Adam Candee covers golf for the Sun. Reach him at (702) 259-4085 or by e-mail at [email protected].
For teenagers Mackenzie Mack and Alex Scott, there is really nothing strange about juniors and seniors sharing the same space. Heck, most of their lockers are within a stone's throw in high school.
But out on the golf course, Mack and Scott are a different kind of junior -- the kind that will get to play alongside the best senior players in the world at the country's most famous public course.
Representing The First Tee of Southern Nevada, Mack and Scott were both chosen Monday to play in The First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, a Champions Tour event in September. Mack was one of five girls and Scott one of 15 boys selected from a field of 81 juniors after a two-day process at Kansas State University and Colbert Hills Golf Course.
Both players went through a thorough evaluation during their two-day stint in Kansas. In addition to a 36-hole tournament at Colbert Hills, they were both evaluated on personal interviews; decorum on and off the course; a personal essay describing the impact of The First Tee on their life; a letter of recommendation from their First Tee chapter representative; and a summary of community involvement, awards and extracurricular activities.
Cimarron-Memorial's Mack and Cheyenne's Scott will be part of a group of 78 juniors who will play with 78 Champions Tour players and 156 amateurs at Pebble Beach. The event, in its first year of existence, will have its first two rounds televised on the Golf Channel and its final round televised on NBC. While the field is not set, Mack and Scott are likely to play with some of the most revered golfers in the country.
The First Tee is an initiative of the World Golf Foundation, designed to introduce young people of all backgrounds to the game of golf.
Pro preview
Think of it -- loosely -- as a preview of the Las Vegas Invitational.
The Las Vegas Founders Shoot-Out, where professionals will try to qualify for one of two special exemptions into October's local PGA Tour stop, will pair a pro with four amateurs in a Aug. 23 fundraising tournament. It will be a best ball format similar to the one used in the LVI, where amateurs pony up some serious cash to hack with the big boys for a few days.
The fees for the Shoot-Out are significantly less than for the real thing. A foursome can sign up for $2,500, while individuals will need $675 to get past the starter. The tournament will benefit Project Sunshine, a non-profit and non-denominational organization that provides free programs and services to children with cancer, AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses.
The tournament entry fee also includes an invitation to the Aug. 22 draw party at the JW Marriott, along with breakfast and a gift package on the day of play. For more information, call 242-3005.
Scramblin' Rebels
A couple of quick notes on former UNLV standouts toiling on the junior circuits, starting with Bill Lunde on the Nationwide Tour.
This year appears to be the "all-or-nothing" type for Lunde.
In 15 events on the Nationwide Tour, Lunde has missed nine cuts. But in his six dips into the money, Lunde owns three top-10 finishes, including a tie for second at the New Zealand PGA Championship that netted him more than $56,000 -- no small change on the Nationwide.
His year-to-date total of $94,429 places Lunde, who played in the 2003 U.S. Open, 26th on the money list. The top 20 on the Nationwide money list at the end of the year earn PGA Tour cards for the 2005 season.
On the women's side, the going remains tough for Sunny Oh, the Rebels' standout who reluctantly turned pro after her sophomore season. In her latest Futures Tour event, Oh missed the cut in Syracuse, leaving her money total at $424 after four events and placing her 154th on the money list.
Oh's scoring average sits at 75.11 after nine rounds on the LPGA's minor league tour, far from what she will need to start making more cash. To compare, Sung Ah Yim leads the tour at 71.026 and 14 players are averaging under 72.
With just five events, including this weekend's tournament in Maryland, remaining on the 2004 schedule, Oh needs to get moving in a hurry to get near one of five available LPGA exemptions or one of 10 passes to the final stage of Q-school that come with a top five or top 15 finish, respectively, on the money list.
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