Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

8/9/2010 at 12:06pm

Young Stephanie Leake of Little Rock may one day realize her dream play alongside women professional golfers for money, but come September she and 11 other First Tee golfers get to play with the LPGA stars for fun, with a trophy at stake.

Leake and the other young golfers from First Tee chapters in the region will play alongside the LPGA stars during the P&G Northwest Arkansas Championship at Rogers' Pinnacle Country Club Sept. 10-12. The youngsters will be competing in the First Tee MARS Challenge during the first two rounds of the three-round professional event, presented by Wal-Mart.

Northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith chapters of First Tee will also have a representative. Each of the 12 participating chapters will receive a $5,000 donation from Wal-Mart.

In an e-mail, Chad Kauffman, executive director of the Central Arkansas chapter, said Leake "is a model of what The First Tee is all about. She has a bright future as a golfer, but an even brighter one as a person."

The LPGA event is expected to attract such top pro women stars as Morgan Pressel and Natalie Gulbis, along with 15-year-old amateur sensation Alexis Thompson. Pressel and Thompson and former Razorback star Stacy Lewis were part of a press conference for the event in Rogers on Monday. Thompson will play in the P&G on a sponsor's exemption.

The First Tee is a national youth development organization designed to teach young golfers life skills and core values through the game.

In a press release from the national office, Joe Louis Barrow Jr., CEO of The First Tee, said, "The participants selected have demonstrated their understanding of The First Tee Nine Core Values and life skills learned at their Chapter both on and off the course."

The kids will be paired with LPGA pros, and the male and female participant with the lowest score of the best-ball, two-day team competition will win the First Tee MARS Challenge Trophy. Each chapter chose its representative based on age, USGA handicap and knowledge of the First Tee Nine Core Values and life skills.

Along with Leake, Garret Ford and Addison Mitchell of Fort Smith and Daniel Watkins of the Northwest Arkansas chapter were chosen to participate. They will be joined by Amberlee Brooks, Nashville, Tenn.; Abshir Esse, Memphis; Ryan Glover, Dallas; Nadia Majidi and Kai Jones, Tulsa; Thatcher Keast, Salina, Kan.; Gina Nuzzo, Louisville, Ky., and Cain Rocha, Fort Worth. Pairings wil be announced Sept. 8. Additional participants from area chapters will have the opportunity to participate in the pro-am event Thursday, Sept. 9.

Tickets for the P&G NW Arkansas Championship are available though the tournament website or by calling (479) 715-6100. Daily championship play tickets are $25, and a weeklong grounds badge is $50. The public will be admitted free Monday through Thursday, and children 17 and under are admitted free for the tournament with a ticketed adult.

*   *  *

The First Tee of Central Arkansas also announced Monday its plans for the third annual First Tee Classic, the only opportunity for golfers to play the course AND ride in a cart.

Joe Mowery, the tournament chairman, said, "Normally you have to walk the course, but this is one chance to play and ride."

The fund-raiser for First Tee is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 18, and is a four-person scramble with a silent auction. Teams will play on both the nine-hole regulation-length Chairman's Course and the par-3 Honors Course. First Tee will station one "Ambassador" from the chapter on each hole of the par-3 course and play that hole with each team as the "fifth man." The tournament features morning and afternoon tee times.

The silent auction, Mowery said, will have several attractive golf packages available as well as golf equipment and other items.

UAMS is the presenting sponsor for the event, the largest fund-raiser for The First Tee of Central Arkansas. To register a team, call The First Tee at  (501) 562-GOLF or visit their website.

The entry fee is $1,000 per team and is tax deductible.

Tagged: The First Tee, Stephanie Leake, Joe Mowery, Joe Louis Barrow Jr., Morgan Pressel, Natalie Gulbis, Alexis Thompson, The First Tee of Central Arkansas, Chad Kauffman, LPGA, P&G Beauty Northwest Arkansas Championship, Stacy Lewis