July 1, 2021
Pro golfers Timothy O’Neal and Willie Mack III are both set to tee off today for Round 1 at the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club.
(All times are ET) View all tee times HERE.
Tee No. 10
June 30, 2021
- We’ll get started here with Willie Mack III at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Willie, a number of starts for you to date on the PGA TOUR, but this one comes in your home state. If we can just get an opening comment from you?
WILLIE MACK III: Yeah, I’m really excited to be here and definitely got — had a lot of support the last couple days. Hopefully I can keep it going and play well this weekend.
- Thoughts on the golf course? Just played in the pro-am. Initial impressions ahead of the first round?
WILLIE MACK III: Well, actually this is like my home course, so I played here the last 10,12 years with a couple members. It’s kind of like a home course, home course advantage, but you still have to hit the ball straight and make some putts. It will be an exciting week, though.
- With you having the home course advantage, knowing the course a little bit more, coming down to execution, what is the one thing that you know you can’t do on this golf course to have success?
WILLIE MACK III: Really just have to keep it out of the rough, especially around the greens.Other than that, it’s kind of soft out there, so you can kind of go at some pins you probably wouldn’t go at on other days. Other than that, you just have to make some putts.
- Obviously the object is winning the grand prize in this whole thing, but what other things can you just be happy about being out here, having the opportunity to showcase your game because you are from here and you know this place so well?
WILLIE MACK III: Yeah, without winning, just playing well and doing what I know I can do.I’m playing next week at John Deere, so hopefully I can just keep this going and play well at both starts.
- Do you start feeling like having these opportunities, getting these exemptions, playing your way into these tournaments is starting to peak you where you want to go?
WILLIE MACK III: Yeah, I played well two weeks ago at the Korn Ferry event in South Carolina, so I was I think 11 under through three rounds. Kind of had one bad drive on the last day, but other than that, played pretty good. Making that cut and knowing you can play out there definitely gave me a good amount of confidence coming out here this week.
- And understanding, you know Detroit, you know the area, what they’re doing here with 313 and all the initiatives to grow the game in this area, as a guy who’s from here, you can appreciate that a little bit more than some of the other guys?
WILLIE MACK III: Yeah, for sure. Dan Gilbert has definitely put a lot into Detroit, and thelast time I came to Detroit actually was a couple years ago, so since then it’s definitely gotten a lot better downtown. I’m excited what they’re going to do in the next couple years.
- You know this course, you’ve played it multiple times. How much credit do you give to the course superintendent for getting rid of all the water that was out here from the last couple days, because a couple days ago there were entire fairways under water? How was it out there?
WILLIE MACK III: Yeah, I came out here on I think Monday, Sunday or Monday andwatched the Shippen tournament for a couple holes and it was super wet. So the superintendent and all the staff definitely have been working probably at night to just get the course playable. Kind of getting a little bit — little mud balls out there, but other than that it’s pretty good.
- Does it change your approach at all? Maybe you might have to take a longer club in because it’s not rolling that much or that kind of thing?
WILLIE MACK III: Yeah, for sure. I think No. 12 they lengthened. Usually you have 9- or
8-iron in there, I think I hit 5-iron, so it’s a big difference. Other than that, it’s kind of playing the same.
- You’ve eaten a lot of snacks from gummy worms, I didn’t know what the other one was, but what is your favorite snack to eat out here while you’re playing?
WILLIE MACK III: Probably peanut butter and jelly and some Gatorade, that’s probably what I usually eat, but I didn’t get to pick those up last night, so I had to settle for the gummy worms.
- You talk about this being your home course, so can you talk about that home course advantageous a little bit more coming into this week?
WILLIE MACK III: Like I said, I played well two weeks ago and hopefully I can keep that rolling. It’s been nothing but great support the last couple days I’ve been out here. Hopefully I can put on a show this week.
- And then going back to the John Shippen, Shasta won it for the women’s side and now you have a chance to win the Rocket Mortgage. What would that mean for Flint to have both of you guys represent up here at the Detroit Golf Club?
