ROANOKE, Va. – On the doorstep of the Delta Dental State Open of Virginia at Ballyhack, the tournament once again provides a boost of support to youth development programming in our area.
The club is once again the site for this year's championship The Delta Dental State Open donated 17 thousand dollars to the First Tee of the Roanoke Valley. Following the giant check presentation, 75 area youth golfers from the First Tee and its partnership programs got to participate in a clinic with local golf professionals.
The professionals included Floyd County and Virginia Tech product Amanda Hollandsworth, fresh off her appearance in the Women's US Open. The up close and personal assistance made for a special morning at Ballyhack.
"You know just to be out here with all of these professionals and PGA members it's just incredible and it just feels like a dream really and I'm just waiting to wake up but i don't want to wake up cause I'm just living every minute of it and it's just unbelievable what's happening right now," 1st Tee participant and Hidden Valley golfer Harrison Withers said.
"I have gone through a lot of ups and downs in my college career and in my junior golf career but every year everyone is reaching out to me and just wishing me luck and wishing me the best and I want to be that supportive figure for these kids too," Women's professional golfer Amanda Hollandsworth said.
Tournament play opens this morning at 730 a.m. The field of 144 competitors begin 54 holes of stroke play.