PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – MAY 11: Coaches and Players on the driving range during the 2017 PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship held at PGA Golf Club on May 11, 2017 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/PGA of America)
The Bethune-Cookman University women’s and men’s teams will look to defend their titles at this year’s PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship. The PGA Minority Collegiate Championship presented by CastleOak Securities is a 54-hole, stroke-play Championship consisting of four team divisions: NCAA Men’s Division I, Men’s Division II, Men’s NAIA and an overall Women’s division. In addition, there is an Individual Invitational competition for minority men and women players who are listed on the roster of their college team or are part of the PGA of America’s PGA Golf Management University programs.
TOURNAMENT FACTS AND FIGURES:
Dates: May 12-14, 2017
Site: PGA Golf Club, Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Courses: Ryder and Wanamaker
Schedule of Events | Scoring, tee times | Media Guide | CastleOak Securities named sponsor
ROUND 1 PAIRINGS: Individual | Men’s Team Championship | Women’s Team Championship
2017 PREVIEW: Bethune-Cookman teams set to defend titles at PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship
Coach and Player registration during the 2017 PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship held at PGA Golf Club on May 11, 2017 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/PGA of America)
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS
Women’s Division: Bethune-Cookman University
Men’s Division I: Bethune-Cookman University
Men’s Division II: Cal State Dominguez Hills
Men’s Team NAIA: University of Houston-Victoria
Women’s Individual: Tiana Jones, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Men’s Individual: Siyan Liu, Palm Beach Atlantic University
ELIGIBILITY: Contestants must be students of a university or college, and who have met all the academic requirements of their respective institution governing participation in intercollegiate athletics. Participation in the Individual Invitational is not restricted to predominately minority-serving institutions. However, participants must be in one of the ethnic origins listed: African-American, Hispanic-American, Middle Eastern/North African, Native or Alaskan American, Asian or Pacific Island American
Tampa Preparatory School attendees gather for a photo during the 2017 PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship held at PGA Golf Club on May 11, 2017 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/PGA of America)
EDUCATION THROUGH GOLF: Celebrating its 31st year, the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship originated in November 1986 and has elevated golf in minority colleges and universities by providing opportunities to more players to compete in a national championship. The 1986 organizational meeting brought together a significant group of founders: the late Dr. Herschel Cochrane, Dr. Joe D. Saunders of the National Negro Golf Association; Jackson State University Golf Coach Eddie Payton; Rose Harper-Elder of the Sports Management Institute; and William (Bill) Dickey, founder of the Bill Dickey Scholarship Association and recipient of the 1999 PGA Distinguished Service Award.
PGA Professional, MacKenzie Mack gathers for a photo with Tampa Prepatory School attendees during Youth day at the 2017 PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship held at PGA Golf Club on May 11, 2017 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/PGA of America)
The founders’ goal was to provide a national stage for players from minority schools after being denied opportunities to compete in NCAA collegiate golf events. The inaugural Championship was conducted in the spring of 1987 at Highland Park Golf Course in Cleveland, Ohio.
Since 1998, PGA Golf Club has been host to the Championship, and in 2006, The PGA of America was granted complete ownership and management of the Championship by the National Minority College Golf Scholarship Fund.
Professioinal, Gerry Hammond and Nabeel Khan during the 2017 PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship held at PGA Golf Club on May 11, 2017 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Montana Pritchard/PGA of America)
In 1990, a Career Fair was introduced to provide corporate sponsors the opportunity to interview and recruit outstanding college students for future employment. As a result, the Career Fair has developed into an invaluable resource to assist students in gaining internships and full-time positions within the golf industry. As a result, the Career Fair has developed into an invaluable resource to assist students in gaining internships and full-time positions. In 2006, the PGA of America was granted complete ownership and management of the Championship by the National Minority Collegiate Golf Scholarship Fund. In 2008, the Championship featured a record number of participants, including nearly 200 students from 47 schools, with representatives from 14 countries.
