Since 1997, the First Tee has introduced young golfers to the game of golf -- particularly those youngsters who might not otherwise be able to.
On Saturday, the First Tee of North Florida was able to provide some of its longest-standing members with another first: their first round at TPC Sawgrass' Stadium Course.
“I got a text about a week ago [asking if I'd like to play], and I probably scared everybody else on the driving range because I could not believe it," Nease High senior Grace Richards laughed.
“Coach Jeff called me and Brandon over and was like ‘hey, how would you guys react if you got to play TPC?’ And we were just like, 'WHAT?!'" Mandarin High junior Matthew Yang smiled. "No way!”
It was real, and it was the real, PLAYERS Championship experience.
All four golfers -- Richards, Yang, Mombo Ngu (University of Florida) and Brandon Fowler (Lee High School) -- were given bag tags, a set of balls, and plenty of goodies to commemorate the experience. GOLF Channel and other camera crews followed their round. Joining them on the links were PGA Tour staffers-turned caddies for the day as well as professional golfer Len Mattiace.
The golfers even had their names announced on hole number one by veteran PLAYERS announcer Doug Kidd.
“I loved it. ‘Mambo – yes that’s me!’” Ngo laughed. "But really: I absolutely loved it."
"They did not have the first hole jitters like I would have had!" joked Ngo's caddie for the day, Drake Mosley. A PGA Tour Data Analyst, Mosley was a First Tee participant growing up. The significance of the day's events were not lost on him.
“The First Tee is huge to the game of golf. It’s breaking down barriers set by the previous generation. And overall, it’s gonna lead to a more positive game experience and a more welcoming experience to everyone," Mosley said.
“They’ve opened so many doors for me," Ngo added. "Playing at the Stadium Course is something I never thought when I was seven years old I would be able to do. But here I am – actually living this dream.”
Yang admits: when he first got involved with the First Tee, his father had to drag him to many events.
“But now that I’m here I just sort of love it," he explained. "You get the thrill of hitting a golf ball and it goes exactly where you hit it and its just perfect.”