charityspin
Youth participate in jr. clinic sponsored
by Children’s Hospital at Zurich Classic
Photo by
Cohoon
20
Andrew
LPGA Tour superstar
Lexi Thompson, currently
the 3rd ranked player in
the world at the age of
21, kicked off the Zurich
Classic’s annual Junior
Golf Clinic sponsored by
Children’s Hospital on
Tuesday at TPC Louisiana.
The clinic, which was free
and open to the public, also
featured former LSU Tiger
and current PGA Tour
professional Andrew Loupe
and current LSU Tiger
golfer for the Men’s team
Brandon Pierce. PGA Tour
Professional Kelly Gibson
and featured sportscaster
and writer Win McMurry
emceed the event.
The Junior Golf Clinic
with Thompson had over
60 participants on Tuesday.
Thompson, the youngest
competitor to qualify to
play in the women’s U.S.
Open at age 12, won her
first event at 16. She stayed
for nearly an hour after the
clinic ended, along with
Loupe and Pierce, to answer
questions for the kids and
sign autographs.
Chip Patterson, executive
director of The First Tee,
said, “The Junior Golf
Clinic was great. There
was a lot of golf knowledge
out there on the driving
range, and the kids soaked
it all in. It’s not every day
that the kids get to learn
about the golf swing from
three professionals and one
of the top amateurs in the
country. They definitely
won’t forget this experience.
Most importantly, the kids
learned about how the
professionals used core
values like sportsmanship,
perseverance and integrity
to get to where they are
today. Those are lessons
that we teach in The First
Tee every day.”
To learn more about The
First Tee of Greater New
Orleans’ programs, visit
www.thefirstteenola.org.
Any youth between the ages
of 5 and 18 are eligible to
participate in The First Tee’s
programs and need-based
scholarships are available
for those who qualify.
The mission of The First
Tee of Greater New Orleans
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.
The First Tee of Greater
New Orleans serves youth
ages 5 through 18 through
after-school programs at 10
local golf course and park
locations. First Tee outreach
programs
have
been
introduced at more than
30 local elementary schools
and youth development
agencies. The First Tee
of Greater New Orleans
currently impacts over
16,000 youth participants
annually, teaching The First
Tee’s Nine Core Values
and Nine Healthy Habits
through its out-of-school
and outreach programs.