Kaleb lester by Tacey Lenyard

http://www.montereyherald.com/golf/ci_21029692/tommy-wright-golf-pebble-beach-just-what-bobby

Tommy Wright, On Golf: Pebble Beach just what Bobby Clampett needed Tommy Wright On Golf Monterey County Herald Posted:

MontereyHerald.com

Bobby Clampett is no stranger to Pebble Beach. The Peninsula native attended Stevenson School as a child and has played countless rounds at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Clampett shot a 4-under 68 at Pebble Beach on Saturday to move into third place at 5-under overall in the Nature Valley First Tee Open after two rounds. He has extensive knowledge of Pebble Beach, but he said it isn't an advantage because there are many players on the Champions Tour with plenty of experience at the course. Clampett said what he is benefiting from is a mental advantage that comes when he returns home to the Peninsula. "It's like a whole new mindset coming back here," he said. "I get so excited coming back here to play and it's just an attitude, nothing more than that." It should come as no surprise that Clampett played well at Pebble Beach. His fifth place at last year's First Tee Open was his best finish of the season on the Champions Tour. Jumping back in time a bit further, Clampett shot a 68 at Pebble Beach in the first round of the 2000 U.S. Open. Thirty years ago, Clampett finished third at the 1982 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach after sitting alone atop the leaderboard earlier in the event. After four top-10 finishes in his first six Champions Tour events this season, Clampett hasn't broke the top 40 in his past five tournaments. He said Pebble Beach was just what he needed to get back on track. "I know (that) I know these golf courses, I know I can work on my game and that I'm not going to misread a bunch of putts," he said. "I know where to put the ball and certainly when the greens get firm like this it is even more important to try and position certain shots." Clampett heads into Sunday's final round in striking distance from the lead, three strokes behind Tom Kite and Brad Bryant. If he plays with the confidence he had on the course Saturday, Clampett could earn his first Champions Tour victory. "It helps me stay focused and positive and looking forward and (keeps me from) giving up," he said about playing in front of his family and friends. "It keeps your mind in the ballgame." While Clampett said his knowledge of the course didn't provide him with much of an advantage, it was a big help for his junior partner. "The way he prepares himself for the greens is what he really taught me," said Kaleb Lester, a 16-year-old who attends Carrboro High School in North Carolina. "Being from this local area, he knows where the pins are going to be and how the greens are sloping, so he really helped me out." Lester is tied for eighth place after finishing at 5-under 67 in the gross best ball format junior event. Page 1 of 2

Dec 19, 2013 09:33:14PM MST

http://www.montereyherald.com/golf/ci_21029692/tommy-wright-golf-pebble-beach-just-what-bobby

Clampett said he wished that The First Tee was around when he was a junior golfer. He won the California State Amateur title in 1978 and again in 1980. Both were at Pebble Beach. One of the amateurs who was grouped up with Clampett on Saturday was former NFL player and head coach Herman Edwards. Clampett said he played golf with Edwards back in 1978. "Back then, all he did was hit irons; he couldn't hit a wood," a grinning Clampett said. "He still can't hit a driver, he hits a 3-wood, so he hasn't changed that much." Edwards remembered when he met Clampett. "It was really fun to watch him develop as a golfer, but I obviously went on to do something other than golf that was safer for me and that was football," said Edwards, a Monterey High graduate. "It was fun just to reacquaint with Bobby. We've seen each other passing at times, but now he's going to be back on the Peninsula and I'm going to be back on the Peninsula so hopefully we can hook up with our families." While Edwards has moved into a larger role as an analyst with ESPN, Clampett is no longer a regular broadcaster while he shifts his focus on golf again. "It's funny because he hasn't really broadcasted the last two years, so he said people still think he's a broadcaster and he says 'I'm on the (Champions) Tour now!' And I said 'I know!' Every time when I watch the Champions Tour and Bobby's playing, I always make sure to watch him and root for him," Edwards said. After Saturday's round, Edwards said Clampett is in good shape heading into Sunday. "He's hitting the ball good and he's putting well and that's what this game is about, putting," he said. "He's a fantastic player and he's good for golf and he's good to be around these kids for The First Tee because he has a great attitude. Him and the kid he's playing with, Kaleb, they might win this thing." Tommy Wright can be reached at twright@montereyherald.com and 646-4457. Follow him on Twitter @WrightScribe.

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Dec 19, 2013 09:33:14PM MST

Thursday, November 29, 2012

American Junior Selects Two Participants from The First Tee for Field

Kaleb Lester and Marianne Li Break Ground as Inaugural Participants from The First Tee In a Key International Tournament at World Golf Village (St. Augustine, FL) -- Kaleb Lester lists on his self-authored bio not his best tournament performances as his most memorable on-course experience, but a rules issue that called up The First Tee core value of Honesty. Similarly, Marianne Li lists as her favorite value, Courtesy for the game she says is meant to be played with great respect. Now the two players, Lester from Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Li from Seattle, are joining an elite field of international players in the World Junior Golf Series' American Junior at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, FL.

"Kaleb and Marianne are great examples of the growing number of exceptionally talented and competitive players coming up through The First Tee network," said Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., chief executive of The First Tee. "This event is a wonderful opportunity for them and I wish them both the best of luck. We appreciate World Junior Golf Series providing the invitation for them to play."

The American Junior is the final leg of the World Junior Golf Series, a 501c3 not-for-profit corporation, whose dual mission is to 1) provide world class tournament experiences for the world's best players and, 2) recognizing that most of these players will not become professional golfers, provide an educational platform that helps them become better world citizens - perhaps civic leaders, doctors or business people. The 54-hole championship will feature 78 players from more than 20 countries competing to become known as the number one boy and girl in the world. The tournament will be held at the World Golf Village on the Slammer & Squire Course from December 20-22, 2012.

In September, organizers announced that two participants from The First Tee, a nonprofit youth development organization that is a division of the World Golf Foundation, would be invited to play, Lester, a junior at Carrboro High School in Chapel Hill, who currently carries a +2.4 handicap index, represents The First Tee of the Triangle. Li, a scratch golfer and sophomore at Newport High School in Bellevue represents The First Tee of Greater Seattle. Both list music and other sports on their bio as other interests, and both credit The First Tee as giving them their passion for the game. Each player fits in well with the mission of The First Tee and the mission of the World Junior Golf Series: to help young golfers become better people, not just better players.

"We have in the World Golf Foundation and the World Junior Golf Foundation very similar missions," said Steve Mona, CEO of the World Golf Foundation and tournament Patron. "Each of our initiatives positively impact people's lives through the game of golf and its values. I am delighted that the world's finest junior golfers will be coming to play in the shadow of the World Golf Hall of Fame, where the greatest golfers in the world are honored and celebrated."

In its fourth year, this is the first year the American Junior is being held at World Golf Village, the venue organizers feel will be its permanent home. Said Susanna Rosswag, President of the World Junior Golf Series, "When you think about this global field and the level of competition, it only makes sense that they should play in the shadow of the World Golf Hall of Fame in a place that represents the entire golf world." She continued, "Our goal is to create a community of players, volunteers, spectators and sponsors that truly care about junior golf and the values the game instills, and our hope is to permanently play the tournament at World Golf Village."

The tournament is free to spectators. Tee times will begin at 9:00 AM on the first and tenth tees each day. The official practice round on Wednesday, December 19 is also open to the public. Volunteer spots are also available. Those interested can call the tournament office at 904.540.8608.

http://www.thegolfwire.com/stories/274742[12/19/2013 10:35:06 PM]

Contact: Mark D. Berman

MediaShare Consulting Group

904.838.4962

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