Kailer Rundiks of The First Tee of Denver will team up with another Colorado resident, Evergreen’s Craig Stadler, for the pro-junior portion of this week’s Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, a PGA Tour Champions event on the Monterey Peninsula, Calif.
The tournament runs Friday through Sunday (Sept. 16-18) and will be televised by the Golf Channel from 4-7 p.m. each day.
Rundiks (pictured) is a member of the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program at CommonGround Golf Course and the Denver East High School golf team. Rundiks, a junior at East, finished 31st last year in the 5A state high school tournament.
Stadler, who was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame earlier this year, counts the 1982 Masters among his 13 PGA Tour victories. Last year at the First Tee Open, Stadler teamed up with another then-Denver East golfer, Brock Dowdy.
Rundiks is one of 81 First Tee members who will compete in the pro-junior portion of the First Tee Open with Champions professionals. The golfers will play one round each at Pebble Beach and Poppy Hills Friday and Saturday before playing at Pebble Beach on Sunday if they make the cut.
(Sept. 17 Update) Rundiks and Stadler missed the 36-hole cut in the pro-junior after posting rounds of 70-74 for a 144 total.
Former Castle Pines resident Esteban Toledo won the Champions title at Pebble Beach last year.
Besides Stadler and Toledo, players with strong Colorado ties competing in the Champions field include Hale Irwin, Gary Hallberg and Brandt Jobe.
