On October 30, Bridgestone Golf welcomed student-athletes from Atlanta’s Drew Charter School and Morehouse College to the Bridgestone Golf headquarters in Covington, Ga. There, the students had received a behind-the-scenes look at golf ball research and development, a tour of Bridgestone’s state-of-the-art golf ball manufacturing facility, and a custom ball fitting by Bridgestone.
Bridgestone and Bridgestone Golf had also surprised Drew Charter School with a $10,000 donation, which included equipment such as golf balls, hats, and gloves, as well as funds to support the school’s golf program.
The immersion event had been a component of the Bridgestone Collegiate Development Program, which was launched in September with the goal of achieving greater diversity in golf by developing talent from historically underrepresented groups.
The event also helped launch the inaugural Bridgestone HBCU Invitational, which had taken place from November 1 to 2 at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Ga. The 54-hole team and individual stroke play invitational had featured 10 HBCU men’s golf teams and five HBCU women’s golf teams, with the winning teams earning a two-day development camp at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, the home of THE PLAYERS Championship.
Before the competition had begun, the players had also participated in a “Pathway to My Career” panel featuring leaders from Bridgestone, PGA TOUR, ESPN, Black Sports Business Academy, Atlanta Hawks, Creative Artists Agency, Mutual of Omaha, and more. The high school golfers from Drew Charter School in Atlanta, Ga., had truly experienced an exclusive glimpse into the world of professional golf.
