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Jordan Spieth on the ‘Glamping Life’ at Sony
Category Archives: Featured Courses
Jordan Spieth looking forward to RV life in 2023
By: PGA
HONOLULU – Jordan Spieth could feel the pressure.
His wife, Annie, wanted them to get an RV.
“We tried one at the Harding Park PGA (Championship in 2020), so we tested it out there,” said Spieth, who opened the Sony Open in Hawaii with a 6-under 64 to share the first-round lead with Chris Kirk and Taylor Montgomery. “Annie wanted one for a while.
“I didn’t really want one prior to (son) Sammy, like, knowing he would sleep through the night and schedule and all that,” he continued, “because close quarters compared to renting a house.”
Spieth, 29, is a 13-time PGA TOUR winner. He is coming off a T13 at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Maui last week, and racked up a 5-0-0 record at the Presidents Cup. He seemed to have it all.
But he didn’t have an RV, even though “the bus” has been a staple on the PGA TOUR for years, with converts including Jason Day, John Daly, Jimmy Walker, and others. With their son sleeping through the night, the Spieths finally bought their own rig last fall, and Jordan stayed in it by himself the week of THE CJ CUP in South Carolina.
Of course, they can’t use it at the Sony (it doesn’t float, alas), where Spieth hit 15 greens in regulation and took just 27 putts in working his way to the top of the leaderboard. His only regret was failing to birdie the par-5 ninth hole, his last of the day.
No matter how the golf goes, he and his family will be living the RV life in 2023 for the first time.
“Just glamping, you know,” Spieth said. “Slumming it. Should be a lot of fun. The reason was kind of to have home on the road. Got the same mattress I have at home, and we’ll leave a lot of Sammy’s stuff on the bus, therefore won’t to have pack a whole lot and can ride on it a lot in between events given the way the west coast swing – and especially the Florida swing.
“Should make traveling and getting settled and packing up quite a bit easier,” he continued. “Yeah, look forward to it. … Annie is trying to recruit a lot of our friends out here to do it, so we’ll see in the next few years if that works or not.”
Although he hasn’t driven it himself yet, Spieth said he plans on taking a turn behind the wheel. “I plan on driving it on an open road stretch at some point when it’s not pulling out of Phoenix and not into L.A., but maybe switch and do like an hour just because it would be fun,” he said. “I’m a dad now. Someone wants me to honk, I’ll honk.”
GINA KIM ON HER ROAD TO THE LPGA
By: LPGA
Gina Kim, Epson Tour Graduate, made 12 cuts in 13 starts on the Epson Tour in 2022, recording four top-10 finishes to earn membership for the 2023 LPGA Tour Season. In addition, she picked up her first career Epson Tour victory at the Inova Mission Inn Resort & Club Championship.
Seeing Things Through
I’m living my best life.
In my brief time as a golfer, I’ve won several tournaments, including the 2019 NCAA Championship with my team at Duke, and will now join the LPGA Tour thanks to my performance on The Epson Tour.
When I look back on things and add up all my blessings — it’s hard not to be overly joyful and grateful.
Memories of yesterday
When I reflect on how I got here, it’s funny to think it started with not wanting to hurt my dad’s feelings.
My father was a huge golfer and always took my sister and me to the course.
One day, my sister admitted that she hated it and didn’t want to play anymore, which broke my father’s heart.
He kind of sunk within himself, and his face turned somber.
I felt so bad, I decided I wasn’t going to tell him I felt the same. Besides, it was a way to bond with him. I figured I would tough it out a bit more so he could have fun.
Then, at eight, I entered a tournament and won.
That changed everything.
I was hooked on the adrenaline of victory. From that day forward, I was focused on being the best golfer I could be and never looked back.
Duke days
A lot of athletes with professional ambitions focus solely on the pursuit of their athletic goals. I was fortunate enough to see some great success in my golf career early on, winning the Junior Ryder Cup in 2016 or the Junior Solheim Cup in 2017. But you never know what happens in life, so I always had my eyes on earning a degree, too.
It was something I cared about. My parents are both college professors, so the path of higher education was always as natural as eating in our house. So, as an American, continuing my golf ambitions as a college athlete was an obvious choice. And once I visited Duke for the first time, I knew where I’d want to pursue my dreams.
