November 25, 2020 | BY AAGD STAFF
On Monday during Masters week, Cameron Champ finished T-19 in his debut down Magnolia Lane, but the biggest result didn’t show on the leaderboard following his rounds at Augusta National. Cameron has been one of the most vocal PGA Tour players when it comes to taking a stand on issues of racial injustice and he puts his words into action.
As chairman Fred Ridley saluted Lee Elder 45 years after he became the first Black man to play in the Masters, Ridley also announced that the 86-year-old Elder would join Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player for the first tee of the 2021 Masters as an honorary starter.
In addition, Ridley proudly announced a pair of scholarships in Elder’s name to be awarded annually to one man and one woman who compete on the golf teams at Paine College, a Historically Black College and University located in Augusta, Georgia.
Cameron Champ took note of Ridley’s actions and was inspired to do something similar. On Thursday, Prairie View A&M University, an HBCU in Prairie View, Texas, announced a $40,000 donation from the Cameron Champ Foundation and Chevron Corporation that would establish two scholarship funds for student-athletes on its men’s and women’s golf teams.
Cameron named the scholarships in memory of his late grandfather, Mack “Pops” Champ. ‘We belong,’” said Champ, after witnessing Lee Elder’s walking on the grounds of Augusta.
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“My grandfather had such an incredible influence on my life and always inspired me in many ways,” added Champ during his announcement. “I’m so grateful for Pops introducing me to the game of golf, but also for teaching me that there’s so much more to life than golf. Champ expressed how his grandfather always stressed the importance of giving back and paying it forward.
“Last week, Augusta National Golf Club Chairman Fred Ridley addressed how access and opportunities are still barriers to the game, and he hit the nail on the head when he said that the time to do more is now. That really sparked this idea, said Cameron. “And I thought, what better way to honor PaPa Champ than to take up the challenge to do more, right now.”
The Cameron Champ Foundation’s mission is to transform the lives of youth from underserved and underrepresented communities through a focus on athletics, academics and healthy living.
“Mack Champ was born in Columbus, Texas, in a segregated neighborhood with limited resources. His determination to fight against systemic racism and discrimination fuels our work,” said Cameron Champ Foundation Board Chair, Glenn Weckerlin. “We recognize that the pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color and has placed a heavy burden on the university and its already stretched funding. We are thankful that we can collaborate with such a historic institution to provide deserving student-athletes from diverse backgrounds opportunities that they might not otherwise have. We are delighted to contribute to student dreams and hope our actions will inspire others to follow suit—the time is now.”
