Pinnacle Bank Championship Announces Ceremonial Tee Shot
August 7, 2023
The 2023 Pinnacle Bank Championship Kicks Off Thursday
The Pinnacle Bank Championship Presented by Aetna announced today that three individuals will kick off this year’s tournament with a ceremonial tee-off shot. Master Sergeant David Karl and Omaha students Matthew Bly and Maribel Gonzalez will start off the tournament the morning of August 10.
Karl, a secretary/treasurer of the Omaha Amputee Golf Association and PGA Hope Ambassador, will be one of the members of the ceremonial tee shot. Karl is a retired United States Air Force veteran who served for 21 years. In 2013, after breaking his left leg, he underwent an amputation and went on to play in the 2013 Omaha Amputee Golf Association’s tournament. Following the tournament, he was elected secretary/treasurer of the OAGA. He is also a proud PGA Hope ambassador.
Bly (15), the official PGA Jr. League Player, has been a member of The First Tee Omaha since he was 9 years old. His favorite thing about the First Tee program is getting to meet new friends and play on different golf courses. An avid Rory McIlroy fan, Bly graduated from Monroe Middle School and will be attending Benson High School next year. He plans to try out for the high school golf team and help First Tee as a coach next summer.
Gonzalez, the Clubs FORE Youth Recipient, is a senior at Schuyler Central High School. She competes in golf and soccer and plans to go to college to study construction management. “Golf was a sport that I joined randomly, and now, I love it so much. It’s helped me to be able to problem-solve a lot more efficiently, and it is so fun,” said Gonzalez. She is extraordinarily appreciative of the opportunity and equipment that the Nebraska PGA Reach program has provided to her and her teammates at Schuyler Central High School.
Heath Mello, the new CEO/president of the Greater Omaha Chamber, will be the speaker for the ceremonial tee shot. Mello assumed his role on August 2, 2023, after an eight-year career as a Nebraska state senator. The Pinnacle Bank Championship is thrilled to have him join the tournament as the 2023 ceremonial tee shot speaker.
Karl, Bly and Gonzalez will tee off at approximately 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 10, 2023 at The Club at Indian Creek for the start of The Pinnacle Bank Championship. The Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna will again this year make donations to several charities in Omaha, including Children’s Hospital & Medical Center.