Salina’s own Luke, a senior at Sacred Heart Jr/Sr High School, has achieved a significant milestone in his golfing career. Luke was selected from thousands of First Tee applicants across the country to participate in the 2024 Pure Insurance Senior PGA Tour event in Monterey, California. This prestigious tournament brings together young golfers with seasoned professionals on the PGA Tour.
To earn his spot in the tournament, Luke completed a series of requirements, including accumulating volunteer hours and demonstrating the core values of the First Tee program, an initiative that aims to shape young people through golf. From a large pool of applicants, only forty boys and forty girls were selected for this opportunity, each paired with a Senior PGA Tour player.
The exciting news of Luke’s selection was announced on Tuesday night at the Pebble Beach driving range during a special event featuring a concert by the rock band Train. The evening also included a closest-to-the-pin contest, in which Luke placed 5th, winning $2,000 for the Salina First Tee chapter.
After the contest, Luke was paired with Jeff Maggert, a Senior PGA Tour player with an impressive resume, including three PGA Tour wins and six Senior PGA Tour wins. Maggert has also represented the U.S. in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup.
Luke had two practice rounds—one at Pebble Beach on Wednesday, September 18, and another at Spyglass Hill on Thursday, September 19—before competing in the official tournament, which ran from Friday to Sunday. The tournament format paired juniors with professionals in a fourball competition, where the best score between the junior and pro counted on each hole.
On the first day at Pebble Beach, Luke and Maggert finished with a combined score of 6 under par, leaving Luke tied for 6th place. Their strong start put him in a good position to make the cut for the final round.
Day two at Spyglass Hill was more challenging, with fast greens and narrow fairways testing the players. Luke and Maggert managed to battle through the course, finishing the day tied for 8th. However, a 3-putt on the final hole dropped Luke to a tie for 11th with eight other boys, leaving just two spots available to advance to the final day.
Fortunately, a tie-breaker based on their first-round performance at Pebble Beach worked in Luke’s favor, allowing him to make the cut and play in the final round at Pebble Beach.
In Sunday’s final round, Luke and Maggert started in 12th place and played their way to a 4 under finish, securing an 8th-place tie in the team competition.
Luke’s performance at the tournament not only showcased his talent but also brought recognition to Sacred Heart and the Salina First Tee chapter, reinforcing the value of programs like First Tee in shaping the next generation of golfers.