I got a lot of sideways looks when I chose Duke, not because of the school or the program, but because my parents are professors at the University of North Carolina. Everyone knows Duke. It’s a prestigious university due to its excellence in both athletics and academics. But if you know anything about college rivalries, there are few bigger than Duke and UNC. The campuses are only 10 miles apart in what is known in that area of North Carolina as the Research Triangle – Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. My sister when to UNC, so a lot of people expected that I would as well.
But I couldn’t resist Duke. The history, the tradition, the team, the coaches, they were all perfect for me. Being a Duke student-athlete was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I wasn’t one to pass it up.
Winning it all and staying for more
2019 was my favorite year at Duke. That year, we won the NCAA National Championship in dramatic fashion with match-play victories over Arizona in the semifinals and Wake Forest in the finals. Our semifinals victory turned on my match against Bianca Pagdanganan. I was fortunate to win that one 1-up to get us into the finals. But our team was phenomenal.
We had great chemistry, and everyone was close to each other that it felt more like a sisterhood than a collection of golfers.
Winning it all was surreal. I’d won tournaments before, but that feeling of reaching the highest goal possible as a Duke student-athlete filled me with an ineffable joy. It’s why we work so hard and sacrifice so much time. We just want a chance to do something bigger than ourselves. That year we did.
Coming back to campus, knowing we brought it home for our university, gave us all a great sense of pride.
While that National Championship in 2019 was the pinnacle of my athletic success at Duke – we got our championship rings recently – academically, my pinnacle came when I got my degree at the end of 2021.
Being a student-athlete is not for the faint of heart. It’s like having two full-time jobs and working hard at both. I was already playing golf professionally, but I stayed at Duke to finish my degree.
Earning that degree mattered to me. It’s what I came to school to do, and it’s something that can never be taken away.
Next level
The transition from student-athlete to pro golfer was tough. On the one hand, having the academics out the way really opened up my schedule. On the other, it was a wake-up call on everything I had to take care of to ensure I was prepared to play at the highest level possible.
Nutrition, training, travel schedule, and even figuring out my life outside of golf were all on me. I didn’t have the Duke resources or community to lean on.
Golf is an individual sport. I had to figure it out myself. The golf course was still where my biggest challenges lay.
In my first pro golf tournament, I missed the cut in Hawaii. It was weird being in a beautiful place and falling short of my goal. It wasn’t a turning point or anything like that, but it was a reminder of what this level was like.
I had work to do. But luckily, I don’t shy away from a challenge.
As part of The Epson Tour, I won the Inova Mission Inn Resort and Club Championship early in the season, which helped propel me to the top ten rankings. I’m a big believer that positive energy can lead to more positive energy, and I took that win, that moment, and propelled it into a great year as part of The Epson Tour.
I consistently was in the top ten in the rankings. When the dust settled, I was one of the ten gofers who punched their LPGA card.
Attitude of gratitude
Earning my LPGA status made all the years of sacrifice worth it. From begrudgingly playing the game so that I didn’t hurt my dad’s feelings to now competing at the highest level, life has been a wonderful journey of pushing myself beyond what I thought was possible.
Let’s see what this next chapter brings.
Women’s Golf Takes Fifth Place at The Ally
By: Old Dominion University
WEST POINT, Miss. – Old Dominion women’s golf turned in a 10-over par round of 298 on the final day of The Ally to finish in fifth place Tuesday at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, Mississippi.
“We played well this tournament,” said head coach Mallory Kane. “Old Waverly is a demanding course and the wind and colder temperatures made it very hard. We would have liked to have finished a little higher up on the leaderboard, but we definitely showed what are capable of doing.”
The Monarchs opened the tournament with a combined 298 on Monday morning, followed by a 16-over 304 on Monday afternoon. ODU’s 54-hole total of 900 (+34) was one stroke behind Alabama, who carded an 899 (+34) to grab fourth place. Ole Miss finished atop the team leaderboard with a three-over 867, Southern Miss came in second with a five-over 869, and the host Bulldogs were third at 22-over 886.