WILLIE MACK III: Yeah, me and Shasta grew up together. She’s like my big sister, soseeing her succeed on the women’s side is definitely great for both of us. It’s definitely great for Flint, Michigan.
- You talk about her being your big sister a little bit because she is kind of tall. I met her yesterday and she told me she was 6 —
WILLIE MACK III: Yeah.
- I didn’t believe her. What do you say about her, her golf game and where she’s at in her career right now?
WILLIE MACK III: Yeah, she was on the LPGA. As you know, golf is pretty hard, so she felloff a little bit, but she’s getting her game back and hopefully she’ll play well in the two-person tournament in a couple weeks.
- What does it mean to you to just be here? Rocket Mortgage is doing so much for the Detroit community, minorities, the John Shippen, the digital divide. What’s it mean?
WILLIE MACK III: Yeah, it’s exciting. Like I said, Dan Gilbert has definitely put in a lot ofmoney and time into the Detroit area, and it’s something a lot of people don’t do. They usually say they’re going to do something and usually don’t, but he definitely says something and definitely stands behind that. It’s great just to be out here and get the support from everybody. Hopefully I can keep that going.
Q. How many friends and family do you have coming?
WILLIE MACK III: A lot of friends and family are coming. I probably won’t see them all, but Iknow they’ll be rooting for me.
Q. Do you have a number? A dozen, two dozen, something like that?
WILLIE MACK III: At least a hundred people have hit me up about coming, so probablysome more will come, but hopefully it will be a good crowd.
- Just the last thing is, we’ve talked to you before about all the difficulties that you face as a minority on the Tour, trying to make your way on the Tour. Kamaiu Johnson has been talking about how he’s been mistaken as a caddie at a lot of tournaments. Does that happen to you? What are the kind of difficulties that you have to endure, I guess, trying to be a pro golfer?
WILLIE MACK III: Yeah, it happened. It still happens. It happened recently, but I kind of just laugh at it and keep it moving. Can’t really let that get to you. That’s pretty much it about this.
- Q. What do you tell them? Do you say, no, I’m actually a pro golfer, I’m here for a tournament?
WILLIE MACK III: I just say I’m a player and they kind of just put me in the other direction that they put me in the first time.
- On John Shippen, obviously Tim made his way into the tournament this week. Has he been a motivator for you? Could you talk a little bit about that and the way he’s motivated others? He’s been on the professional circuit on a number of different tours for a long time now.
WILLIE MACK III: Yeah, especially when I turned pro, I didn’t know him well, but we talk allthe time, text. I’m excited that he won and got in here. He’s a little older than most of us, but he still has the game. I’m glad we both got an opportunity this week and hopefully we both play well.
June 30, 2021
PGA.com is accepting applications for positions with a variety of vendors through July 28
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (June 29, 2021) – The PGA of America is inviting local talent from diverse backgrounds to register for PGA JobMatch and be considered for positions that support the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin, Sept. 21-26, 2021.
Individuals may register at PGA.com through July 28 to potentially interview with the PGA’s key vendors for jobs leading up to, during and after the Ryder Cup.
The PGA is working with diverse talent and employment organizations in Wisconsin, such as American Indian Chamber of Commerce, Latino Academy of Workforce Development and other local partners to encourage potential candidates to register for PGA JobMatch.
Job opportunities include part-time and full-time temporary work taking place pre-, during and post-Ryder Cup. A variety of positions need to be filled within areas like hospitality, concessions, retail, transportation, logistics, construction, janitorial and miscellaneous services. A full listing is featured on PGA.com.
“We are committed to developing a golf industry supply chain that mirrors America,” said PGA of America Chief People Officer Sandy Cross. “PGA JobMatch is a way for us to positively impact the citizens of the communities that host our spectator championships. We believe one of the greatest impacts we can make is to create job opportunities in Wisconsin around the Ryder Cup.”
Connections will be made between qualified candidates and key PGA vendors, including American Maintenance, API Systems, Inc., Cornerstone Parking Group and Levy Restaurants.
Registration must be received by July 28 to be considered. Qualified candidates will be contacted by PGA’s key vendors for the next phase of the hiring process.
