Brandon Teeny wins Junior Golf-a-Thon

How many holes can you play in one day? Brandon Teeny pushes the limit and inspires everyone around him. Tonight we witnessed the magic of sports front and center when The First Tee of Greater Seattle hosted its third annual Junior Golf-a-Thon at the Jefferson Park Par 3 Golf Course.  Throughout the event, our young participants were challenged to find out how many holes of golf they could play in one day.  They took on fundraising responsibilities for the event, collecting pledges and procuring monetary donations in support of the chapter. From 9:00am to 11:59pm on July 18, an AMAZING young man named Brandon Teeny played 181 holes of golf. Brandon Teeny isn’t your average teenager.  He lives with a developmental disorder called cerebral palsy, which affects his balance and motor skills.  This, however, in no way, shape, or form defines him as a person or an athlete.  Rather, Brandon is known for his talents, his character, and his vibrant personality. Brandon has been involved with our chapter for over 8 years, where he has seen and experienced so much.  While I haven’t known Brandon long, I have been fortunate to get to know him this year through our mentoring program. True to form, not only did Brandon accomplish an incredible milestone and eclipse Golf-a-Thon records, but he did so with class.  He cited “playing today with so many random people” as the highlight of the day. Brandon played the course in order and waited patiently, especially when playing with younger participants.  Yet, he still remained a man on a mission. I asked Brandon around 10pm how many birdies he had on the day of the 120-some holes he had played at the time. He replied, “It would be 1 but it hit the flagstick, so technically it’s a 2 shot penalty.”  I admired his honesty – It was sincere and genuine.  He took pride in acting with integrity, which is an admirable quality, particularly for such a young individual.  Brandon proved that he is wise and mature well beyond his years. Brandon is an amazing human being.  He inspires me and so many others, and we are lucky that he has remained part of The First Tee of Greater Seattle. Cheers to you, Brandon. Here’s to your perseverance, and congratulations on an incredible milestone!