13 Participants from First Tee-Greater Washington DC and First Tee Prince William County Chapters Earned the Inside-the-Ropes Roles
Washington, D.C. – September 9, 2024 – Thirteen participants from the First Tee-Greater Washington, DC and First Tee Prince William County chapters were selected to be standard-bearers at the 2024 Solheim Cup, which will be contested Sept. 13-15 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Va.
“We are so excited for these participants,” said Clint Sanchez, executive director of First Tee-Greater Washington, DC. “This is a wonderful opportunity for young people who are interested in the sport to get an inside-the-ropes look at the competition and see firsthand how these professional golfers prepare, play and compete.”
“The Solheim Cup is honored to partner with our local First Tee chapters to provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these First Tee participants to be standard-bearers. They will receive an exciting up-close experience at this premiere international women’s golf competition,” said Matt Hoover, tournament director of the 2024 Solheim Cup.
The Solheim Cup combines the tradition and prestige of the game of golf with the passion for one’s country and continent. This biennial, transatlantic team match-play competition features the 12 best European players from the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the 12 best U.S. players from the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour.
Following is a list of the 13 First Tee standard-bearers, their First Tee chapter affiliation and some background information about each person.
Joelle Barksdale
Age: 17
Hometown: Washington, DC
School: School Without Walls High School
Chapter: First Tee-Greater Washington DC
First Tee class location: Langston Golf Course and East Potomac Golf Links
Favorite part of First Tee: learning the life skills that have aided me thus far and will carry me through life
Standard-bearer excitement: watching how the players strategize and play each hole, the sportsmanship, and the dynamic environment created by the spectators and players
Favorite LPGA Tour player: Mariah Stackhouse
Favorite local golf course: Columbia Country Club
Dream foursome: Ben Hogan, Oprah Winfrey, my Dad and me
Grace Burrell
Age: 13
Hometown: Manassas, VA
School: Parkside Middle School
Chapter: First Tee Prince William County
First Tee class location: Lake Ridge Golf Course
Favorite part of First Tee: Getting to meet new people and play golf
Standard-bearer excitement: Getting a great view of action and seeing players up close
Favorite LPGA Tour player: Nelly Korda
Favorite local golf course: Stonewall Golf Club
Dream foursome: Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson, my Dad and me
Andrew David
Age: 16
Hometown: Alexandria, VA
School: Saint Paul the Great Catholic High School
Chapter: First Tee-Greater Washington DC
First Tee class location: Ft. Belvoir Golf Club
Favorite part of First Tee: Being around others who love the game and all of the support and opportunities the First Tee family offers me
Standard-bearer excitement: walk along the course with the best female golfers in the game and observe the high-intensity matches right in front of me
Favorite LPGA Tour player: Nelly Korda
Favorite local golf course: The Club at Creighton Farms
Dream foursome: Steph Curry, Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer and me
Philip Gray
Age: 14
Hometown: Kingstowne, VA
School: Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Chapter: First Tee-Greater Washington DC
First Tee class location: Ft. Belvoir Golf Club
Favorite part of First Tee: the values I have learned and the various playing opportunities
Standard-bearer excitement: to try something new and be so close to the players
Favorite LPGA Tour player: Nelly Korda
Favorite local golf course: Burke Lake Golf Course
Dream foursome: Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, my Dad and me
Malaika Jha
Age: 18
Hometown: Fredericksburg, VA
School: Muhlenburg College
Chapter: First Tee Prince William County, chapter employee/assistant
First Tee class location: Forest Greens Golf Course, PWC Golf Course, Lake Ridge Golf Course
Favorite part of First Tee: the kids I meet and get to work with
Standard-bearer excitement: meeting the players
Favorite LPGA Tour player: Lexi Thompson
Favorite local golf course: Shenandoah Valley Golf Course
Dream foursome: Lexi Thompson, Nelly Korda, Rose Zhang and me
Rosangela Le
Age: 17
Hometown: Woodbridge, VA
School: Osbourn Park High School
Chapter: First Tee Prince William County
First Tee class location: Lake Ridge Golf Course and Forest Green Golf Course
Favorite part of First Tee: meet new people while golfing and hit bomb shots
Standard-bearer excitement: walk the course with the players
Favorite LPGA Tour player: Nelly Korda
Favorite local golf course: Caves Valley Golf Club
Dream foursome: current high school golf team teammates – we’d make a fire foursome!
