Author: mdegrand

Due to the Stay Home, Work Safe order issued by County Judge Lina Hidalgo our F.M. Law Park facility will be closed effective 11:59 p.m. on March 24, 2020 continuing until 11:59 p.m. April 3, 2020. Should there be any updates we will post them on our website.

First Tee of Greater Houston’s top priority is the health and safety of our participants, volunteers and employees spanning our service area of Harris and the contiguous counties. We have been monitoring all available information related to the continued spread of the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19. It is with regret that our chapter will cancel the 2020 Champion’s Challenge that was scheduled for April 4. This event expects a gathering of 600-700 individuals, which is well above the minimum currently recommended by city health officials.  Please forward to campus teachers, volunteers and parents of selected participants. We also recommend to everyone to follow the hygiene precautions from the CDC and other health agencies.

First Tee of Greater Houston’s top priority is the health and safety of our participants, volunteers and employees spanning our service area of Harris and the contiguous counties. We have been monitoring all available information related to the continued spread of the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19. We currently do not plan on cancelling any scheduled classes, but did make the decision to cancel the 2020 Champions Challenge scheduled on April 4 at F.M. Law Park.  We will continue to monitor local, state and national Departments of Health to determine local risk and plans to help prevent the spread the illness. We do encourage any participant, parent or volunteer that is not feeling well to heed the advice of health officials and avoid contact with others. We also recommend to everyone to follow hygiene precautions from the CDC and other health agencies. We will continue to monitor local, county and CDC information and change our Chapter’s activities as warranted.

First Tee of Of Greater Houston Teens Selected to Compete in PGA TOUR Champions PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee

Madison DeBruin,Alexa Velaand Allyn Stephens head to Pebble Beach this September

Houston, Texas (July 3, 2019)– First Tee and PGA TOUR Champions announced today Madison DeBruin, Alexa Velaand Allyn Stephens will represent the First Tee of Greater Houston when the compete in the 2019 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee, an official PGA TOUR Champions event to be contested at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California, September 24-29. The 16^thannual event, which is hosted by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, will be televised internationally on Golf Channel. “Among the many national opportunities available to our participants via The First Tee HQ the Pure Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach by far carries the most prestige.” Says Program Executive Brian Ladet. Participants don’t simply apply for the opportunity according to Ladet. “Selected participants navigate through an in person interview, complete essays on their personal impact of the program, seek reference letters and provide a golf tournament resume.  Being selected for this opportunity to represent your chapter is a great honor,” he says. “ Alexa, Allyn & Madison have worked very hard to get to this point and I wish them the best of luck this fall on the Monterey Peninsula.” “We are excited to have participants from The First Tee of Greater Houston selected to compete in the PURE Insurance Championship.” Says Houston Golf Assoication and The First Tee of Greater Houston President/CEO Steve Timms, “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for these deserving juniors and we know they will represent our chapter well.” The PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee is the only event of its kind where 78 First Tee teenagers from across the country are paired up with 78 PGA TOUR Champions players and 156 amateurs during an official PGA TOUR Champions tournament. DeBruin, Vela, and Stephens will compete for the Pro-Junior Team title. They will join 78 other participants from First Tee chapters across the country. Participants were selected by a national panel of judges based on their understanding and application of the values and life skills learned through First Tee’s programs, as well as their playing ability. “We are proud to continue our involvement with this prestigious event and help support the great work of the Monterey Peninsula Foundation and First Tee,” said Katherine Frattarola, Chief Marketing Officer of the PURE Group of Insurance Companies. “The impact this event has on the incredible young men and women from the First Tee makes this sponsorship tremendously rewarding for our entire team.” The full junior fieldwas revealed live on Golf Channel’s “Morning Drive” on July 3, including a video of World Golf Hall of Fame Member Jack Nicklaus surprising one of the First Tee participants. Other surprises by PGA TOUR players and Golf Channel hosts had been recorded over the last month and aired today as part of the PURE Insurance Championship announcement. This year’s field of professionals will include World Golf Hall of Fame Members Bernhard Langer, Mark O’Meara, Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen, as well as defending champion and recent KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship winner Ken Tanigawa. Clint Eastwood serves as chairman of the PURE Insurance Championship. Play will be conducted on Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course on Friday and Saturday, with the final round 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. Nearly 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. First Tee is a youth development organization dedicated to helping young people build character through the game of golf. First Tee of Greater Houston, a wholy owned subsidiary of the Houston Golf Association, is one of 150 chapters around the world introducing the sport of golf and First Tee’s Core Values to kids, positively impacting their lives. Serving the Greater Houston area since 2004, more than 350,000 kids have been impacted through the First Tee of Greater Houston’s programs. To learn more about First Tee of Greater Houston, visit www.firstteegreaterhouston.org. For more information on the 2019 PURE Insurance Championship, visit www.pureinsurancechampionship.com. For more information on Madison DeBruin, Alexa Vela and Allyn Stephens, to request an interview or photos, contact Melissa DeGrand, [email protected], 281-459-8722 About  Houston Golf Assocation. Founded in 1946, Houston Golf Association and its member volunteers make a difference for Houston communities and their youth through golf, outreach programs, events and fundraising. A not-for-profit, tax exempt 501c (3) organization, Houston Golf Association is host organization to the 10^th longest running PGA TOUR event on schedule, the Houston Open, which has played a crucial role in raising more than $69 million for local charities. Delivering on its promise to make golf accessible to all, Houston Golf Association operates HGA Junior Golf, hosts amateur golf events, works with the City to restore municipal golf courses and amenities, and holds the charter for The First Tee of Greater Houston providing 350,000 local youth with learning facilities and educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values, and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. Go to www.hga.org to learn more or get involved. About Monterey Peninsula Foundation Monterey Peninsula Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization which donates funds from the proceeds of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA TOUR and the PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee, a PGA TOUR Champions tournament. The Foundation focuses on improving the quality of life in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties. www.attpbgolf.com www.pureinsurancechampionship.com About PURE Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange (PURE) is a member-owned reciprocal insurer dedicated to creating an exceptional experience for responsible high net worth individuals and families. PURE provides customizable coverage for high-value homes, automobiles, jewelry, art, personal liability, watercraft, flood, fraud and cyber fraud to more than 75,000 responsible, high net worth families throughout the U.S.  Inspired by some of the finest policyholder-owned companies, PURE emphasizes alignment of interests and transparency. PURE’s low cost of capital, careful member selection and proactive risk management all contribute to highly competitive rates. In return for a fee, PURE Risk Management, LLC acts as Attorney-in-Fact for PURE. PURE membership is subject to an executed Subscriber’s Agreement & Power of Attorney. For more information or to find a local broker, visit pureinsurance.com. You can follow PURE on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. About PGA TOUR Champions PGA TOUR Champions is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older, including 35 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Tour’s mission is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back and generate significant charitable and economic impact in tournament communities. In 2019, the PGA TOUR Champions schedule includes 27 tournaments across the United States, Scotland and Canada, with purses totaling more than $56 million. The Charles Schwab Cup, which includes the Regular Season and the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, is used to determine the season-long champion. All events are televised in the United States, with most receiving complete coverage on Golf Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA TOUR Champions. Internationally, telecasts air in excess of 190 countries and territories, reaching more than 350 million potential households. Follow PGA TOUR Champions online at PGATOUR.com, at facebook.com/PGATOURChampions, on Twitter @ChampionsTour and on Instagram @championstour.