Colin Vineberg, a senior at St. Paul’s School for Boys in Brooklandville, was recently selected a 2023 First Tee College Scholar by the PGA Tour First Tee Foundation Inc.
First Tee is a nonprofit youth development organization supported by the PGA Tour. Since 1997, First Tee has reached millions of young people through its network of 150 chapters, 11,000 schools and 1,900 youth centers. Headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, First Tee programs are delivered in all 50 states and select international locations.
This year’s First Tee Scholarship class includes 24 students from across the nation who will receive access to professional development opportunities, a dedicated mentor and up to $20,000 in financial support during their college career.
“Welcome to our new class of Scholars and congratulations on being selected,” said First Tee CEO Greg McLaughlin. “The decision to embark on higher education is an important one and I am proud that First Tee can continue to support alumni through the process.”
Each scholar was selected for demonstrating character and a strong work ethic on the golf course and in the classroom, which will help them succeed at such schools as Howard University, the University of Southern California, Georgetown University, the University of Pennsylvania and Brown University.
Colin, who captained his high school team to a Maryland state championship, will play college golf at Dickinson College, where he plans to study biology.
In the scholarship selection process, he was required to participate in a final group Zoom interview. He and other scholars were informed they will receive the scholarship by First Tee alumnus and current PGA Tour player Austin Smotherman.
In September of 2021, Colin won the PURE Insurance Golf Championship held in Pebble Beach, California, which aired on the Golf Channel. A native of Sparks, in northern Baltimore County, Colin — who started playing golf at the age of five — beat out 81 teen competitors from across the country. Among them was his fellow St. Paul’s classmate, Sydnee Gaines.
“One highlight was playing with [PGA national chcampion] Rocco Mediate, who took me under his wing and taught me a great deal about the game that I love,” Colin told Jmore in a 2021 profile. “Playing with a professional certainly helps my mental game, but it also taught me to really be thankful for the opportunities that golf has given me. I am certainly blessed.”
Colin, who became a bar mitzvah at Pikesville’s Temple Oheb Shalom, participated in the 21st Maccabiah Games in Israel last July.
Summarizing his philosophy, Colin told Jmore, “Nothing in life is easy, but if you work hard and give it your best shot, sometimes you’ll get that hole-in-one.”
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