The Epson Tour, the official qualifying Tour for the LPGA, and the First Tee of Phoenix hosted a junior clinic on Tuesday from 9-noon at Longbow Golf Club as part of the fourth annual Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club, which begins on Thursday, March 30 at 7:00 a.m.
Epson Tour professionals Monifa Sealy, Justine Dreher, Amber Hensley, Samantha Heller, Lora Assad and Manuela Carbajo Re hosted the clinic along with staff members from The First Tee of Phoenix.
Approximately 300 students from Mesa Public Schools were on hand to learn about the game of golf and watch the professionals demonstrate different types of shots. Sealy even pulled off a trick shot with one of the students.
“Trick shots are a great way to get the kids involved and so the kids see some fun things about golf,” explained Sealy, a second-year professional. “It’s important to show them that golf is fun and it is not just about grinding on the range.”
One student, Kailani Deedon, has big dreams of one day playing on the LPGA Tour.
“I got to hit some shots and meet some of the LPGA Epson Tour players and I think they are really awesome because I want to be like them when I grow up,” said Deedon. “I really like listening to their stories and I like teaching my classmates a little about golf, helping them and showing them some of my skills.”
Deedon said she has loved playing golf since she was three years old.
“I work really hard and the LPGA is my overall goal in golf.”
For Sealy, doing clinics like these inspire her to one day try to open a sports club in her country of Trinidad & Tobago.
“One of my huge aspirations is to go back to Trinidad and open a huge golf clinic where I can have kids come out and learn about sports,” said Sealy. “Sports is a great way to develop relationships and develop yourself as a person. I love doing the clinics and I think what The First Tee is doing is a great thing.”
The students also got to ask questions to Epson Tour professionals Liz Nagel, Allyssa Ferrell, Caroline Martens, Mia Piccio and Megan Osland.
The Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club junior clinic in partnership with The First Tee of Phoenix is the largest junior clinic on the Epson Tour.
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