About the PGA of America
The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, composed of nearly 28,000 PGA Professionals who daily work to grow interest and inclusion in the game of golf. For more information about the PGA of America, visit PGA.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
June 30, 2021 | BY AAGD STAFF
He’s a legend in his own time, and very time he appears, golf crowds go wild- watching him.
But, following his high-speed SUV crash on February 23 of this year into a tree, at 87 miles per hour in California, will Tiger Woods ever play golf again?
Woods made his comeback as a champion in 2019 when he won the Masters. At the time, it had been 3,950 days since his last major win. Many fans had given up on the former world number one ever winning again.
Over the last decade, Woods has had much against him. Recall the car accident that occurred after his Swedish wife, Elin, chased him out of their driveway with a 9-iron after discovering his involvement in an illicit, extramarital affair. Later, they divorced. Weeks following, seven more women came forth in the media, admitting to affairs with Woods. Afterward Woods voluntarily entered sex rehab in Mississippi.
Then, there were Woods’ ongoing bodily injuries: He had his back fused and his knee redone. He went to drug rehab and maybe drunk camp. Tiger took it in all in stride while he strived for redemption, and seemingly got his life back on track, coming back to win his 15th major championship title at the 2019 Masters.
After such a devastating accident, will Tiger ever play again? He certainly has the support of the millions of fans and the Augusta golfing community who even added his name onto the course record at the 17th hole water fountain. We are all pulling for Tiger’s comeback.
June 29, 2021
Vickie Pierre: Be My Herald of What’s to Come
On View June 9 through September 5 at the Boca Raton Museum of Art
Like the town crier in a fractured fairy tale, “Be My Herald of What’s to Come” rings in Vickie Pierre’s premiere solo museum show at the Boca Raton Museum of Art.
Grounded in the Arts and Crafts movement, her installations have a storybook feel. A fractured fairy tale is, after all, a new twist on an old story, reimagined and restructured for a contemporary sensibility.
Just as fractured fairytales can be more subversive than the traditional fables, the playfulness and whimsical flourishes of Pierre’s assemblages are underscored by her pull towards the beautifully grotesque.
In this new exhibition, her works cast a feminine deity spell within the Museum gallery. In the installation she created in 2020, titled “Black Flowers Blossom (Hanging Tree),” the artist honors the souls of people lost to racial injustice, including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and the many others.
The exhibition was curated by Kelli Bodle, the Assistant Curator of the Museum, and is on view until September 5. Vickie Pierre has also been commissioned to create two murals for the Museum’s entrance courtyard, as part of the new Sculpture Garden.
“These works proclaim that while we can acknowledge the dark, painful parts of our past, at the same time we can also express hope and light for the future,” says the Miami-based artist Vickie Pierre.
Her artworks cling to the romanticized, ornate European-based home décor of her childhood home in Brooklyn. The interior design hearkened back to France as Haiti’s the “mother country,” but one that never really was maternal.
“It’s not my history, and isn’t even really my parents’ history. All of those decorative elements I remember growing up with, the European flourishes, rococo, and Victorian, were not even part of their lives when they were in Haiti. That’s the push and pull of it. It’s a fantasy, but it’s a beautiful lie,” says Pierre. “Visually, it’s the best eye candy ever.”
She uses vintage Avon perfume bottles shaped like idealized women in period skirts (but removes the tops of the bottles that are shaped like women’s heads and torsos); flaxen hair from dolls; galleon ships to represent the slave trade; bracelets, cuffs and jewelry ― all interconnected by long strands of glittering Goddess beads.
The color backdrops are reminiscent of French toile fabrics. Batons appear, as sails that have lost their wind. “It feels like when you are watching something decay, but know that something better will take its place,” says Pierre.
“I’ve been collecting these Avon perfume bottles for some time, using them as my muses. They’ve been deconstructed because I take their heads and torsos off. It’s a play on the idea of the Princess ― who gets to be the Princess?”
Vickie Pierre’s creative process is informed and inspired by memory, fantasy, surrealism, popular culture and the decorative and ornamental arts.
She is best known for her wall installations that blend elements of her Caribbean heritage with contemporary culture.
