Gregory Jackson, Chair of the Detroit Golf Club shares details about how Club Members came together to create a purse for The John Shippen Golf Tournament. Prior to now, The John Shippen National Invitational has never had a purse attached to it and the only benefit of winning was the chance to earn an exemption into The Rocket Mortgage Classic. This year is different because of a committee of black members at The Detroit Golf Club who thought the tournament should have a prize structure. Members have raised upwards of $100,000 for prizes to be awarded in the 1st, 2nd , 3rd, and 4th place categories.
Committee Members include:
Gregory Jackson, Chair
Marvin Beatty, Co-Chair
Mike Carr, Co-Chair
Sommer Woods, Co-Chair
Anthony Adams
Charles Allen
Dawn Beatty
Karl Bell
Jerome Bettis
Lane Coleman
Jahmal Dokes
Mark Douglas
Randy Gillary
Tom Goss
Louis James
Kevin Johnson
Jason Langwell
Tom McInerney
Tim Melton
Leon Richardson
Michelle Samuels
Tom Seabron
Robert Sims
Keith Studzinski
Damon Wilson
Deborah Wolff
The Johnny will take place on Friday at the Detroit Golf Club with a 10 am start. The goal of this is to align
DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) as a platform to create opportunities, access, and awareness for
young black men and women.
“Golf is a very expensive sport, especially when you are striving to compete at the highest level,” said
Gregory Jackson, Chair, The Johnny, and owner of Prestige Automotive Group. “A tournament purse will
provide resources for the players and it will help offset some of the many expenses incurred while
pursuing this game that we all love.”
Gregory Jackson, Chair of the Detroit Golf Club, shares details on how Club Members came together to create a purse for THE JOHN SHIPPEN Golf Tournament. Jackson is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Jackson Asset Management (JAM) parent company to several entities including the Detroit-based Prestige Automotive Group. Founded in 1993, the multimillion-dollar auto group has owned eighteen automotive dealerships and currently operates Mercedes-Benz of Saint Clair Shores, Michigan, Prestige Cadillac of Warren, Michigan and Prestige Auto Body. In addition to automotive interests, Jackson Asset Management consists of Wink Entertainment (Copper Ridge Golf Course and Banquet Center in Davison, Michigan. Jackson is also a member of The Detroit Golf Club and a critical part of developing ‘The Johnny’ to create a purse for THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational. Prior to now, THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational has never had a purse attached to it and the only benefit of winning was the chance to earn an exemption into The Rocket Mortgage Classic. This year is different because of a committee of Black members at The Detroit Golf Club who thought the tournament should have a prize structure. Members have raised upwards of $100,000 for prizes to be awarded in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place categories. THE JOHN SHIPPEN (TJS) was named after John Shippen, Jr, who was not only the first Black golf professional to play in the U.S. Open in 1896 but was also the first American-born golf professional. THE JOHN SHIPPEN is two events in one…..THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational invites the top Black Men and Women golfers to compete for exemptions on the PGA TOUR and the LPGA. THE JOHN SHIPPEN Sports Business Summit is designed to create awareness of opportunities within the sports industry for high school and college students of color.
Since the inception of THE JOHN SHIPPEN in 2021:
– 85 Black golfers have competed (40 men, 45 women)
– 14 exemptions have been awarded (11 LPGA, 3 PGA TOUR)
– Grown to three standalone events in three markets
– Sadena Parks and Anita Uwadia made the cut and finished T-36 and the 2022 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational
– $320,000 donated fellowships, scholarships and local charities
