August 14, 2020 | BY AAGD STAFF
Fabrice “Fab” Laude loves the sunshine state of Florida, yet his parents had no idea what a coincidence it would be for their son to have been born at the Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital. Today, the 17-year-old, Wesley Chapel resident is a 2020 ACE Grant recipient high schooler who is considering studying Pre-Dentistry in college. Boasting a 3 handicap, it was Fab’s Godfather, Jude Bien-Aime, who introduced him to the game of golf by presenting the youngster with his first junior golf club set at age 5.
As Captain of his Wiregrass Ranch High School golf team Fab has also been a proud member of The First Tee of Tampa Bay for the past 4 years, and, recently he became a member of the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA). He regularly attends The First Tee of Tampa Junior Golf Tournaments.
How Did You Learn About the ACE Grant?
“I have been wanting to play in the AJGA for the past two years but the traveling and tournament cost did not fit into my father’s budget,” explained Fab. “On July 22, my father was watching an interview on the African American Golfer’s Digest Facebook page with Dr. Michael Cooper, Mr. James Beatty and Mr. Steve Hamblin of the AJGA, discussing more diversity in golf, particularly in junior golf. Mr. Hamblin explained about a program in the AJGA called The ACE Grant Program that provides financial assistance to young women and men who aspire to earn a college golf scholarship through competitive junior golf. So, my dad and I applied right after watching the interview and this past Monday ( August 3), we were informed that I was accepted into the ACE Grant Program.”
When asked how the ACE Grant would benefit him, Fab responded, “This grant will benefit me tremendously. It will alleviate many limitations that were previously holding me back. It will allow me and my dad to travel to events further away from home and afford accommodation cost. Also, it will allow me to compete against other great golfers in the country. Undoubtedly, this will raise my game to new level, said Fab whose greatest challenge with the sport is in affording to attend the top tier tournaments. His proud father, Cliff Laude says, “I hope this article encourages more parents to apply for the ACE Grant Program. Fab and I would love to see more African American junior golfers at AJGA Tournaments.”
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“Being a young African American junior golfer in this game is already a challenge. I take it upon myself to prove many people wrong by accepting all challenges that are put before me,” he said. His inspiration to play comes by way of thinking (and thanking) of all the great golfers who came before him, such as “Charlie Sifford, Calvin Peete, Lee Elder, Ted Rhodes, Althea Gibson, Harold Varner III and my good friend/mentor Jim Dent. Without them there is no me.”
The 5-year Plan
Within the next five years, Fab’s goals include finishing high school, going on to a 4-year college/university on a golf/academic scholarship while majoring in Pre-Dentistry. If all goes as planned, Fab hopes to “graduate with my degree and to play in many national qualifiers.”
“The journey has not been easy. It has had many obstacles pop up from time to time. One certainty, the game of golf has taught me to persevere. Everything will not always be as expected, but just like golf keep trying, quitting is not an option. My father has taught me that a strong mindset is key. I make sure I stay passionate about the game; I stay obsessive with my training and I’m fearless when I play the game.