Ole Miss’ Andrea Lignell was the individual champion after shooting a three-under par 213. SMU’s Ellie Szeryk was the runner-up with a one-under 215, and JMU’s Kendall Turner and Ole Miss’ Ellen Hume tied for third with even scores of 216.
Lucia Gonzalez turned in ODU’s best round on Tuesday, a two-under 70 for her final trip around the course. The freshman from Monterrey, Mexico ended up tied for 13th and five-over par with a 221. Leah Onosato was next for the Monarchs as her nine-over 225 tied her for 20th. Federica Torre was two strokes behind her and tied for 27th at 227, Minami Kudo tied for 19th at 235, and Klara Wildaber posted a 238 to tie for 22nd.
Gonzalez finished tied for second in par-5 scoring with a 4.75 average and was also tied for fourth in par-3 scoring with an average of 2.92. Onosato led the team with 11 birdies, Wildhaber and Gonzalez both had eight, and Gonzalez made a team-high 35 putts for par.
“The last day of competition in the fall is always bittersweet,” continued Kane. “We are looking forward to some rest but will certainly miss tournament golf in the coming months. We showed a lot of promise this fall and we do feel like this is a special team. They are very capable of playing great golf and with some dedicated work this off season, we will be ready for a successful spring.”
Team Results
1. Ole Miss (292-287-288 – 867) +3
2. SMU (282-291-296 – 869) +5
3. Mississippi State (303-288-295 – 886) +22
4. Alabama (307-298-294 – 899) +35
5. Old Dominion (298-304-298 – 900) +36
6. Illinois (295-307-303 – 905) +41
7. Missouri (308-300-299 – 907) +43
8. James Madison (306-309-294 – 909) +45
9. Indiana (309-294-307 – 910) +46
10. Chattanooga (307-298-316 – 921) +57
11. Mercer (310-312-317 – 939) +75
ODU Lineup
T13. Lucia Gonzalez (74-77-70 – 221) +5
T20. Leah Onosato (75-73-77 – 225) +9
T27. Federica Torre (73-75-79 – 227) +11
T46. Minami Kudo (82-79-74 – 235) +19
T53. Klara Wildhaber (76-85-77 – 238) +22
PLAYERS MENTIONED
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Leah Onosato
- 5′ 4″
- Junior
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Federica Torre
- Graduate Student
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Lucia Gonzalez
- 5′ 8″
- Freshman
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Minami Kudo
- 5′ 2″
- Junior
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Klara Wildhaber
- 5′ 5″
- Junior
Fayetteville State Wins Farmers Insurance HBCU DII Championship
By: CIAA
The Fayetteville State University golf team closed out the 2022 Farmers Insurance HBCU DII Invitational with its best performance of the year. The Broncos shot a combined 894 (+42) to capture the championship title over seven other participating institutions. Kentucky State finished second (907, +55) and Miles was third (946, +94).
“I am very proud of the guys for how they competed this week,” said Head Coach John Cole. “In golf, we don’t get as many opportunities to win as other sports because we compete against 10-15 schools at once each week, so this was special.”
Freshman Caden Hodges (Dunn, NC) set the pace for the Broncos by winning the Low Medalist Award with a 206 scorecard over a total of 45 golfers. He opened the event with a one-over-par, 72 after 18 holes and shot a 67 in the final two rounds.
“Caden Hodges had an incredible week capped off by two bogey-free 67s,” added Coach Cole. “He won the individual title in DII and even had a lower score than all the DI competitors. To not have a blemish on the scorecard for 36 straight holes is impressive.”
The Broncos locked up the top of the leaderboard in the opening round with a 306 card, six strokes ahead of Winston-Salem State. With the second round of 18 holes being held on the same day, FSU improved upon its performance by ten strokes with a 296.
“We had a rough start in round one, but we were able to improve in round two and stretch our lead. After day one (36 holes), our message to the guys was to simply finish the round. We struggled to play well in Florida.”
In addition to Fayetteville and Winston-Salem State (who placed fourth in the tournament), fellow CIAA schools Virginia State (fifth) and Johnson C. Smith (sixth) also participated in the tournament.
