I soon learned that I would be shadowing Jamie Seh, the Sport’s Director for WKMG. I was so excited to have this opportunity, but was not sure what to expect. I figured I would be following Ms. Seh around the course, attend the day’s Press Conference, and watch her do interviews. When the day came, I was joined by one of my First Tee Coaches, and we headed to the tournament. When I met Ms. Seh, she was very welcoming, and I could tell she was as excited as I was! We quickly discussed a run-down for the day, and began by heading to the media tent, where the day’s Press Conference had begun.
Ms. Seh pointed out her cameraman, Ryan, and asked if I’d like to do an interview. Going into this day, I knew that my conducting an interview was a possibility, but I hadn’t anticipated it actually happening. I immediately said yes, and brainstormed possible questions to ask. As soon as the Press Conference was over,I was given a microphone, put in front of the camera, and given the go ahead. First, I interviewed Ms. Marci Doyle about her position as Chief Operations Officer of The Tournament, followed by a few questions with Mr. Sam Saunders about the tournament and what it meant for him. Everything seemed to happen so fast, from being handed the microphone to actually asking questions, it was a whirlwind. This was my first time doing anything like this, and I was so nervous. But by the time I’d finished the interviews, I was ready to go again!
We then headed to the driving range, and walked around the course. I was able to speak with Ms. Seh and learn about her background and her career. It was so much fun to follow her around the tournament, and see her in action! Before we wrapped up our day, we headed back to the driving range where Rickie Fowler would be doing a group interview. Little did I know, I would be able to have a one-on-one interview with him as well! I was watching and listening carefully as a group of reporters interviewed Rickie, and stood right behind Ms. Seh. I was not able to ask a question during the interview, but Ms. Seh was quick to make sure I wouldn’t miss this opportunity. After the interview, she quickly pulled Rickie aside to see if he would be interested in letting me ask him some questions. Sure enough, he was! I was even more nervous this time, as I would be interviewing one of my personal idols! However, I was immediately put to ease when we started the interview. Rickie was so kind and made my job seem a lot easier. By the time I finished interviewing Rickie, I knew my day could not get any better!
Following the day, Jamie Seh highlighted Sara on their newscast, below is a video highlighting some of the interviews Sara conducted.
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Kaufman was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He played college golf at Louisiana State University and graduated in 2014 with a degree in marketing and turned professional.
Kaufman played on the Web.com Tour in 2015. After missing the cut in his first three tournaments, he finished T-4 in the next two and won the third, the United Leasing Championship to claim his first professional title. He finished the year sixth on the money list to earn his card for the 2016 PGA Tour season.
On October 25, 2015, Kaufman earned his first victory on the PGA Tour by winning the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open by a single stroke over six players. In the final round, he came from seven strokes back after a round of 61, that included eight birdies and an eagle, to claim his maiden victory. This earned him a place into the 2016 Masters Tournament and 2016 PGA Championship.
At the 2016 Masters Tournament, Kaufman shot a 69 during the third round, which was the best of the day in tough scoring conditions. As a result, he played in the last group during the final round, alongside defending champion Jordan Spieth.
Today, marks International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women. In a report released by the National Golf Foundation in April of 2017, the number of females in junior golf now a third of all junior golfers, nearly double of what it was in 1995. Girls under the age of 18 is the fastest-growing segment of the golf population.
Our LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Program is the perfect complement to our The First Tee Programs, providing girl-centric environments to learn the game of golf. Participating in our Girls Golf Clinics provide girls a great opportunity for girls to be girls, to socialize, participate non-golf opportunities where they create lasting friendships, and just be themselves. While our classes in The First Tee far exceed industry average (37% versus an industry average of 25%), our classes still are predominately male dominated. During our Girls-Golf Classes our girls don’t have to worry about the boys being there. Fun is our focus for our Girls Golf Program, and, once we have the girls’ attention, our golf instruction helps prepare them for a lifetime of enjoyment of the game while also inspiring them to feel confident, build positive self-esteem and live active and healthy lives.
Why is it important for young girls to have accessibility to programs like Girls-Golf?
As I previously mentioned, participation in sports, particularly golf can have positive effects on the growth and development of young girls. By providing girl-centric programs led by strong female role models, we provide girls with the platform they need to become high-achievers in their personal goals, boost their self-esteem and experience competition in a fun, supportive environment.
Additionally the impact of participation in sports for a young girl can have results far beyond their formative years. Executive women believed that sports helped them in a variety of ways including:
When The First Tee of Central Florida was founded over five years ago, the founding Board of Directors wanted to make sure that the organization had an underlying focus of impacting the lives of young people typically not introduced to the game of golf. To do this, The First Tee of Central Florida subsidizes fees for its Golf and Life Skills Experience Program and maintains a policy that no child ever be turned away for an inability to pay. Additionally, The First Tee works with local schools and after-school programs to introduce the game of golf, its core values, and healthy habits to young people without any cost to the child. To have this impact, The First Tee of Central Florida relies heavily upon the generosity of those in our community to help achieve those goals. Since our inception in 2012, The First Tee of Central Florida has received generous support from numerous benefactors, however, no one has been more giving to the chapter than Mr. Chris Barley.
Barley, Managing Director and Private Wealth Advisor for Ameriprise Financial, has been involved with the local chapter of The First Tee since before it was even founded. Barley is a Trustee of The First Tee, committing to giving $1 million to the First Tee at both the local and national levels over a 10-year time period.
