Three high school golfers in Southwest Florida are gearing up to have the experience of a lifetime. Spencer Ives, Braden Miller and Amelia Alonso are all headed to play at Pebble Beach in California.
"That course is a bucket list course," said Ives, a junior at Community School of Naples.
The trio qualified to play in the 2024 PURE Insurance Championship, a PGA Tour Champions event showcasing 80 junior golfers from First Tee chapters around the country.
"I got a phone call about it and I was speechless," said Alonso, a senior at Fort Myers High School. "I didn't think I was going to get chosen because it's so hard to get into."
Ives, Miller and Alonso will represent the First Tee Naples Collier chapter.
"I'm super grateful for not only me, but for my other two people that I get to go with," said Miller. "I'm just super thankful for First Tee for allowing me to do this."
Although they will all play in the same tournament, the didn't all qualify the same way. Miller and Alonso went through a selective application process, judged on their personal growth, development through First Tee programs, and of course their playing ability.
"I feel this proves that I can really persevere because last time, I applied and I didn't get to go but this year, I still wanted to do it again,' said Alonso. "I got chosen this year. So it really shows that when you persevere, you can achieve your goals."
Ives was one of just two golfers to receive an exemption into the tournament. The 16-year-old qualified at the 2024 First Tee National Championship at Clemson, finishing in second place and snagging the invitation to Pebble Beach.
"I was just really excited," said Ives. "I obviously wanted to win that tournament but I knew that I had a spot basically if I played my game."
And now that spot is secured. The 80 junior golfers will each partner with a PGA Tour Champions player and amateurs for the week-long annual event.
"I think my plan going into it is to ask as many questions as I can," said Miller. "I bet my pro - I don't know who it is - but he would probably have so many stories that he'd be able to tell me and so many lessons to teach me."
You can catch them on the nationally televised tournament at Pebble Beach on September 20-22.
"I actually cannot wait," said Alonso. "I'm counting down the days."