The pep talk from the coaches held ground as FSU had its best round with a 292 score. Juan Lopez, who finished tied for fifth overall, shot a season-best 226 (75, 73, 78). Shaun Wixson rounded out the top 10 with a 233 (78, 81, 74) scorecard. Brandon Jones was 14th after scoring a 237 (81, 75, 81), and Jack McCarthy’s 239 (81, 85, 73) tied him at 16th.
“The last round our guys in the middle of the roster really stepped up and played well coming down the stretch. Overall, a great week and we look forward to competing in the Rendleman Invitational hosted by Catawba College at Salisbury CC next week.”
Alex Chenard (77, 79, 76; 232) and his ninth-place finish led the way for Winston-Salem State, followed by Tasj Brown at 12th. Michael Ebosh was the highest placed Virginia State golfer at 13th and Juan Ruiz Patino finished 15th. Johnson C. Smith was led by Golden Bulls’ golfer Isaiah Nickerson, who placed 20th.
| Pos. | Team | To Par | Today | R1 | R2 | R3 | Total |
| 1 | Fayetteville State | +42 | +8 | 306 | 296 | 292 | 894 |
| 2 | Kentucky State | +55 | +7 | 318 | 298 | 291 | 907 |
| 3 | Miles | +94 | +20 | 329 | 313 | 304 | 946 |
| 4 | Winston-Salem State | +108 | +49 | 309 | 318 | 333 | 960 |
| 5 | Virginia State | +124 | +47 | 323 | 322 | 331 | 976 |
| 6 | Johnson C. Smith | +167 | +49 | 342 | 344 | 333 | 1019 |
| 7 | Morehouse | +242 | +79 | 366 | 365 | 363 | 1094 |
| 8 | Wilberforce | +323 | +96 | 415 | 380 | 380 | 1175 |
‘Patty Ice’ returns as Cantlay defends BMW Championship
By: PGA tour
WILMINGTON, Del. – Patrick Cantlay stared robotically off into the distance as he left the par-4 10th green of Wilmington Country Club. It was the look of a measured struggle to keep things under control, or perhaps he was just taking stock of his situation.
Cantlay had just carded his second bogey in a three-hole stretch and fell two shots off the pace to put his BMW Championship title defense under severe stress. At that moment a voice pierced out above the others in the throng of people clamoring to get close during the first ever PGA TOUR event in the state of Delaware: “Let’s go, Patty Ice!”
Patty Ice. It was the nickname born amongst the large crowds in the same tournament a year ago at Caves Valley in Maryland, where Cantlay, reveling in a newfound popularity amongst the masses, found a way to victory. That same stoic Cantlay would carry on his form and claim a fourth win of the season at the TOUR Championship a week later, capturing the FedExCup.
It might be hyperbole to suggest the sound of that voice pierced into Cantlay’s consciousness this time around, but it seemed to coincide with a last deep breath and an end to his pensive gaze. Was it time for Patty Ice to return? Had he ever left?
Some might suggest the surgically efficient winner from a year ago had failed to reappear in 2022. Cantlay had a win on his resume leading into the BMW, but it came with the help of teammate Xander Schauffele at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. In individual stroke play events, he’d had to settle for 10 top 10s without a trophy. He’d lost playoffs to Scottie Scheffler at the WM Phoenix Open and Jordan Spieth at the RBC Heritage. Had the ice melted?
No. In fact he’d never left at all. Because it was the ability to accept those fates that allowed Cantlay to immediately bounce back with a birdie on the 11th hole Sunday, add another at the 14th and then throw an epic dart into the 17th to set up a go-ahead birdie.
And when he found himself in a tough fairway bunker lie on the 72nd hole, needing par for victory, Patty Ice produced a slashing shot to the green to secure the first ever defense of a FedExCup Playoff event. Now he heads to the TOUR Championship seeded second and will try to become the first ever repeat FedExCup champion.
Topgolf Set To Welcome Players to First Venue in Washington
By:TopGolf Press
Topgolf Entertainment Group, a global sports and golf entertainment company, is set to open its 78th global venue in Renton, Washington, on July 29.
