum, Chief Marketing Officer at PURE Insurance. “I know firsthand the impact and value that participating in youth sports can have on one’s development, personally and professionally, so I am particularly proud to be part of an organization that lends support to such a worthy cause.”

More about Weidenbach

Weidenbach, a high school senior at Harrisburg HS, helped her high school girls golf team go to an AA State Championship this past June, with a 6th place individual finish. Mattie plays in several SDGA events throughout the summer and will also be playing in the AJGA this weekend at Bakker Crossing. Mattie also attended the First Tee National Participant Opportunity called the Innovators Forum in San Jose last October.

Mattie has been involved with First Tee – South Dakota for 12 years. Mattie will be entering her senior year at Harrisburg HS. Mattie enjoys spending time with her large extended family, cheering on her classmates at their sporting events, being active in the youth group at Central Church, and volunteering at the First Tee. When not golfing, she enjoys working at the Country Club of Sioux Falls as a bag room attendant.

Teens paired with PGA TOUR Champions player

Teens get to participate in a one-of-a-kind event where they are paired with a PGA TOUR Champions player and amateurs from the business world. Weidenbach will compete against 77 other teens from First Tee chapters across the country and - for the second year in a row - a participant from First Tee — Morocco, for the Pro-Junior Team title. Participants were selected by a national panel of judges based on their personal growth and development through First Tee’s programs, as well as their playing ability.

“Congratulations to Mattie who has been selected to play and represent First Tee — South Dakota on a national stage,” said Greg McLaughlin, First Tee CEO. “Her hard work and commitment to academic and personal growth through our program has secured this opportunity. Thank you to our partners − PURE Insurance, PGA TOUR Champions, Pebble Beach Resorts, Monterey Peninsula Foundation and Golf Channel − for their commitment to young people and helping us provide this opportunity to these deserving teens.”

Featured players

This year’s field of PGA TOUR Champions players will feature World Golf Hall of Fame Members Bernhard Langer, Mark O’Meara, Vijay Singh, as well as three-time PURE Insurance Championship winner Kirk Triplett. Clint Eastwood serves as chairman of the PURE Insurance Championship.

World Golf Hall of Fame Member Jack Nicklaus; PGA TOUR players Stewart Cink, Cameron Champ, and Austin Smotherman; PGA TOUR Champions player Ken Duke; and No. 1 APGA Collegiate Player and Duke University stand-out Quinn Riley helped deliver the news to the chosen teens live on “Golf Today.”

The junior field for 2022 PURE Insurance Championship can be viewed here.

For more information on the tournament, visit PUREInsuranceChampionship.com. To learn more about First Tee, visit FirstTee.org.