Girls Golf Star Haley Chinn to Play First Tee Open at Pebble Beach

Three junior golfer from The First Tee of Greater Seattle will be among 70 participants who were selected to play in the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, an official Champions Tour event scheduled for July 8-10. The event will be televised nationally on the Golf Channel.

Out of more than 250 applicants, Seattle’s participants include a trio of 16-year-olds: Haley Chinn of Mercer Island and twin brothers Lyle and Oliver Rudnicki of Woodinville. All three were juniors this academic year and played on their high school golf teams. Chinn attends and the Rudnickis attend Redmond High School.

Haley Chinn has participated in The First Tee of Greater Seattle since the chapter began in 2003.  In addition to participating as a golfer, she is a devoted volunteer. She served as a First Tee intern last summer, volunteering more than 150 hours while working with younger students in the program. She also served on the chapter’s Junior Advisory Board, where her contributions included planning and implementing fundraisers.

Chinn represented the First Tee of Greater Seattle at the 2010 First Tee Life Skills & Leadership Academy at Kansas State University and at the 2010 First Tee Future Leaders Forum at Walt Disney World Resort. This year marks her second experience at The First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. In 2009, she caddied for her sister Lindsay.

Of the 70 selected to play alongside the Champions Tour golfers, 47 are junior boys and 23 are junior girls.  Participants are selected through a process that evaluates playing ability and comprehension of the life stills and character education learned through their involvement with The First Tee.

Champions Tour players scheduled to play include World Golf Hall of Fame members Ben Crenshaw and Tom Kite, along with past champions of this unique event, Craig Stadler, Scott Simpson and Jeff Sluman, who captured the title in 2008 and 2009. Chip Beck, John Cook and fan-favorite Fuzzy Zoeller have also committed to compete in the event, which has a $1.8 million purse. 

The First Tee (www.thefirsttee.org), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization whose mission is to 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. With its home office at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla., The First Tee reaches young people on golf courses, in schools and on military installations.