First Tee of Denver Golfer Pairs with McCarron to Finish 4th at Pebble

Manzanares and McCarron
The First Tee of Denver’s Mateo Manzanares and PGA TOUR Champions star Scott McCarron.

By Jon Rizzi

On Day One of the PURE Insurance Championship—the PGA Tour Champions event formerly known as The First Tee Open—Scott McCarron shot a 63 at Pebble Beach Resort’s Poppy Hills Golf Course, setting a course record to lead the field by one stroke.

And thanks to McCarron’s partner, Mateo Manzanares of The First Tee of Denver, their team was tied for the lead with a 62 in the gross best-ball competition. The following day, the Kent Denver senior helped his team even more, as McCarron shot a 72, while the team carded a 68.

The third and final round at Pebble Beach Golf Links ended with McCarron firing a 68 and the team logging a 67, numbers good enough for a  third-place finish for McCarron (12-under-par 203), and a fourth-place finish (18-under 197) for the team of McCarron/Manzanares. Bernhard Langer won both the overall tournament with a 17-under 198 and the team portion with Justin Potwora from The First Tee of Greater Portland, Ore. (18-under-par 194).

Manzanares also made the highlight reel by sticking a 205-yard approach to three feet on the par-4 eighth hole on Sunday.

As the PGA TOUR Champions Tweeted:

 

“He’s a great kid and has a really good game,” McCarron said of Manzanares after play concluded. “He had a degenerative left hip replaced a little over a year ago. He’s out there walking and playing golf and doesn’t complain at all about it. He’s a good little golfer. He’s got a bright future ahead of him.”

McCarron also had his partner work with his coach, E.A. Tischler.

Those pointers may come in handy during the statewide 3A Championship October 2 at Indian Peaks Golf Course in Lafayette. Manzanares qualified for the event September 18 at CommonGround Golf Course by tying for for fourth in the 3A regional, as his Kent Denver claimed the title.

Mateo Manzanares got to meet the legendary Tom Watson.
Manzanares got to meet the legendary Tom Watson. (Photograph By Nick Johnson)

 

Joining Manzanares from The First Tee of Denver was Cole Drew, a senior at Cherry Creek High School. One of only 81 participants selected to play in the PURE Insurance Championship benefiting The First Tee, Drew was paired with Steve Flesch. But while Flesch made the individual cut, finishing tied for 42nd at even-par 215, their team missed the two-round cut by seven shots, carding a 4-under-par 139.

Drew did impress the gallery with this shot to 15 feet on the par-3 17th…

 

Drew got to play in the consolation Core Values Cup on Sunday at Poppy Hills.

He also got to meet Tom Watson at the Legends and Leaders dinner after Thursday’s practice round.  The First Tee participants heard from such speakers as Condoleezza Rice, AT&T Tournament Director Steve John, Joe Louis Barrow, Leon Panetta, John Ashworth, Kevin Sorbo,  Matt Ginella, Ross Buchmueller and others.

Cole Drew and Tom Watson
Cole Drew and Tom Watson at the PURE Insurance Championship benefiting The First Tee. (Photograph by Nick Johnson)

Drew and Manzanares were fortunate enough to play a practice round at Poppy Hills with Alfonso Ribeiro (best known for playing Carlton on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air).

In the 12-year history of the tournament, only one Colorado-based team—Craig Stadler and Aaron Woodard—has won the pro-junior portion. That happened in 2004, in the inaugural year of the event.

Both Manzanares and Drew no doubt felt like champions during and after their experience at Pebble.

As First Tee of Denver Executive Director Paula Purifoy put it,  “We are so proud of these boys!”

Mateo Manzanares and Cole Drew at Pebble Beach
Mateo Manzanares (left) and Cole Drew represented The First Tee of Denver at Pebble Beach in The PURE Insurance Championship. (Photograph by Nick Johnson)

For the leaderboard, click here.

GET COLORADO GOLF NEWS DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX