Walking the hallowed grounds of Pebble Beach Golf Links on California’s Monterey Bay is a dream that very few amateur golfers will get the opportunity to live in their lifetime.
Bur for Redmond High School junior Lyle Rudnicki, that dream is about to become a reality.
The 16-year-old was recently invited to play in a unique Champions Tour event, the Home Care & Hospice First Tee Open, where junior golfers will get to tee it up with some of the game’s greatest legends throughout the three-day tournament.
Rudnicki has been a member of The First Tee, the event’s title sponsor, since he was nine years old.
According to The First Tee’s mission statement, the organization’s goal is to “impact the lives of young people by providing learning facilities and educational programs that promote character development and life-enhancing values through the game of golf.”
“I go to classes in the summer, fall and spring, usually once or twice a week for a few hours,” said Rudnicki on his involvement with The First Tee. “Part of the focus is learning life skills and life lessons through four stages: Par, birdie, eagle and ace. You learn different life skills in each stage and progress throughout the program.”
Rudnicki, who learned golf at a young age from his dad, Chez, said that he applied for this event through a rigorous process last year that involved golf scores, interviews, life skills tests and knowledge on the rules of golf.
After getting passed over last year, the sweet-swinging student-athlete was thrilled to get the nod this year, after submitting no fewer than five personal essays.
“My mom found out via e-mail, I thought I was going to get something in the mail,” Rudnicki said. “I was really happy.”
As special as it will be to play Pebble Beach, which has hosted six U.S. Open championships, Rudnicki admitted that he is most looking forward to the company he will share on the course.
“I’m really excited to play with the Champions Tour players, and hopefully Fred Couples because he’s from Seattle,” he said. “Hopefully I will be learning a bunch.”
Rudnicki will have to miss a few days of high school golf practice for the tournament, but according to Redmond High head coach Chris Zimmerman, it’s quite all right.
“This experience can only help Lyle grow as a player and a person,” Zimmerman noted. “He will be able to play golf and talk to men who have been playing this game competitively for 30-40 years. He will see how they handle pressure, manage the course, and interact with everyone around them.”
Rudnicki has been playing a busy summer schedule with the Washington Junior Golf Association (WJGA) and other events in preparation for what will be by far the toughest, and most fun, test of his young golf career.
“My goal is to make the cut,” he said, adding that there are 76 junior-pro pairs and the top 22 go on to the final round on Sunday.
Additionally, Rudnicki’s twin brother, Oliver, was one of 24 players selected from around the nation to participate in the PLAYer Advanced Academy through The First Tee, a collegiate golf training program at California State University —Monterey Bay last July.
Both Lyle and Oliver will begin their junior seasons with the Mustangs next week.
For more information on the Home Care & Hospice Open, visit the Web site at http://www.nahc.org/1stTeeOpen.
The tournament will air live on the Golf Channel Friday and Saturday, Sept. 3-4, from 3:30-5:30 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 5 from 4-7:30 p.m.
