Newport High School Student Participates at Champions Tour Golf Event

Marianne Li, 15, a sophomore, represented The First Tee of Greater Seattle at the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, an official Champions Tour the week of July 3 to 8.

Li will be among 81 selected participants at the event, which is being aired on the Golf Channel, according to First Tee, a nonprofit youth golf program.

Li was teamed with Canadian golf pro Jim Rutledge, according to the First Tee Open website.

“Being able to play in an event like The First Tee Open at Pebble Beach is definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Li said in a prepared statement. “Not only will I get to play two beautiful courses in California but I’ll also have a chance to interact, play with, and learn from professional golfers.”

Li has been a participant in The First Tee of Greater Seattle since 2007, according to a press release. She was selected by a national panel of judges that evaluated not only her playing ability but also her comprehension of the life skills and character education learned through her involvement with the program, according to First Tee.

“This is an opportunity of a lifetime and we are excited that Marianne will be able to experience it as a representative of our Chapter,” said Kimberly Goode, assistant director of First Tee's Seattle chapter in a prepared statement. “Not only is Marianne an excellent golfer, she exemplifies the core values The First Tee teaches like perseverance, judgment, courtesy, and respect.”

Li was among 81 juniors ages 15-18 who selected to participate, from a field of more 180 applicants. The participants are teamed with 81 Champions Tour players and 162 amateurs in the quest for the title at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Del Monte Golf Course.

Champions Tour players scheduled to play in this unique event include World Golf Hall of Fame members Tom Kite and Nick Price, along with past champion Jeff Sluman, who captured the title in 2008, 2009 and 2011. Chip Beck, John Cook and fan-favorite Fuzzy Zoeller have also committed. Clint Eastwood is chairman of the event and Arnold Palmer, a trustee of The First Tee, is honorary co-chair, according to a press release.

Play was conducted on Pebble Beach Golf Links and Del Monte Golf Course on Friday and Saturday, and the final round was slated to move to Pebble Beach on Sunday.

For more information about the event, visit www.thefirstteeopen.com. To learn more about The First Tee of Greater Seattle, visit www.thefirstteeseattle.org

Read about more terrific young people in Bellevue in our . to be featured in this column.

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