In his role as a private wealth advisor, Barley was entrusted with funds from the estate of Central Florida ophthalmologist Dr. David P. Honey after his passing in 2008. Knowing that Dr. Honey was passionate about golf, Barley sought out an organization that could utilize Dr. Honey’s gift and impact as many people as possible. While on the course one afternoon, Barley was reminded of an organization he had briefly heard about in passing years before, and knew that The First Tee was the perfect fit for Dr. Honey’s gift. As the person entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing the donation, Barley got in touch with the right people at The First Tee’s Home Office and became involved in seeing to it that a Central Florida chapter was founded.
“With gifts of more than $200,000 to the chapter to date, Mr. Barley has become The First Tee of Central Florida’s largest donor. His annual gift allows us to make a tremendous impact on local youth, and we are so grateful for his continued commitment to our organization,” said Thomas Lawrence, Executive Director of The First Tee of Central Florida.
In addition to being a Trustee of The First Tee, Barley is also involved as an Advisory Board Member for the Central Florida chapter. His expertise in the careful and thoughtful investment of funds and talent has helped to grow the Central Florida organization to become one of the strongest chapters in the country. Just this past August, the First Tee of Central Florida celebrated its five-year anniversary. During the past five years, the organization has shared its youth development programming with more than 90,000 local youth, positively impacting these children through programs delivered in 123 Central Florida elementary schools, 22 after-school programs, and on 10 golf courses throughout the region.
“Without the support of benefactors like Mr. Barley, this widespread impact would not be possible. We truly appreciate all that he does for our organization’s mission and vision,” added Lawrence.
You can join Chris Barley and our efforts to positively impact the lives of Central Florida youth by donating to The First Tee of Central Florida today!
The First Tee of Central Florida Announces Registration is Open for Summer Evening Golf & Life Skills Experience Programs at Green Valley Country Club -Evening Classes Start June 20th–
Clermont, Fla. (June 14, 2017) – The First Tee of Central Florida is pleased to announce that for the first time ever, registration is now open for the Summer 2017 Golf & Life Skills Experience Clinics at Green Valley Country Club. Participants ages 7 – 17 are encouraged to register for clinics, which will be offered at Green Valley Country Club (14601 Green Valley Blvd, Clermont, FL 34711) for the first time. The First Tee of Central Florida will begin delivering its four-week Golf & Life Skills Experience series of clinics which meet twice a week for an hour and a half beginning the week of June 19. A second summer session will begin the week of July 17th. Participants who are new to The First Tee Program should register for the PLAYer Level, the entry level to The First Tee. PLAYer Level clinics will be offered Tuesday’s and Thursday’s from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. beginning June 20th and a second summer session offered July 18th – August 10th. Participants who would like to register should visit www.firstteecfl.org/register. To join, there is an annual membership fee of $25 and the session price is $50. The First Tee of Central Florida continues to maintain the policy that no child be turned away for an inability to pay; financial assistance is available. Anyone who would like to apply for financial assistance can do so during the registration process. The First Tee of Central Florida provides educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values, and promote healthy habits through the game of golf. The Golf & Life Skills Experience Program is a program developed by experts in the field of positive youth development and is delivered by coaches and volunteers trained through The First Tee Coach Program. In the Life Skills Experience, coaches empower youth by creating a mastery driven environment, while seamlessly integrating golf and life skills. For more information on The Life Skills Experience, please visit www.firstteecfl.org/programs. ### About The First Tee of Central Florida: The First Tee of Central Florida is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization dedicated to providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. Through The First Tee’s Life Skills Experience Program, young people are introduced to positive life skills, core values and healthy habits while learning the game of golf. For more information about The First Tee of Central Florida, visit www.firstteecfl.org.Click Here to Learn More about the event.
Kevin recorded his first PGA Tour victory in 2013 at the Tampa Bay Championship, and followed it up with a second win in 2014 at the Travelers Championship. Kevin closed his final round of the Travelers Championship with seven consecutive birdies, which set a record for the most consecutive birdies made to win a tournament.
In their first Livestream on Facebook, Martin Hall first examined my swing by capturing a video image on his phone that he was able to refer to and focus on my club face. What I learned was why my club face was closed. The answer to my question was simple, my grip. He helped improve my grip by placing my thumb more forward on the club. The results were proven effective immediately because when he asked me to swing with the corrected grip, the ball flight was straighter.
His advice to me when correcting my grip was, “it should feel uncomfortable at first” because it takes time to form a good habit. As he said this, I thought about life and changing bad habits in my swing and how changes can sometimes feel uncomfortable, but with time can prove effective.
Mr. Hall definitely knows the game of golf and I was honored to have been able to learn from the best. It was also amazing to have been in their new studio and be able to take a tour admiring autographs from the greatest players in golf who had visited the Golf Channel. I was able to meet some very friendly staff and former Big Break champion, Blair O’Neal.
Not only was this a new experience for the Golf Channel and myself using Livestream on Facebook, but a learning opportunity to use on the golf course in the future because using social media as a tutorial means is quick and accessible for anyone wanting to share their technique or to be able to refer to as a resource. Representing the First Tee of Central Florida has been a hole-in-one experience! One local wealth manager turns his passion for responsible investment into a game changer for The First Tee of Central Florida
Golf Channel, The Official Media Partner of The First Following Tee, held its Junior Seminar Golf Week October 17 – 22. Throughout we week, wholesale MLB jerseys juniors were featured throughout 2015 Golf Channel’s morning television show Morning wholesale MLB jerseys Drive. On Wednesday, October 19, wholesale jerseys The First Tee of Central Florida Coach Adam Andrews wholesale MLB jerseys and Birdie Level Participants Sara and Cole were featured cheap NFL jerseys live in-studio conducting two of our lessons, S.T.A.R. and the 4 Escort R’s.
Great job Coach Adam, Sara and Cole!
