Pebble Beach, Ca — As a little girl, Maleah Clark tagged along with her father, Coach Karland, when he headed to the course to play with friends. Those quiet morning rounds sparked a love of golf that First Tee – Inland Empire has helped grow ever since, and this September it carried her to one of the most famous courses in the world.
Maleah, now 16 years old, was one of just 80 First Tee participants from 52 chapters nationwide selected to play in the 2026 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee, an official PGA TOUR Champions event held at Pebble Beach. The tournament gives First Tee teens a national stage to show the skills and values they have learned at their chapters, and it pairs each one with a golf legend who serves as a playing partner and mentor for the week.
Maleah’s partner was Hall of Famer Ernie Els and from the first tee shot on Friday, she looked right at home. She and Ernie climbed to the top of the leaderboard by the back nine and attention followed. As reporters, cameras and drones tracked her group, Golf Channel featured her in prime time. As Maleah recounted,
“When I started to notice the cameras I got excited. I personally like to be filmed and watched when I played golf. The whole day I was saying to myself, “Grow through Challenge,” which helped me stay focused on my game instead of how I was performing for the crowd.”
Maleah is no stranger to big stages – she’s competed and won first place in her age group at the TGR Invitational, also held at Pebble Beach Resorts, where she teed off in front of Tiger Woods. She also competes on Stephen Curry’s Underrated Golf Tour. “I was told a lot that week how most kids couldn’t handle being on camera and how natural I looked,” she said.
She finished the day two under par on her own. Afterward, Els told her parents she reminded him of Michelle Wie, one of her favorite golfers. “The fact that a Hall of Famer and four-time major winner told me those words means a lot,” Maleah said, “and is something that I will forever hang onto.”
The team was in second place heading into Sunday’s final round at Pebble Beach, where Maleah and Els started three shots off the lead. The gap looked too big to close until the 16th hole, when she faced a 50-foot putt with about 15 feet of break. She and Els talked through the line, and she told herself simply “get it to the hole.” It dropped into the center of the cup for birdie, and she was tied for the lead.
On the par 5 18th, after leaving her fourth shot short out of the bunker, Els gave her one instruction: “Alright, just chip it in.” She obliged and chipped in for par. “Nothing could beat the way the crowd celebrated,” she said.
Maleah finished tied for first but placed second after a card-off. It stung, but she didn’t let it define her week.
“I looked back on the amazing week and told myself that I wouldn’t have changed a thing.”
That night, she found the winner, shook her hand, and congratulated her.
That kind of character is exactly what First Tee sets out to build. Maleah has learned to chase big goals and keep her head cool. “At Pure, I wanted to give it everything I had,” she said, “… stay focused, focus on the positives, and don’t give up.”
No one was prouder than the man who first brought her to the course. All week long, her dad, Coach Karland, told her how proud he was and how his dreams had already come true.
Now Maleah is reaching for her next goal: college golf. Her journey shows what young people can achieve when they have access, mentorship and people who believe in them. We’re so proud of Maleah, her hard work, and her determination and can’t wait to see what comes next for her!
Take a look at the GOLF Channel interview by clicking the LINK below!