First Tee of Howard County Teen Selected to Compete in PGA TOUR Champions PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee

Branden Nguyen heads to Pebble Beach this month Columbia, Maryland (September 16, 2019) – The First Tee and PGA TOUR Champions have announced that Branden Nguyen will represent The First Tee of Howard County when he competes in the 2019 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee, an official PGA TOUR Champions event to be contested at Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, California, September 24-29. The 16^th annual event, which is hosted by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, will be televised internationally on Golf Channel.

Branden Nguyen, a senior at Atholton High School, has participated in The First Tee of Howard County for the past seven years. It was friendly competition between siblings that motivated him to take up golf; his older sister, Bryana, worked her way up through The First Tee of Howard County levels, going on to graduate from University of North Carolina Chapel Hill on a golf scholarship and become a professional golfer. In fact, Branden attended this same tournament back in 2011, cheering on Bryana as she played with PGA Tour member, Fred Funk. Branden’s accolades include serving as captain as the Atholton golf team, where he led in average scoring for the entire county last year, placed third in district championships and in the top 15 golfers in states. He is also a member of Atholton’s Letterman’s Club. In addition, Branden works as the assistant golf coach for the MAPGA Jr. League at Hobbit’s Glen. “We are thrilled that Branden has earned this well-deserved opportunity to represent The First Tee of Howard County on a national stage,” said Don Van Deusen, executive director of The First Tee of Howard County. “His hard work and commitment both on and off the golf course has led to this experience of a lifetime, and we know that Branden will make our community proud at Pebble Beach.” “It is a great opportunity to be one of the few selected to play at Pebble Beach with the Champions tour,” commented Branden. “I’m excited to represent my hometown chapter, The First Tee of Howard County, and cannot wait to play one of the most prestigious golf courses in the world. On top of that, my family will be there by my side. It’s going to be an awesome week.”

The PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee is the only event of its kind where 78 First Tee teenagers from across the country are paired up with 78 PGA TOUR Champions players and 156 amateurs during an official PGA TOUR Champions tournament. Nguyen will compete for the Pro-Junior Team title. He will join 77 other participants from First Tee chapters across the country. Participants were selected by a national panel of judges based on their understanding and application of the values and life skills learned through First Tee’s programs, as well as their playing ability. “We are proud to continue our involvement with this prestigious event and help support the great work of the Monterey Peninsula Foundation and First Tee,” said Katherine Frattarola, Chief Marketing Officer of the PURE Group of Insurance Companies. “The impact this event has on the incredible young men and women from the First Tee makes this sponsorship tremendously rewarding for our entire team.” The full junior field was revealed live on Golf Channel’s “Morning Drive” on July 3, including a video of World Golf Hall of Fame Member Jack Nicklaus surprising one of the First Tee participants. Other surprises by PGA TOUR players and Golf Channel hosts had been recorded over the last month and aired today as part of the PURE Insurance Championship announcement. This year’s field of professionals will include World Golf Hall of Fame Members Bernhard Langer, Mark O’Meara, Vijay Singh and Retief Goosen, as well as defending champion and recent KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship winner Ken Tanigawa. Clint Eastwood serves as chairman of the PURE Insurance Championship. Play will be conducted on Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course on Friday and Saturday, with the final round contested solely at Pebble Beach Golf Links on Sunday, where 23 First Tee juniors will compete based on their 36-hole performance. The tournament will crown one male and one female First Tee Junior Champion on Sunday. Nearly 1,000 teens from First Tee have played in the PURE Insurance Championship, experiencing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet, play and be mentored by PGA TOUR Champions players and amateurs in the field. The First Tee is a youth development organization dedicated to helping young people build character through the game of golf. The First Tee of Howard County is one of 150 chapters around the world introducing the sport of golf and First Tee’s Core Values to kids, positively impacting their lives. Serving the Howard County area since 2000, more than 20,000 kids have been impacted through The First Tee of Howard County’s programs. To learn more about First Tee of County, visit www.firstteehowardcounty.org. For more information on the 2019 PURE Insurance Championship, visit www.pureinsurancechampionship.com. For more information on Branden Nguyen, to request an interview or photos, contact Lindsley Stys at [email protected] or 443.824.6079.   *** About The First Tee of Howard County The First Tee of Howard County is one of the county’s premier youth organizations, providing life-skills instruction through the game of golf. Founded in 2000 and headquartered at the Fairway Hills Golf Course in Columbia, Maryland, the program is centered on nine core personal values that children aged 5 to 18, put into practice on the golf course, at home, at school and in every aspect of their lives. The First Tee’s Life Skills Experience allows participants to learn valuable lessons such as the importance of maintaining a positive attitude; how to make decisions by thinking about the possible consequences; how to define and set goals; and how to transfer values such as responsibility, honesty, integrity, respect, confidence and sportsmanship from the golf course to everyday life. Sessions are currently offered throughout the year at more than five local courses. For more information visit www.firstteehowardcounty.org, like us on Facebook, email [email protected] or call 410.730.1114.   About Monterey Peninsula Foundation Monterey Peninsula Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization which donates funds from the proceeds of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA TOUR and the PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee, a PGA TOUR Champions tournament. The Foundation focuses on improving the quality of life in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Benito counties. www.attpbgolf.com www.pureinsurancechampionship.com   About PURE Privilege Underwriters Reciprocal Exchange (PURE) is a member-owned reciprocal insurer dedicated to creating an exceptional experience for responsible high net worth individuals and families. PURE provides customizable coverage for high-value homes, automobiles, jewelry, art, personal liability, watercraft, flood, fraud and cyber fraud to more than 75,000 responsible, high net worth families throughout the U.S.  Inspired by some of the finest policyholder-owned companies, PURE emphasizes alignment of interests and transparency. PURE’s low cost of capital, careful member selection and proactive risk management all contribute to highly competitive rates. In return for a fee, PURE Risk Management, LLC acts as Attorney-in-Fact for PURE. PURE membership is subject to an executed Subscriber’s Agreement & Power of Attorney. For more information or to find a local broker, visit pureinsurance.com. You can follow PURE on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.   About PGA TOUR Champions PGA TOUR Champions is a membership organization of professional golfers age 50 and older, including 35 members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Tour’s mission is to provide financial opportunities for its players, entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back and generate significant charitable and economic impact in tournament communities. In 2019, the PGA TOUR Champions schedule includes 27 tournaments across the United States, Scotland and Canada, with purses totaling more than $56 million. The Charles Schwab Cup, which includes the Regular Season and the Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs, is used to determine the season-long champion. All events are televised in the United States, with most receiving complete coverage on Golf Channel, the exclusive cable-television partner of PGA TOUR Champions. Internationally, telecasts air in excess of 190 countries and territories, reaching more than 350 million potential households. Follow PGA TOUR Champions online at PGATOUR.com, at facebook.com/PGATOURChampions, on Twitter @ChampionsTour and on Instagram @championstour.   ###