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He was the first off the course Tuesday at the Willie Low Invitational, a coincidence befitting a young golfer representing The First Tee. It’s an organization that is creating leaders.
Michael Guardiola is just 15 and already works at helping First Tee 10-year-olds. That’s the basic idea of the program: teach golf to kids who might not otherwise have the chance to play the game, with a strong emphasis on academic and character development.
“He started with First Tee when he was 10,” said Michael’s father, Sal. “It’s a superb program that teaches them core values to be quality citizens.
“Their Nine Core Values parallel life.”
Those Nine Core Values are honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, respect, confidence, responsibility, perseverance, courtesy and judgment. For the record, Michael quickly rattled off six after 18 grueling holes and four-plus hours in the early summer sun before drawing a blank. Lunch was calling, after all.
 He and his brother Sal II, a senior-to-be at Brophy Prep, are both Eagle Level members. That means they have been certified through extensive golf- and life-skills classes to help teach the youngest First Tee members.
“We don’t have the highest level, which is called Aces, here in Arizona, but we will soon,” Michael said with an eagerness that makes it obvious he’ll shoot for that Ace when the opportunity arises. He’s been able to recognize opportunity thus far.
He played last Labor Day in a First Tee event at Pebble Beach. He and his brother both have been accepted into a First Tee qualifier next month in Arkansas after an extensive application, essay and recommendation-letter process that sounded more like applying for college than entering a golf tournament.
“It’s been fun for me,” Michael said. “The people I’ve met and the friendships I’ve developed with all these different personalities.
“And now I get to be a mentor for the younger kids.”
He was part of an historic field for this year’s version of the Low Invitational.
It’s the 40th year of the event named in honor of the longtime pro at the Phoenix Country Club and always played there. The anniversary will go down as one with some drama, too.
Desert Vista grad Kevin Witte was in the last pairing of the day, meaning that Evan Markley of Scottsdale waited a long time atop the leaderboard after a sizzling 29 on the front nine helped him finish at even par 71.
Witte struggled on the final two holes but held on to fire a 1-under 70 to win the title. That means his name will be added to the back of next year’s official bag tags along with, among others, former Maryvale Municipal Course director and first-year winner John Martin (1969) and two-time winners Billy Mayfair (1983-84) and John Douma (1991-92).
Scores from the tournament, click here!
Photo Slideshow by The Ledger, click here! |