“Bringing our technology-enabled golf experience to Players across the Greater Seattle area where tech is at the center of everything is something we have been looking forward to for many years,” said Topgolf Chief Operating Officer Gen Gray. “As we open the doors of our outdoor venue for the first time in the state of Washington, we look forward to welcoming to the community more ways to play the game of golf in their own way.”
The new Topgolf in Renton will welcome Players to a three-level, open-air venue that features 102 outdoor hitting bays with all the comforts of inside, chef-inspired signature menu items, top-shelf drinks, music and year-round programming for all ages, and multiple indoor Swing Suite simulator bays powered by Full Swing technology, giving Players yet another way to play the game of golf and other sports games. The venue is fully equipped with Topgolf’s latest technology, including a giant TV wall, brand-new ball dispenser units and the company’s signature Toptracer technology. Toptracer is the most trusted ball-tracing technology in the golf industry, powering the experience at the venue and enabling Players at Topgolf to enjoy game favorites like Angry Birds and Jewel Jam.
The first venue to serve the state of Washington will feature the company’s first skylit central atrium architecture design. With comfortable seating, yard games and a giant video wall, the atrium creates a hangout spot and connects the fun of the gaming experience with the action of the patio, bars and roof terraces.
Located off Logan Avenue near The Boeing Company’s Renton factory and The Landing shopping mall, the venue will employ approximately 500 Playmakers – otherwise known as Topgolf Associates. Those interested in joining the team can visit Topgolf’s career website.
For more information, including hours of operation and pricing, visit the venue’s location page.
Celebration of Champions kick-starts special week at The Open
By: PGA
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Rory McIlroy beamed as he grabbed the hand of Tiger Woods and excitedly pointed up to a window high in the Rusacks Hotel that flanks the 18th fairway at St. Andrews.
The pair then waved animatedly in the direction of 22-month-old Poppy McIlroy, daughter of the 21-time PGA TOUR winner and four-time major champion as they finished up play in The Open Championship’s Celebration of Champions on Monday.
Just moments earlier they had posed for photos together on the Swilken Bridge, with 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus no less, but this moment was arguably just as incredible. It was raw. It was pure. And in an age where renumeration can dominate headlines, it showed what this is really all about. Being part of, or bearing witness to, history.
This is indeed a very special week – one that will ultimately crown the champion golfer of the year – but one that is so much bigger than any leaderboard. For this is the 150th Open Championship. At the home of golf.
It is a celebration of the game born in the Scottish sheep paddocks around this area that has now blossomed into a game that will see hundreds of thousands of fans swarm through the gates this week. It is a game that is still inherently open to all and enjoyed by multiple generations.
And while Poppy likely won’t ever remember the special time where Woods, an 82-time TOUR winner with 15 majors – two of which came at St. Andrews – made her the center of attention despite being in the middle of a spiritual setting on golfs grandest stage… Rory will.
“If you had of told 10-year-old me that I would play in something like this I’d have hardly believed it. Playing with my idol, ahead of such a special week, it’s just really really cool,” McIlroy said.
Woods and McIlroy were part of the last four-person team that included two-time Open champion Lee Trevino and 2018 Women’s Open champion Georgia Hall to take on the first, second, 17th and 18th holes at the Old Course in a better ball format competition that, as the name suggests, celebrates the former champions of The Open.
Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino pose for a photo at the Celebration of Champions Challenge during a practice round prior to The 150th Open at St Andrews. (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Fans were treated to a cavalcade of legends including gems of the past like Tom Watson and Gary Player to current stars Jordan Spieth and Collin Morikawa among many more. Nicklaus is also here to become just the third American, behind Benjamin Franklin and Bobby Jones, to be given honorary citizenship of the town having won The Open here in 1970 and 1978.
This was pinch yourself stuff. Tell your grandkids stuff. One golf analyst was going to leave early to buy a desk fan for his non-air-conditioned accommodation before the light bulb went off… when will you see something like this ever again?
The fans cheered for them all. But they saved the loudest roars for Woods who will tee it up Thursday in likely his last real chance of making it three wins at the iconic venue. Despite the numerous complications he faces with his body following a car accident last year, Woods showed glimpses of the smarts that helped him dominate in 2000 and plot his way to another win in 2005 as he birdied two of the four holes.