Maeve McGuire
Age: 15
Hometown: Alexandria, VA
School: Bishop Ireton High School
Chapter: First Tee-Greater Washington DC
First Tee class location: Ft. Belvoir Golf Club
Favorite part of First Tee: meeting so many welcoming and encouraging people
Standard-bearer excitement: watch the players navigate the course and play tough shots
Favorite LPGA Tour player: Lexi Thompson
Favorite local golf course: Belle Haven Country Club
Dream foursome: Lexi Thompson, Nelly Korda, Leona Maguire and me
Rory McGuire
Age: 17
Hometown: Alexandria, VA
School: Bishop Ireton High School
Chapter: First Tee-Greater Washington DC
First Tee class location: Ft. Belvoir Golf Club
Favorite part of First Tee: improving and perfecting aspects of my game and the satisfaction of seeing it pay off in my results
Standard-bearer excitement: view the match from a first-person perspective, gaining insight into what it might feel like to play at the highest level of competition
Favorite LPGA Tour player: Nelly Korda
Favorite local golf course: Belmont Country Club
Dream foursome: Lexi Thompson, Nelly Korda, Caroline Hedwall and me
Josephine Sanchez
Age: 16
Hometown: Alexandria, VA
School: Hayfield High School
Chapter: First Tee-Greater Washington DC
First Tee class location: Ft. Belvoir Golf Club
Favorite part of First Tee: Improving my game while having fun and building relationships
Standard-bearer excitement: getting to see the Solheim Cup competition up close
Favorite LPGA Tour player: Rose Zhang
Favorite local golf course: Pohick Bay Golf Course
Dream foursome: Rose Zhang, Hideki Matsuyama, my grandfather and me
Jack Schimler
Age: 17
Hometown: Gainesville, VA
School: Gainesville High School
Chapter: First Tee Prince William County
First Tee class location: Prince William Golf Course
Favorite part of First Tee: opportunity to increase my knowledge of the game by competing
Standard-bearer excitement: walking with players and getting an up-close view of play
Favorite LPGA Tour player: Lexi Thompson
Favorite local golf courses: Prince William Golf Course and Stonewall Golf Club
Dream foursome: Ludvig Aberg, Lexi Thompson, Luka Doncic and me
Aaliyah Shabazz
Age: 15
Hometown: Herndon, VA
School: Westfield High School
Chapter: First Tee-Greater Washington DC
First Tee class location: East Potomac Golf Course
Favorite part of First Tee: development of one’s comfort level and self-esteem
Standard-bearer excitement: walking inside the ropes with these great female players
Favorite LPGA Tour player: Lydia Ko
Favorite local golf course: Oak Creek Golf Club
Dream foursome: Lydia Ko, Nelly Korda, Tiger Woods and me
Claire Varughese
Age: 16
Hometown: Alexandria, VA
School: Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Chapter: First Tee-Greater Washington DC
First Tee class location: Ft. Belvoir Golf Course
Favorite part of First Tee: start with any skill level and you can still succeed
Standard-bearer excitement: seeing how players adjust when they don’t hit a great shot
Favorite LPGA Tour player: Nelly Korda
Favorite local golf course: Pohick Bay Golf Course
Dream foursome: Nelly Korda, Tom Holland, my older sister Grace and me
Skyler Xue
Age: 16
Hometown: Bethesda, MD
School: Montgomery Blair High School
Chapter: First Tee-Greater Washington DC
First Tee class location: Needwood Golf Course
Favorite part of First Tee: Learning about golf and life skills that
Standard-bearer excitement: walking with some of the best female golfers in the world
Favorite LPGA Tour player: Nelly Korda
Favorite local golf course: East Potomac Golf Links
Dream foursome: Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and me
About First Tee-Greater Washington, DC
First Tee-Greater Washington, DC is one of 150 First Tee chapters across the U.S. and select international locations. Its mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character and instill life-enhancing values through the game of golf. First Tee-Greater Washington, DC impacts more than 200,000 young people each year through programs delivered at 23 program locations, 300 schools and 30 community partners throughout Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, Montgomery County, MD and Prince George’s County, MD. Learn more at firstteedc.org.
About PGA TOUR First Tee Foundation (“First Tee”)
First Tee (www.firsttee.org) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization that is supported by the PGA TOUR. Its mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character and instill life-enhancing values through the game of golf. In 2022, First Tee celebrated its 25th anniversary and has reached millions of youth through its network of 150 chapters, 10,000 schools and 1,700 youth centers. Headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA, programs are delivered in all 50 United States and select international locations. President George W. Bush serves as Honorary Chair. Learn more at firsttee.org.
