Heading to Pebble Beach---AGAIN!!!

TIGER'S BAAAAAAACCKKKKKKK!!!!!!

Whew! Or should I say SWOOSH!!! The Nike Superman pulls off another victory. I am exhausted from the sheer thrill it was in watching the tournament today. My son and I were glued to the TV for what seemed like an eternity because the round took sooooooo long. It was just excruciatingly fascinating golf. Tiger really is something special and when you see him perform like he did today you just KNOW this guy is in a class all his own. To watch him sink that putt on the 18th was unbelievable. I can only imagine what it must have been like to actually BE at the tournament. I can watch golf even if Tiger isn't playing, I enjoy it that much. However, when he does play it is MUST SEE TV because you just know on days like today he'll do something we'll be talking about for years to come.

Congrats to "THE" man!!!
Welcome Back!!!
We missed you!!!

MSJGA / The First Tee of Memphis gets a Ski Lift!

At a recent MSJGA / First Tee of Memphis Parent's Association meeting in attendance was Ms. B.J. Worthy of the Memphis Silver Bullets Ski Club. Ms. Worthy presented MSJGA with a check in the amount of $5,378.72 in honor of Cal and Melba Vinson for their commitment and work at MSJGA. The Vinsons are also one of the origninal founding members of the Ski Club. Since MSJGA/First Tee of Memphis is a non-profit organization it operates primarily on grants and donations from corporations, groups and individuals. The monies will be used to support the programs the youth's participate. Thanks for the lift Memphis Silver Bullets. The kids really appreciate it and thank you for recognizing the efforts or Cal and Melba.

First Tee of Memphis Junior Golfers WIN!!!

Estanula Neigborhood Association held its annual golf tournament at Tunica National Golf Course in Tunica, Ms. Junior golfer Clifton Jordan II was invited by Adams-Browne Dental Associates to put a team together and participate. Jordan decided to selected his team members from his fellow junior golfers that participate with him in the MSJGA/First Tee: Malik Luckett and Jalen Mathews. There was another junior golfer scheduled to play but failed to show up so the team of three set out on an almost impossible road with the weather in the 30s and the conditions very windy. However, the juniors took it one shot at a time and with a team score of 64, they were the winners. The group of season adult golfers were stunned but impressed by their victory. The President of the Association, Ed Browne III jokingly said the juniors are welcome to come back next year but will have to play from the champions tees. Clifton, Malik and Jalen are all honor students and represent the best and brightest of junior golfers at MSJGA/The First Tee of Memphis. They display the core values of the program in such a manner that typifies the youth that the program produces. Look for these juniors to do well playing for their respective schools and on the junior tours.

Clifton, Malik and Jalen show off their First Place Trophies. Well Done Guys!!!!

Memphis Junior Golfer to Play with the Pros--AGAIN!!

Sophomore junior golfer Clifton Jordan II is set to play in the PGA event the Zurich Classic in New Orleans in April. Cifton is a member of the First Tee of Memphis and was invited to play in the event by the First Tee home office.

Jordan has had a exciting golf experience over the past 6 months. In the summer of 2008 Clifton was one of 54 boys who qualified to play in the nationally televisied event on the Champions Tour Event, the Wal-Mart First Tee Open. Jordan, paired with local Memphian Champions Tour Player and former Charles Schwabb winner Loren Roberts, played at the picturesque world renowed Pebble Beach in Monterrey, CA. Jordan and Roberts were in 3rd place going into the final round of the event that Sunday, ending the day at 19th.


Below are pictures of Clifton warming up on the range after having breakfast with Loren Roberts in the Player's Hospitality Suite. Later, Roberts gives him a tip on hitting shots out of the bunker.

When asked about the experience Jordan said, "It is so difficult to explain how wonderful the event was or how excitiing it was to meet and play with a golfer I have heard about for years at First Tee. Mr. Roberts is the best. I was nervous playing in front such a large audience and on TV and he was so patient with me and he help me with some great tips. It was a huge honor for me to play with him. I will never forget that experience. I feel very lucky to have played it."

Clifton, who up until this past fall had played both football where he was the quarterback and golf in the same seaons, realized that he was going to have to make a choice between two sports that he loved to play. There were days where he'd leave school to play a golf match and change into his football uniform to play a game later that same evening. Eventually golf won out. He concluded that golf was more fun and offered him more opportunities than football ever could and with less chance of a serious injury. He is invariably compared to looking like Tiger Woods with most of his friends calling him "Little Tiger." Look like he made the right decision by all accounts.

In November 2008, Clifton was one of 50 top students selected from over the 2.2 million First Tee participates worldwide to participate in the Future Leaders Forum held in Orlando, Florida. The Forum, sponsored by The Toro Company and Walt Disney World offered those 50 students to learn about leadership skills, college choices and careers as well as careers with the golf industry outside of being a PGA Tour Player. Here Clifton is speaking to the group on teamwork and later enjoying some fun time at the Disney theme park.

In addition to being involved in the First Tee and golf, Jordan is an honor student at the prestigious Memphis University School where he writes for his school's newspaper and is involved in several community organizations and routine displays his speaking and leadership skills. He says that the MSJGA/First Tee program has done more than focus on playing golf but it has help him develop other talents that have made him a stand-out person. In addition he credits former MSGA junior golfers and present collegiate players, Clay Myers, Reginald Newton and Larry Dorse for setting a good example for him to follow. We're all proud of this multi-talented young and upcoming MSJGA Junior Golfer.

Presitigous Bill Dickey Invitational Gets a NEW HOME!

After years of playing the event in Orlando, 2009 will see the 10th Annual Bill Dickey Invitational move to a new home as he moves the golfing gala event to Atlanta. The event will be held the last week of June. Check back for more informatioin on this event as it becomes availabe or visit their website at www.nmjg.org.com