WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – A Wilmington high schooler is preparing to play at one of golf’s most iconic courses this weekend.
Isaak Tschekunow, a junior at Hoggard High School in Wilmington, is playing in this weekend’s PURE Insurance Championship, a PGA Tour Champions event held at the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links along the California coast.
The tournament pairs 80 junior golfers with professionals, giving Isaak the chance to compete with other top golfers his age, and also learn from some of the best in the world. Throughout the weekend, he is paired with Retief Goosen, a two-time U.S. Open winner and World Golf Hall of Famer.
“This is just an experience of a lifetime,” Isaak said. “Being able to play at a high level, at a course like this, Pebble, it’s awesome. It really is. Nothing compares to it.”
Pebble Beach has hosted eight major tournaments across men’s and women’s golf, including six U.S. Opens. It’s one of the most well-known courses in the country.
The teenagers selected for the tournament range from ages 15-18, and represent nearly 50 First Tee chapters from around the country. The organization has chapters nationwide, including one in the Wilmington area, and focuses on integrating golf with a life skills curriculum.
Three years ago, Isaak moved to Wilmington from Egypt, and quickly became involved with First Tee Greater Wilmington. He credited the organization with helping him reach this weekend’s tournament. Junior golfers were chosen based on their golf skills and personal growth in the organization’s youth programs.
“There’s a lot of people who have really supported me through this journey,” he said. “I’m the only kid from Wilmington out here (at the tournament), and I definitely wanna show people that Wilmington has some good golfers.”
The event tees off on Friday. On Saturday night, the field will be cut down, and only 12 boys will advance to the final round Sunday, when one male and one female champion will be decided.
“There’s definitely some nerves,” Isaak said. “I wanna make that cut. It’s gonna be on TV, so never really had that happen before…I know I’ve got some people at home watching, and that’ll be pretty cool.”
Copyright 2025 WECT. All rights reserved.
