Jared Cohen
One of the most recognizable destinations in the country for golfers and fans of golf is Pebble Beach. It has been the home of countless PGA Tournaments including five U.S. Opens.
On September 27th through 29th, it will be home of the 10th Nature Valley First Tee Open, an official Champions Tour event.
Right in the middle of this event at this famous course will be Desert Ridge High School senior Miranda Reyes who was selected by the First Tee of Phoenix and will be representing Arizona in the tournament.
“For me just to walk on the grounds at Pebble Beach is going to be amazing,” Reyes said. “I am looking forward to the weather up there, take some beautiful pictures and be able to say that I am playing Pebble Beach!”
Reyes was selected as one of 81 participants representing 54 chapters around the country of The First Tee, ages 14 to 18, who were selected by a national panel of judges that evaluated participants’ playing ability and comprehension of the life skills and character education learned through their involvement with The First Tee. Nearly 150 applications were submitted.
“This is really exciting for everyone here at The First Tee of Phoenix,” said First Tee of Phoenix Executive Director Hugh Smith. “Miranda is having a great year as she was also selected for the recent PLAYer Academy in Richmond, VA, which is a great accomplishment for a First Tee member. I’m really proud of her; she’s not only a great golfer, but a great person.”
Miranda has been a part of the First Tee of Phoenix for eight years but had no idea what could ultimately come of it.
“When I signed up eight years ago I never thought eight years later I would be playing Pebble Beach,” she explained. “The opportunity is going to be very good and I am so excited.”
When she isn’t at school, Miranda is on the golf course. She has goals to play division I college golf and to one day be a member of the LPGA Tour. For now, she is a member of the Desert Ridge girls golf team that is expecting exciting result to their 2013 season.
“The season is going great,” Reyes mentioned. “We have won every single one of our matches so far…We qualified for state on Saturday and we hope to play well and hopefully get in the top five.”
The First Tee of Phoenix is a non-profit organization created by The Thunderbirds for the purpose of providing affordable access to golf and golf learning facilities for young people in Maricopa County. They have 11 locations around the valley. For more information on The First Tee of Phoenix call (602)305-7655, or log on to their website at www.thefirstteephoenix.org.
