(Graduate Student, Delaware State University) and Desmond Norris (Junior, Winston-Salem University)
A total of $10,000 in scholarships awarded to four Black college golfers
Officials from the Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) and the Black College Golf Coaches Association
(BCGCA) announced on February 7 the inaugural recipients of the Greg Bowles Scholarship Fund. Through this program,
the APGA Tour provided a total of $10,000 to four Black college golfers – Kendall Jackson (Junior, Howard
University) and Marcus Taylor (Senior, Florida A&M) each received a $3,000 scholarship, and Taylor Harvey
(Graduate Student, Delaware State University) and Desmond Norris (Junior, Winston-Salem University) each
received a $2,000 scholarship.
The scholarship fund is named in honor of Greg Bowles, who passed away suddenly in 2023 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 dear friend whose passion for and contributions to HBCU golf and the APGA Tour made a difference in
the lives of so many people,” said APGA TOUR Co-Founder and Chairman of the APGA Board of Directors Ken
Bentley. “I know he would have been proud of these four outstanding individuals and encouraged by the financial
support they will be receiving.”
“We’re thrilled to be awarding these worthy student-athletes with scholarships while also honoring Greg’s legacy
as an HBCU golf supporter,” said BCGCA President Leonard Smoot. “We are grateful to the APGA for making this
program possible and for their continued commitment to providing opportunities for Black college golfers.”
Eligible candidates for the Greg Bowles Scholarship Fund were required to play 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 also had to complete an essay about how playing Black college golf has prepared them for the
future. The inaugural winners were determined by a committee of APGA and BCGCA officials.
“Our family is honored to have Greg’s name associated with a scholarship fund that supports the education of
male and female Black college golfers,” Greg’s wife Tricia Bowles said. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients
and we wish them all the best in their future pursuits both on and off the golf course.”
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 awarding close to $1 million in prize and bonus money in 2024, the APGA has
organized a Player Development Program to aid young minority golfers as they work to chase their goals in
professional golf.
About BCGCA
The 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.
