THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Golf Invitational Invites the Nation’s Top Black Women and Men Amateur & Professional Golfers to Compete for Five Exemptions on the LPGA and PGA TOUR
DETROIT (May 12, 2022) –THE JOHN SHIPPEN and The Players’ Tribune, a Minute Media company, are excited to announce an all-new partnership aimed at encouraging more recognition and greater opportunities for Black golfers. Inspired by John Shippen, Jr. – the first Black golfer to play in the U.S. Open and the first American-born golf professional – this partnership will bring like-minded brands into the fold to champion diversity and inclusion within the sport.
Established in 2021, THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Golf Invitational Presented by Rocket Mortgage is an event designed to provide opportunities for Black amateur and professional golfers. THE JOHN SHIPPEN Sports Business Summit will also return for its second year to address the lack of representation in business and leadership roles in golf and across professional sports for people of color.
Since its inception, The Players’ Tribune has been dedicated to giving athletes the platform to share their own stories in their own words. The Players’ Tribune is built for athletes like John Shippen who transcend what’s expected and challenge the status quo, both on the course and away from it. In celebration of THE JOHN SHIPPEN this year, The Players’ Tribune will create a series of impactful “Letter To…” articles featuring participants in THE JOHN SHIPPEN.
Each first-person article will put the power in the featured golfer’s hands, allowing them to share their experiences as a Black golfer and the community of supporters around them in a personal, authentic and inspiring way with audiences. The “Letter To…” series is set to debut this summer in conjunction with THE JOHN SHIPPEN.
“By joining the unmatched storytelling of The Players’ Tribune with the core mission of THE JOHN SHIPPEN, we are advancing a conversation around diversity, equity and inclusion in golf that sports fans need to hear,” said Andres Cardenas, Chief Marketing Officer of Minute Media. “We are committed to championing the voices of all athletes, and this partnership is one that embodies that mission whole-heartedly.”
“We are thrilled about this partnership with The Players’ Tribune,” said Jason Langwell Executive Vice President of Intersport and Executive Director of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. “The ‘Letter To…’ series will give THE JOHN SHIPPEN participants a platform to tell their stories and directly impact our mission by creating more exposure and Black representation in golf. The Intersport and Rocket Mortgage teams are passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion, and we partner with organizations like The Players’ Tribune committed to making a difference with their mission.”
For updated information on THE JOHN SHIPPEN, please visit www.TheJohnShippen.com and follow THE JOHN SHIPPEN on Facebook and Instagram (@TheJohnShippen) and on Twitter (@TheJShippen).
For information about sponsorship opportunities or how to get involved, please email thejohnshippen@intersport.net.
ABOUT JOHN SHIPPEN, JR.John Shippen, Jr. first worked in golf as a caddie at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, and after playing in his first of six U.S. Opens in 1896, was hired as the golf professional at the Maidstone Club in East Hampton, New York later that year. Shippen later worked as a golf professional at Aronimink Golf Club near Philadelphia and spent the majority of his working life at Shady Rest Golf Course in Scotch Plains, New Jersey – the first African-American owned and operated golf club in the United States – where he served from 1924-1960. The John Shippen Memorial Golf Foundation was founded in 1995 by Thurman and Ruby Simmons in Scotch Plains. They began studying his legacy in 1988 and have spent more than 30 years elevating Shippen’s name and recognizing his place in American history. In addition to funding paid internship and scholarship opportunities, a portion of the proceeds from THE JOHN SHIPPEN will be donated to The John Shippen Memorial Golf Foundation.
