From Picadome to Pebble Beach.
Every golfer can dream, right?
For Will Sallee, the dream has come true.
Sallee, a junior at Lafayette, is in California this week to play in The Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach.
He and Grace Rose, a junior at West Jessamine, will represent The First Tee of Lexington in the Champions Tour event. They are among 81 junior players (ages 16-18) from around the country selected to play in the tournament, which starts Friday at Pebble Beach and Del Monte.
Rose has been paired with John Cook, who is seventh on this year's Champions Tour points list. They will start Friday's round at 11:47 a.m. (EDT). Sallee will play with British pro Roger Chapman, who won the Senior PGA Championship in May. Their Friday tee time is 3:55 p.m.
Sallee was playing golf with his dad last month at the Gay Brewer Jr. Course at Picadome when his mom called to give him the good news.
"We were just jumping up and down like crazy," Sallee said.
Rose already has a few, albeit fuzzy, memories of Pebble Beach. She walked the famed course when her older sister Ashley represented The First Tee of Lexington in this tournament in 2006 and 2007.
"I was only in the fourth and fifth grade, so I don't remember a lot," Grace said.
"But Ashley has told me the course and its views are amazing, and so are all the people you meet there.
"It's a huge honor to be able to go."
Sallee feels the same way.
"It's great to be able to go for the First Tee of Lexington, and to be in that tournament atmosphere and play with the pros," he said.
Henry Clay boys' golf coach Stephen Keinath, who works with The First Tee of Lexington along with Dave Bunnell, will caddy for Sallee.
Mike Fields: (859) 231-3337. Twitter: @MikeFieldsNotes. Blog: fieldsnotes.bloginky.com


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