First Tee golfers Taylor, Gore achieve national honors

Harrison Taylor has been selected to represent The First Tee of Brunswick County at the 2009 Life Skills and Leadership Academy in Eugene, Ore. The academy takes place July 28-Aug. 4 for the first time at the University of Oregon.

Taylor was among 100 chapter participants from across the country, ages 13-17, selected to participate in the academy. The purpose of the academy is to provide The First Tee participants with character education and leadership instruction through The First Tee Life Skills Experience curriculum. Highlights of the week include workshops, career exploration seminars and golf clinics. Twenty-four coaches will be on hand to provide life skills and golf instruction.

Taylor is an eagle-certified member of the The First Tee of Brunswick County. As a member of the West Brunswick golf team, Taylor made All-Mideastern Conference. He tied for the fifth-lowest round in the championship tourney and had an all-conference scoring of 83.4, the best of all the 3-A golfers in the 4-A/3-A conference.

The theme of academy is SuperStar for Life. Each day, participants will learn about various life skills, such as self-management, planning and decision making, interpersonal skills and helping others.

The First Tee Life Skills and Leadership Academy recognizes and rewards exceptional youth for their accomplishments and teaches them mentoring skills they can put into practice at their chapter.

Eric Grant (in 2007) and Greg Hensley (in 2008) have represented TFTBC in previous academies.

For the second time in two years, Dalton Gore has made it to the selection process for the 2009 Walmart First Tee Open.

Gore will travel to Rogers, Ark., to compete for an opportunity to play in the Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach in August.

Gore, who attends South Brunswick High School, is one of 84 boys from The First Tee chapters worldwide who will take part in the selection event July 14-18 at Shadow Valley Country Club.

Of the 78 juniors who will participate in the tournament this year, 70 will be chosen from the selection events. The sixth-annual Walmart First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, a nationally televised Champions Tour tournament, takes place Aug. 31-Sept. 6 over Labor Day weekend.

The First Tee selection process identifies participants who have integrated life skills learned through The First Tee into other aspects of their life. Participants will be evaluated on and off the golf course, through a series of interviews, essays and a 36-hole golf-proficiency event. A committee of representatives from The First Tee, Walmart and invited guests from the golf industry will also judge the participants based on community involvement, extracurricular activities and decorum.

Two other First Tee golfers achieved area all-conference honors. Richard Weinacht was All-Waccamaw Conference for South Brunswick. Hensley was honorable mention All-Mideastern Conference for West Brunswick.