Local Teen Selected to Play in Official PGA TOUR Champions Event Mara Hirtle heads to Pebble Beach for PURE Insurance Championship this September Pinehurst, NC (July 7, 2017) – The First Tee of The Sandhills is sending Mara Hirtle to compete in the 2017 PURE Insurance Championship, an official PGA TOUR Champions event to be contested at Pebble Beach Golf LinKs and Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, Calif., the week of September 19-24, 2017. The tournament, which is hosted by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, will be televised internationally on Golf Channel. After the 2016 tournament, the PGA TOUR and Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange (PURE) Insurance announced an agreement making the policyholder-owned property & casualty insurer for high net worth families the title sponsor of the longstanding event, which dates bacK to 2004. “We have been anticipating this day since PURE was announced as title sponsor of this prestigious event,” said Ross Buchmueller, President & CEO of the PURE Group of Insurance Companies. “This tournament has the ability to impact the lives of youth throughout The First Tee, and we are thrilled to serve an integral part in the PGA TOUR’s mission of creating a strong community footprint while also helping to grow this great game.” Hirtle will join 80 other participants from The First Tee chapters, selected by a national panel of judges. Participants were selected based on playing ability and comprehension of the life sKills and core values learned through their involvement with The First Tee. The juniors will be teamed with 81 PGA TOUR Champions players and 162 amateurs as they compete for the pro- junior title at Pebble Beach and Poppy Hills. As of June 28, players currently committed to compete in the PURE Insurance Championship include World Golf Hall of Fame members Tom Watson and Colin Montgomerie, as well as three-time tournament winner Jeff Sluman and defending champion Paul Broadhurst. Players have until Friday, September 8 to commit, with additional commitments to be announced in the coming months. Hirtle attends Pinecrest High School in Southern Pines, NC, and has been playing golf since 2009. She has been a participant of The First Tee of the Sandhills since 2013, after her family relocated from ClarKsville, TN, where she played for the area’s chapter of The First Tee. As a military child, she’s used The First Tee as a means to meet other young golfers in her vicinity, along with gaining new sKills on the course, and growing her passion for volunteering. Sandhills Chapter Executive Director, Courtney Stiles, is thrilled about Hirtle representing her organization on the course, saying “Our chapter is privileged to have received the good news on Mara Hirtle’s selection to the PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach field. Seeing participants excel both on and off the course is the best feeling. Without the generosity and commitment from our volunteers, mentors and donors, these announcements wouldn’t be possible!” Hirtle herself is thrilled as well, saying “I got the call on my selection while headed to a tournament. I was shocKed and thrilled at the same time. It’s an honor to be chosen and I can’t wait to represent our local chapter on this national platform.” The First Tee of The Sandhills is one of 155 chapters around the country and in select international locations. Serving the The Sandhills since 2003, more than 2,600 young people have been impacted through chapter program. The golf-based programs are focused on building character through The First Tee Nine Core Values: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy, and judgment. To learn more about The First Tee of The Sandhills, visit www.thefirstteesandhills.org. For more information on the 2017 PURE Insurance Championship, visit www.pureinsurancechampionship.com. For more information on Mara Hirtle, to request an interview or photos, please contact Courtney Stiles, [email protected], 910-255- 3035). About The First Tee of The Sandhills The First Tee of the Sandhills (www.thefirstteesandhills.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization established to positively impact the lives of young people by providing structured educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. The Chapter was formed in 2003 to bring the Life and Golf Skills Curriculum to the six (6) counties in the defined service area including, Moore, Cumberland, Harnett, HoKe, Montgomery and Robeson. Since inception, more than 2,600 young people have been exposed to The First Tee curriculum through our registered participant opportunities. These youth are first exposed to The First Tee through the National School Program, which is currently operating in over 60 elementary schools or through outreach programs such as DRIVE and TARGET. Media Contact: Courtney Stiles [email protected] 910-255-3035 .