If there was a way to count it, it’s possible a world record number of phone photos would’ve been taken in the four-hole stretch. A chef at The Old Course Hotel on the 17th fairway snuck away from his burners and grabbed his pictures through the glass while down below him, sitting out on a grass lawn, was former Masters champion Adam Scott and his father Phil, also realizing the significance of the occasion enough to come out and soak it all up.
“For a lot of guys who haven’t been here like myself, to come here, look out the hotel, walk down 17, 18 on Sunday when you have the public just walking, that’s the coolest experience as a fan, as a golfer, anyone could ask for because it’s a game for everyone,” defending champion Morikawa said.
“The stretch of just teeing off on No. 1, just seeing 17, just seeing 18, you feel the history, and you feel the importance of everything that has come before us at this golf course and golf in general. It’s really cool to be here.”
For the record, the team of Sir Nick Faldo, Louis Oosthuizen, Zach Johnson and John Daly – all winners at St. Andrews – posted the low score Monday to claim bragging rights over the fellow former champs. They won be three shots and perhaps foreshadowed what might be a birdie fest later in the week. Some are fearful the modern golfer might have usurped The Old Course … Nicklaus isn’t one of them.
“They might shoot low. So what? That’s sort of the way I look at it. They’re shooting low now compared to what they shot 100 years ago. But times change and golfers get better, equipment gets better, conditions get better,” Nicklaus said.
“I don’t think it really makes a whole lot of difference, frankly. It’s St. Andrews and it is what it is, and it will produce a good champion. It always has. That’s the way I look at it. Bobby Jones always said a golfer’s resume isn’t complete unless he’s won at St. Andrews.”
And so we await which golfer will complete his resume – but ultimately – just being part of this iconic week – is enough.
“Stephen Curry supports ‘Underrated’ Young Golfers”
By: Kurtis Alston and Angela Jones
NBA superstar Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, the current 2021-2022 NBA Champions, is turning his attention to the greener pastures of golf. Curry is holding a five-city tour giving kids ages 12-18 a chance to showcase their inner Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Jordan Speith.
In 2019 Stephen Curry helped Howard University be able to compete on the D-1 level by funding the golf team for the next six years. Since this donation by Curry, this is the first time Howard has had a golf team since the 1970s and the first on the division one level in school history. The men’s golf team has only participated for two years and won the 2022 MEAC championship.
Curry is changing the lane in the basketball world and the golfing world too. His organization, Underrated, allows junior golfers, competitive golfers, and golfers from different communities to play and hopefully make it to the championship in San Francisco, which is invite-only. If a golfer doesn’t make it to the title round, this tour is an excellent opportunity to network and build their career.
Many will participate, but only 24 boys and girls on the underrated tour will be able to compete for the Curry Cup. The first Tour stop is in Chicago, Ill, June-21-23; and it continues in Phoenix, Ariz, June 29-July 1; Houston, Texas, July 17-19; Tampa, Fla, August 8-10; and the championship in San Francisco, Calif August 28-30.
Golfers can register or learn more about the tour at https://www.stayunderrated.com/tour-g
Bubba Watson diagnosed with torn meniscus
By: PGA Tour
Bubba Watson looked like he was firing on all cylinders when he tied a tournament record with a second-round 63 at the PGA Championship at Southern Hills last week.
As it turns out, he wasn’t.
After congratulating PGA winner Justin Thomas on social media Monday, Watson, who fell back with rounds of 73-75 on the weekend to finish T30, said he was playing on a torn meniscus and would have to pull out of this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge.
Here is the post: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd6H6GLplfg/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
If Watson is out for four to six weeks, it could also mean missing the U.S. Open and Travelers Championship, where he’s a three-time champion. At 43, the 12-time PGA TOUR winner said last week, he’s had to make a few concessions to age, including using a lighter driver shaft.
“I’ve had a lot of issues over the last couple years,” Watson, who is 146th in the FedExCup and 69th in the Official World Golf Ranking, said at Southern Hills. “Had a lot of PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy) done on my wrist, PRP done on my knees. I’ve had a lot of issues.”