“There is always a sense of melancholy and longing in my work, it comes from the otherworldly state I put myself in when I am creating,” adds Pierre.
Her exhibition includes, for the first time seen altogether, Pierre’s assemblages and freestanding sculpture that highlight her lyrical brilliance.
“This exhibition of Vickie Pierre’s assemblages is both a memorial for what has passed and a desire for what is to come,” said Irvin Lippman, the Executive Director of the Museum.
“Exploring how people can structure their identity, Pierre pays homage to the French and larger European architectural design that influenced Haitian culture while also subverting it. Her vignettes deal with current issues, revealing deeper truths and fractured identities, but are cloaked in charming tableaus.”
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Vickie Pierre is a multimedia artist, born and bred in Brooklyn. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York in 1997. She currently lives in Miami.
Pierre has participated in exhibitions worldwide, including: National Museum of Women in the Arts (D.C.); Miami Art Museum (PAMM); Fredric Snitzer Gallery (Miami); White Box (NY); Musee International des Arts Modestes (France); Museo de Arte Contemporaneo (Puerto Rico); Polk Museum of Art (Lakeland); The King Juan Carlos of Spain I Center (NY); Los Angeles Art Association; Museum of Art and Design (Miami Dade); Little Haiti Cultural Center (Miami); The Deering Estate (Miami); and Locust Projects (Miami), among others. Her artworks can be found in private collections and public institutions.
The inspiration for Pierre’s work has manifested itself in years of collecting diverse materials that often serve as muses in her daily practice and as actual, physical elements within her assemblages and installations.
Her continued focus is on the universal themes of identity with references to design and nature, alongside the interconnectivity between her Haitian heritage (including the larger Caribbean community) and global cultural mythologies, while considering feminine and historic tropes that are relative to contemporary cultural politics.
| About the Boca Raton Museum of Art Kicking off its eighth decade in 2021, the Boca Raton Museum of Art encompasses a creative campus that includes the Museum in Mizner Park and the Art School. As one of South Florida’s cultural landmarks, the Museum has provided cultural and artistic service to the community, and to many visitors from around the world, since it was founded by artists in 1950. Visit bocamuseum.org/visit/virtual-visits to enjoy the Museum’s current online content, including video tours and digital gallery guides. Support for #BocaMuseumatHome and #KeepKidsSmartwithArt virtual programming is provided by Art Bridges Foundation and PNC. Museum hours, admission prices and more visitor information available at bocamuseum.org/visit. |
June 29, 2021 | By JAMES BEATTY
Which golf organization with 18,000 members in 78 countries recently launched their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative (D,E and I) Initiative?
Which organization’s CEO gave up his time for a day and a half to be involved in the meetings launching this initiative?
Which organization recruited six industry D,E and I leaders to serve on its Advisory Council?
Which organization dedicated a full-day to host a D,E and I meeting at its Headquarters?
Which organization had it Board President and Vice President lead and conduct the DE and I meeting?
Give up guessing???
It was GCSAA. Yes, the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, headquartered in Lawrence, Kansas who had the temerity, audacity and courage to launch and host this powerful initiative at its facility on June 23 and 24.
Under the leadership of CEO J. Rhett Evans, Board President, Mark Jordan and Board Vice President, Kevin Breen with the approval and direction from their Board of Directors, GCSAA formally launched their 2021 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council.
The agenda was a no holds barred session with a full slate of topics ranging from career mapping to meeting with the internal GCSAA Task Group. Bob Randquist, COO, also took his valuable time to lead the Council on a tour of the facility. GCSAA clearly is serious about not just talking about D,E and I but taking actions on this most important matter.
Perhaps Colonel John Morley, the founder of GCSAA, knew something of the inevitability of this activity as stated in his quote from 1926 which is emblazoned on the GCSAA main entry wall “No life is or can be self existent, we depend upon each other.”
In addition to GCSAA board and staff leadership previously mentioned, Shelia Finney, Senior Director of Membership Programs for GCSAA is a key member of the effort.
