At The First Tee, core values like perseverance and confidence are key in not only teaching golf but the life skills that come with it. These two values are no stranger to nineteen-year-old Norman Xiong. An alumnus of The First Tee of San Diego, Norman joined the program at the age of five when his family moved to the states from Guam to pursue Norman’s passion for the game. Norman’s hard work paid off as he recently played in the Farmers Insurance Open after being granted an exemption to play in the PGA TOUR event.
Participants of The First Tee of San Diego wish Norman luck before The Farmers Insurance Open
We asked Norman, who is currently playing college golf at the University of Oregon, to tell us about his time at The First Tee and what it was like to play in the PGA tournament.
1) Tell us about your time at The First Tee.
I started at the First Tee at the age of 6. The program became a second home for me as I grew through elementary school. It was a place I could go and learn about myself, others, do my homework, and learn many life skills early in life. It’s also a place I’ve met some of my best friends. For example, I met Donald Kay in Par class when I was 6 years old. Now 13 years later, Donald and I are roommates and play together at Oregon. I can say without a doubt that my life has been greatly improved because of The First Tee program.
2) Did Your experience at The First Tee influence your decision to play college golf?
Growing up at The First Tee, college was always something I knew I would do. There was talk with people around golf that I may just turn pro after high school. But I always knew college was something I wanted to experience.
My situation starting at Oregon was unique. I graduated high school early and began at Oregon mid-school year. It was a tough transition to begin something as new as college when all the other freshmen were already in the rhythm of things. During these challenges, I relied even more on the life skills I learned at The First Tee. Skills like meeting someone new, goal setting, and time management were all key in making the transition as smooth as possible.
I absolutely love being a Duck and going to school at Oregon. Going there was the perfect decision for me and I’m still not done learning.
Norman Xiong, student and college golfer, University of Oregon
3) What were your thoughts going into the Farmers Insurance Open and playing at such a professional level?
My family had a goal for me to play in one PGA TOUR event before I considered turning pro. Hearing that I got into the Farmers Insurance Open and my first PGA TOUR event would be in my hometown was something I still can’t believe happened. Especially with the ties with charitable giving from the Farmers and The First Tee of San Diego.
My biggest goals for the event were to have fun, gain experience, and see where I needed to improve my game to be eventually ready for the PGA TOUR. Just like I prepared for college well ahead of time, preparing for the PGA TOUR is something I want to equally be ready for. The Farmers in a sense was like visiting colleges in high school. To see how it looked and felt so I could become comfortable early.
4) Do you have any advice for participants at The First Tee who want to pursue college golf and/or play at the professional level?
The biggest bit of advice I would have for anyone who wants to pursue college golf is the importance of school. I was around a lot of talented golfers who thought their golf game would make it so their grades were not as important. Unfortunately, they learned the hard way that what you do in the classroom is equally weighted as what you do on the golf course. Those golfers, unfortunately, didn’t get to go to their dream schools.
For their golf game, I would always stress to enjoy the game, not the rewards. At the end of the day it’s a game, and you’ll never be your best if you don’t love it.
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When you think of golf, you may see it as just a game. You go out on the course, swing a few clubs, play a few holes and tally up your score.
Noor Ahmed, PGA TOUR player Billy Hurley III, Adam Zakaria
How can a game like golf make a positive impact on lives? Just how can golf make a difference?
On April 26th we celebrated National Golf Day and why golf is much more than a game. Industry and political leaders came together on Capitol Hill to discuss golf’s benefits to the economy, charity, fitness and the environment. PGA TOUR player Billy Hurley III, along with U.S. Representatives, Senators and invited guests also heard touching stories about golf’s personal impact from two participants of The First Tee.
excerpts from their stories:
Noor Ahmed, The First Tee of Greater Sacramento
Noor Ahmed, The First Tee of Greater Sacramento
“In my very first moment with The First Tee, Coach Angie taught me how to goal set. I learned whilst standing on the first tee box how to shake hands with my playing partners, look them in the eye, say my name loudly and clearly and to tell them it was nice to meet them. I know that it sounds so silly but that was a huge accomplishment for me. Coach Angie noticed me—the shy, introverted girl in the corner that no one saw before—and through her small action she told me that I was a part of a group and that I was wanted. My journey with The First Tee began there. I made friends with other golfers my age, that would mold me in ways that I would never have imagined.My friends at The First Tee of Greater Sacramento helped me indirectly in other ways. I am an American Muslim, but for a long time I struggled with that aspect of my identity. When I chose to begin wearing the hijab, or headscarf, in 7th grade, I lost a lot of friends. They couldn’t see past the way I dressed or my faith, which made me question whether being American and Muslim were antithetical. I remember the first time I went to my chapter after beginning to wear the hijab and nobody even noticed, or if they did they didn’t seem to care. I was still Noor to them. I was a part of our chapter’s family and that was all that mattered to them and that is what I learned they mean to me.”Adam Zakaria, alumnus, The First Tee of the Central Coast
Adam Zakaria, The First Tee of the Central Coast
“In addition to the guidance I received as a participant of The First Tee, the lessons I learned have helped me succeed off the golf course. By embodying the core values of responsibility and confidence, I graduated as the Salutatorian of my high school and was admitted to the University of California, Berkeley as a Regents’ and Chancellor’s scholar, a distinction awarded to the top 2% of the incoming class. However, the academic rigor that I encountered at UC Berkeley was much greater than what I was accustomed to in high school. Rather than panic or allow myself to become stressed out, I decided to implement The First Tee strategy STAR, which stands for Stop, Think, Anticipate, Respond. After analyzing the situation, I realized that what I was missing in Berkeley was a Go-to Team, and therefore I began branching out to those around me for support. I got to know my classmates, attended my professor’s office hours, and spoke with major advisers. By forming support networks with those around me and putting a great deal of time into my studies, I have been able to maintain a 4.0 GPA as a graduating senior in the competitive major of Molecular and Cell Biology, and will be moving on to medical school this upcoming fall.”
