The Mentor Cup in Myrtle Beach, SC was held October 27-29, a Successful Weekend of Golf, Mentoring and Fellowship. First Tee Savannah attended for the first time. It was an incredible experience and enjoyable for our coaches and golfers. The Mentor Cup is an annual golf tournament created because of Gene Weldon’s Dream.
Gene Weldon was a near 50 year PGA Professional in the famous Carolinas section. He was an instrumental figure, alongside golf legend Carolyn Cudone, in the foundation and development of a formidable junior golf program in the Myrtle Beach area. Described by all who crossed his path as a true gentleman who would do anything to help a friend, Weldon is sorely missed as he lost a hard fought battle to cancer in January of 2017. Gene’s passion was youth golf but he didn’t just teach children how to play the game. He taught them how to love it. He believed golf was a reflection of life and that life is about friendship and responsibility. Gene was a passionate supporter of The First Tee chapters of Brunswick County and the Grand Strand through a variety of innovative programs, tournaments and fundraising activities.
First Tee Savannah was a part of 72 participants from 7 First Tee Chapters across 4 States: Coastal Carolina, Greater Charlotte, Charleston, Greater Wilmington, Low Country, Savannah and Central Florida. First Tee Savannah took home a first and second place, two closest to the pins, but more importantly improved our relationships with each other and made lifelong memories.
It was a very well run event with Top Golf Friday Night with a Q&A session with Nancy Lopez, Roger Steele, and Kelly Tilghman. We played a 2 person scramble on Saturday with 3 teams: (Wil Weldon and Emma Parker), (Al Small and Maya Lilja), (John Parker and Quentin Brooks). Emma and Wil placed first with a score of 65, Al and Maya placed second with a 67, and Quentin and I placed 6th with a 74. Maya and Quentin also took home closest to the pin awards. The course was challenging but also encouraging as there were sponsors at every hole passing out Halloween candy, golf balls, and drinks. It was a constant positive experience with reminders to have fun and work together throughout the weekend.
Thank you to our wonderful host and volunteers who made the Mentor Cup possible, First Tee Savannah will certainly be back. Special thanks to Gene’s Dream and First Tee-Coastal Carolinas for making this possible for our mentors and kids. Also congratulations to our First Tee program participants and thank you to our coaches for your unwavering support. If you are interested in becoming a First Tee Savannah coach please contact us.