The Advisory Council is composed of:
- Jan Bel Jan, immediate past president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects and owner of Jan Bel Jan Golf Course Design Inc. in Jupiter, Fl,
- Craig Kirby, Founder and CEO of Golf. My Future. My Game. located in Washington, DC.
- Azucena Maldonado, Founder of the Latina Golfer’s Association in Anaheim, CA,
- Jamie Taylor, CEO and founder of the Black Golf Directory in Sanford, FL
- Desiree Walker, CEO of Road2Par and a founding member of the Black Golf Alliance in Bowie MD
- and your’s truly, James Beatty, Executive Editor of the African American Golfer’s Digest, President of Jim Beatty Golf Ventures in Omaha, NE and organizer of the African American Golf EXPO and Forum which will be held Aug 21 -24 at the Hilton Conference Center in Marietta ,GA.
GCSAA without hesitancy opened itself for scrutiny and constructive feedback on all of its activities, programs and marketing materials in an effort to ensure that it was genuine in its outreach efforts to underrepresented and underserved communities as well as to establish and maintain a pipeline for its current and future workforce needs.
A Really Real Discussion
The discussion was very real, the feedback was candid, the atmosphere was positive and the GCSAA responses were not defensive but accepting and understanding. I and the other members of the council applaud this bold move and ask that other golf organizations emulate this effort to continue to make D,E and I real and a part of their respective organizational fabric.
Case in point is the unique collaboration as previously reported in AAGD with Golf My Future My Game and GCSAA. Four college students of color are participating in a three-month internship experience at the Westfield Country Club located in Westfield Center, Ohio focused on Golf Operations and Golf Course Management. The participants are sophomores and include students from Albion College, located in Albion, MI and Howard University located in Washington DC. The primary outcome of the program is to create a diverse pool of future talent for the Westfield Country Club and the golf industry
As stated by CEO, Rhett Evans, also a triathlete and active adventurist, using a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to close the session: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” He is serious about leading GCSAA on this most important adventure. His actions and deeds are evidence of his commitment. Right on Rhett!
I am eager and anxious to see and hear others in the industry break that silence and express their commitment.
June 28, 2021 | BY AAGD STAFF
Tim O’Neal is not unfamiliar with the professional golf circuit. He’s been playing in minor leagues for decades and each time he hits the greens he is on a quest to win. But this weekend, the soon to be 49-year-old, Savannah, Ga., born golfer was the oldest player competing in The John Shippen, an event designed to bring top Black players together for an exemption opportunity into PGA Tour and LPGA Tour events.
At this competition O’Neal was at the Detroit Golf Club with contenders on the field who could be his children, and even grandchildren. Take for instance 17-year-old Amari Avery who, in the women’s field, was holding her own. O’Neal turned pro in 1997 after playing collegiate golf at Jackson State. He has four pro wins include three on the Latinoamerica Tour (the last coming in 2016).
Organizers of The John Shippen had selected some of the nation’s top Black golfers to compete at the Detroit Golf Club for a top-level golf experience Named after the first American-born golf professional and also the country’s first Black pro, John Shippen.
In a men’s field of 21 invitees, O’Neal, emerged as the winner, backing up his opening-round 71 with a 67 on Monday to beat Kevin Hall by two shots. O’Neal’s prize is to play in this week’s PGA Tour Rocket Mortgage Classic.
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Playing in two-person teams in the women’s division, the winners were Shasta Averyhardt and Anita Uwadia, who scored 73-68 to finish at three under. They earned an exemption into the LPGA’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational (July 14–17 in Midland, Mich.), which is also a team event.
The John Shippen Shoot-Out, a three-hole individual competition, followed the end of the women’s tournament and was held as a three-hole individual competition among the six women who finished directly behind the winners. Amari Avery, from Riverside, Calif., shot one under (birdie-par-par) to win, earning a spot in the LPGA’s Cognizant Founders Cup (Oct. 4-10 in West Caldwell, N.J.).
For O’Neal, his win this week was his goal. Because, in seven previous appearances on the PGA Tour, dating back to 2002, he has yet to make the cut. In 2019, O’Neal had his last start on the PGA Tour at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, and his biggest leap of all time was in qualifying for the 2015 U.S. Open.