MORE THAN A GAME
Offered are more than 1,200 locations, The First Tee golf and life skills program was developed by experts in the field of positive youth development and is delivered by trained coaches . Our mission is to help prepare kids and teens from all backgrounds for success in all areas of life. Chapters offer full scholarship or reduced fee programming for those with financial need. No one is ever turned away for inability to pay.
Find The First Tee Location in Your Community
During the 2016 Ryder Cup held at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., The First Tee of the Twin Cities located in St. Paul hosted a private luncheon with special guest Tim Finchem, Commissioner of the PGA TOUR. One of the chapter’s outstanding participants, Parker Reddig, was given the opportunity to speak to the guests about his how The First Tee taught him perseverance and how that core value has shaped his life.
I started playing golf from the time I could walk.
“Rain, shine, cold or snow, I found a way to hit balls. My parents knew at an early age I had a unique passion for a game, that, quite frankly, they knew very little about.
Being a young Midwestern kid in a state that lives and breathes hockey and other sports like baseball or football, I was quickly out on an island in terms of having friends to enjoy, play and practice golf with. It actually got to the point that I was being teased about what I loved to do as early as kindergarten.My friends did not understand my love for the game.
My parents came across The First Tee chapter in St. Paul and signed me up for the summer classes. Little did I know, at the young age of 6, that this would have such a major impact on my life.
Fast forward to today.
Looking back and being able to understand life lessons, I want to share what The First Tee has really meant to me.
Sure, the program and my instructors taught me about putting, chipping and hitting balls, but the real value I will take with me for the rest of my life are the Nine Core Values and the opportunities The First Tee has provided me through the years.
Of the Nine Core Values I was taught, I feel that perseverance has, and will continue have, the greatest impact for me into my adult life. Perseverance is having the ability to persist and succeed in the face of obstacles and adversity. To do this, you need to have confidence and believe in yourself. Not only are these the situations we all face in every round of golf we play, it is experienced everyday of our lives.
How i use PERSEVERANCE in my life
Growing up in a snow-covered state loving a game that you can only play four months a year was the beginning of my lesson in perseverance. Now I use it:
Doing my nightly homework
Learning challenging subjects in school
Helping friends and family when in need
And, most recently, writing and giving my senior speech (on perseverance) in front of 400 students and faculty
OPPORTUNITIES
Through The First Tee, I was fortunate enough to have been a junior on-course reporter for my chapter at the 3M Championship, a PGA TOUR Champions event. I also attended the 2013 The First Tee Life Skills & Leadership Academy in San Diego where we not only worked on our game but also learned even more about how to apply the Nine Core Values to everyday life.
Lastly, I need to share the most important and lasting memory The First Tee has given me.
I was selected to play in the 2013 Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach where junior golfers were paired with a PGA TOUR Champions player. My main goal was to have fun, but I also really wanted to make the cut.
Only the top 23 teams of 81 would tee off on Sunday. After Day 1, my partner, Jeff Sluman, and I sat pretty far outside that cut line at 1 under par. I could feel that goal and dream slipping away and knew we needed a strong Day 2. By the end of day two we climbed the leaderboard and found ourselves shooting 11 under par as a team that day and sitting in 2nd place.I found myself being announced on the first tee box, in front of a large crowd of spectators in the final round of a professional event at Pebble Beach on Sunday. This was another lesson in confidence and perseverance. I achieved my goal, which in turn created a dream come true.
What DOEs this all add up to?
On November 9, 2016, I will sign my official national letter of intent to attend and play college golf atFlorida State University.
Thanks to The First Tee and a long road of perseverance, this life goal has been achieved.”
Golf Channel host Damon Hack with interns (L-R): Lauren Conder, Drake Mosley and Kayla Jackson
By Chris Hybl
Golf Channel, The First Tee’s proud media partner, has given threealumni of The First Tee a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity this summer–a 12-week summer internship at the Golf Channel studios in Orlando! The program allows these junior golfers to gain first-hand experience in their respective areas, while developing work samples for their personal portfolio. Continue reading “Golf Channel Gives Three Alumni Chance of a Lifetime”
I started playing golf from the time I could walk.
