PGA brothers teach golf, valuable lessons at Junior Clinic before Regions Tradition
Professional golfers take time before this week's Regions Tradition tournament to give area children some pointers about golf and life. (Christopher Jones/Alabama NewsCenter)
About 400 third through fifth graders from Birmingham-area schools took part in Alabama Power’s Junior Clinic on Tuesday in advance of this week’s Regions Tradition golf tournament. The students learned about valuable life lessons that come with the game of golf.
This year’s Junior Clinic featured PGA Tour Champions professionals and brothers Brad and Bart Bryant, who took to the driving range at Greystone Golf & Country Club to showcase their skills and talk to students about how their values have helped them succeed.
Regions Junior Clinic shows kids the values embodied in golf from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
Brad, who started playing the game at 11, and Bart, who started at 8, talked with the students about their start in golf and how they have helped each other in different ways. Along with sharing stories of their careers, the brothers taught the students about perseverance, maintaining good friendships and how to not be afraid to say “yes.”
“Practice does not make perfect, it makes permanent, so the longer you do something, the better you get at it,” Brad Bryant said.
Fellow PGA Tour Champions Todd Hamilton and Esteban Toledo and Brad Bryant’s caddy and good friend, Tony Smith, also shared stories of their careers and life lessons with the students.
Gene Hallman, executive director of the Regions Tradition, joined the brothers as host and emcee of the clinic.
“It’s important that we introduce young people to the game of golf, because golf is very special,” said Hallman. “It’s a game of integrity, it’s a game of honesty, it’s a game where you can play with friends and family or with business associates and you can play for an entire lifetime.”
The Regions Tradition is taking place through Sunday. Tickets start at $20 and children 18 and younger are admitted free with a ticketed adult. Stars of the PGA Tour Champions will compete in this major championship, including John Daly, Mark O’Meara, Steve Stricker, Tom Lehman and defending champion Bernhard Langer. For more information, please visit www.regionstradition.com.