GOLF MAKES SLOW BUT STEADY INROADS AT HBCU’S
Written By:Jessica Thornton
Historically Black Colleges and Universities, commonly referred to as HBCUs, first emerged in the 19th century as an avenue for black students to pursue an education that had been denied to them by historically white institutions of higher learning. Their initial mission was to provide training and education for teachers and tradesmen. More than 150 years later, HBCUs offer full curricula – liberal arts, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degrees.
HBCUs also offer lower tuition, increased minority access to STEM-related careers, and a thriving, supportive community and cultural experience for their students. They have long fielded impressive and accomplished football, basketball and baseball programs with a track record of placing athletes in the NFL, NBA and MLB. Super Bowl champions like Walter Payton, Deacon Jones, Shannon Sharpe and Michael Strahan all went to HCBUs. NFL and MLB star Deion Sanders now shines a bright light on HBCU football as the head coach of Jackson State. They’ve even made it into bestselling fiction. John Grisham’s novel Sooley was about a basketball star who plays at an HBCU.
But these athletic accomplishments, real and fictionalized, have not yet extended to collegiate golf, particularly on the women’s side.
Currently, only fourteen of the 107 HBCUs even have women’s golf programs.
The PGA Tour has recognized this long-standing disparity and has taken steps to try to address it. Last September, the PGA Tour selected Delaware State as one of four HBCUs to receive a $100,000 grant for its men and women’s golf teams. This was an important step in the tour’s mission to grow the game among minorities.
Delaware State head women’s golf coach Rick McCall plans to use the grant for scholarships and to recruit new talent. Part of the grant will also be used to introduce golf to elementary schools by having his players actively promote the game. McCall’s players will not only teach golf skills but will focus on the game’s values. Coach McCall wants his players to serve as mentors and, more importantly, as role models for the youth in the Delaware State community.
Delaware State launched its golf program only nine years ago. But the evolution has been clear. McCall quickly grasped the type of player he sought to fill his roster. Talent is an obvious component. But he also searches for well-rounded students who wish to have a full college experience.
He still has trouble capturing the attention of a large pool of girls looking to play collegiately.
The well-rounded college career pitch attracted Delaware State sophomore Amber Pennington. Introduced to golf by her father at the age of four, Pennington played her first tournament at age nine. Her father, who taught himself the game, passed his passion for golf on to his daughter.
When being recruited by several colleges during her sophomore and junior years of high school, Pennington knew that she wanted to attend an HBCU. Coming from a small, rural, and predominantly Caucasian town in upstate New York, she recalls feeling out of place. She envisioned attending a college that would allow her to celebrate and share in her African American heritage with other student-athletes while playing the game she loves. Pennington added that a lot of players choose HBCUs for similar reasons–-not merely for the college experience but also to experience a college with a more familiar culture.
Growing up as a minority golfer was “strange” Pennington said. “There wasn’t anyone who looked like me. I traveled pretty far to play in these tournaments and it was almost frustrating not being able to see that representation on the course. But then I realized that was my job. I am that person.
“I certainly hope that it grows.”
The quest for Amber is simply this: get more young Black females into the game.
Coach McCall says that First Tee is making big strides but more time and effort getting minorities into junior golf at public and private clubs is where the greatest inroads can be made.
“We’re far away but we’re closer than we’ve ever been,” McCall says.
McCall made the point that accessibility is the key to growth. More youth programs provides a pipeline to tournament golf, which leads to playing collegiately, which might, for a talented few, lead to a career in the game, in the LPGA and elsewhere.
HBCUs, as Pennington knew beforehand, offers an environment where Black culture filters into the classroom, the curriculum and everyday life.
“Anyone thinking about going to an HBCU, I would say do it,” Pennington said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And you get it all here. It’s empowering as a minority female. Being here and being able to express myself while playing the game I love is a dream come true.”
Pennington’s goal is to become a teaching pro so she can spread her love of the game to others.
Meanwhile, with Pennington leading the charge, Coach McCall continues building a program that he believes has the “potential and ability to make it in the top 100 (in the nation). And that’s unheard of for an HBCU.”
