Officials from the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) and the Black College Golfers Coaches Association (BCGCA) today announced the establishment of the Greg Bowles Scholarship Fund. Through this program, the APGA Tour will provide a total of $10,000 to four black college golfers – one male and one female will each receive a $3,000 scholarship, and one male and one female will each receive a $2,000 scholarship.
Eligible candidates for the Greg Bowles Scholarship Fund must participate in at least one BCGCA event in 2023-24, be juniors or seniors with a grade point average of at least 3.0, and have a desire to go into a golf-related profession. They will also be required to complete an essay about how playing Black college golf has prepared them for the future. All applicants must be recommended by their coach, and coaches have until December 10, 2023 to submit nominee names and contact information to the BCGCA. Eligible candidates can then apply from now through December 20, 2023 through this link.
The inaugural winners will be determined by a committee of APGA and BCGCA officials. Winners will be announced during the week of the 2024 APGA Farmers Insurance® Invitational, a 36-hole event that will take place in conjunction with the PGA TOUR’s Farmers Insurance® Open, with a field of 18 players competing on the Torrey Pines North Course on Saturday, January 27 and the South Course on Sunday, January 28.
The scholarship fund has been named in honor of Greg Bowles, who passed away suddenly earlier this year while playing a round of golf. A proud graduate of Texas Southern University, Bowles was a strong supporter of the APGA Tour and HBCU golf.
“Greg was a great friend to me and many others and while he will be missed, the Greg Bowles Scholarship Fund will help keep his memory alive by honoring his commitment to the APGA Tour and HBCU golf,” said APGA Tour CEO Ken Bentley. “We are thankful for partnerships and support from companies like Farmers Insurance®, who are strong supporters of the BCGCA as well, that we can help create this level of impact.”
“This is an amazing opportunity for our student athletes to receive scholarships to further their education,” said BCGCA President Leonard Smoot. “Thanks to Mr. Greg Bowles for his support of and belief in HBCU Golf.”
“While we miss Greg so much every day, having his name associated with this scholarship fund is a wonderful tribute to one of the great passions in his life,” Greg’s wife Tricia Bowles said. “Thank you to the APGA Tour and BCGCA for honoring Greg while providing much-needed financial support for black college golfers.”
The establishment of the Greg Bowles Scholarship Fund further supports the APGA Tour’s mission of bringing greater diversity to the game of golf. This commitment provides additional support for the BCGCA as it strives to provide student-athletes from around the world with unique opportunities to compete in college golf while developing academic and interpersonal skills to compete in the “real world” on a global scale.
About the APGA Tour
The APGA Tour was established in 2010 as a non-profit organization with the mission to bring greater diversity to the game of golf. The APGA Tour Board of Directors works to accomplish this by hosting and operating professional golf tournaments, player development programs, mentoring programs and by introducing the game to inner city young people. In addition to conducting an expected 18 tournaments awarding close to $1 million in prize and bonus money in 2023, the APGA has organized a Player Development Program to aid young minority golfers as they work to chase their goals in professional golf.
About BCGCAThe BCGCA is a 501(c)3 that provides student athletes from around the world with unique opportunities to compete in college golf while developing academic and interpersonal skills to compete in the “real world” on a global scale. The core of our efforts is to bring our team’s fresh ideas and passion to the range of activities we’re involved in. Through all of our endeavors we hope to display the conviction behind our beliefs.