“I’ve been doing this for a long time, he said in an interview. “For me at 48, still to be able to compete and be able to play means a lot to me,” O’Neal said. “Hopefully it’s going to inspire guys not to quit and keep grinding.”
It’s a different road to The John Shippen for Shasta Averyhardt and Anita Uwadia. Averythardt, got her conditional LPGA Tour card in 2010 Q-School. A Jackson State alum, she succumbed to several injuries and was unable to maintain her playing status. Her last start on the LPGA was in 2013. Nigerian-born Uwadia attended the University of South Carolina and has had six starts on the Symetra Tour, having never yet played on the LPGA Tour.
“Obviously, we’re going to embrace it, and we’re very thankful for the opportunity,” Averyhardt said during an interview. “This is a great way to honor Mr. Shippen. So we’re going to stay in the present and just stay in the moment and really just one shot at a time. That’s like a cliche, right, but we don’t want to put too much pressure on ourselves. We still want to enjoy it and have fun.”
High schooler, Amari Avery has great potential and is already set to play college golf at USC. The humble golfer qualified for this year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur and won the 2019 California State Women’s Amateur. This past May she played in her first LPGA event at the U.S. Women’s Open and missed the cut, shooting 76-77. Forging ahead, Avery has signed up for LPGA Q-School and will most likely turn pro should she earn her card.
THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational was designed by Intersport specifically to showcase and provide heightened opportunities and recognition to Black golfers. The 36-hole, two-day tournament, was played Sunday and Monday, and invited 33 of the nation’s top amateur and professional men’s and women’s Black golfers to compete at Detroit Golf Club.
June 29, 2021 | BY AAGD STAFF
Come August, there will be a new, unique exhibition launching in Marietta, Georgia which hope to engage and grow the sport and business of golf among Blacks. The maiden voyage of the African American Golf Expo & Forum (AAGE&F) runs August 21-24 at the Marietta Hilton Hotel & Conference Center. Registration is open to all individuals interested in learning about the opportunities available the $84 billion golf industry.
Developed by Jim Beatty Golf Ventures, the EXPO is a first of its type in the history of Golf with Title sponsor Golf Digest. The overall plan for the EXPO is dedicated to encouraging and promoting African Americans to fully participate in the golf Industry while providing networking, seminars/workshops, a golf clinic, tournament, and more .
“Everyone is welcome to come learn, network, and more, while they experience the latest in equipment, technology, Jobs, and other sectors of the golf industry, while making new friends and contacts for business and personal growth and development, says the AAGE&F Founder, James Beatty.
To register to attend visit https://aagolfexpo.com/?fbclid=IwAR07p82NEP-HMjArgUniH3mZ5ZnZ9gLPwbiveVJS59aNARf0qcRaaUiM7AA or or for more information call 202-478-9644.
June 28, 2021
The 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic field was finalized Monday with the addition of five players. Tim O’Neal won the inaugural edition of THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational with a 36-hole total of 5-under-par 139 (71-68) at Detroit Golf Club to earn a sponsor exemption into the Rocket Mortgage Classic field.
The final four berths into the tournament field were secured through Monday’s Rocket Mortgage Classic Open Qualifier at Oakland University – Katke-Cousins Golf Course in Rochester, Mich. Connor Arendell (Ft. Myers, Fla.) earned medalist honors by carding a 6-under-par 65. Tain Lee (Irvine, Calif.), Justin Suh (San Jose, Calif.) and Daniel Wetterich (Cincinnati, Ohio) were among nine players to shoot a 5-under 66 and won Rocket Mortgage Classic spots via a playoff.
The Rocket Mortgage Classic’s complete 156-player field is listed below.
2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic Final Field (156 players) as of June 28, 2021
An, Byeong Hun
Anderson, Mark
Arendell, Connor
Armour, Ryan
Baddeley, Aaron
Baker, Chris
Blixt, Jonas
Bradley, Keegan
Bramlett, Joseph
Brehm, Ryan
Brown, Scott
Burgoon, Bronson
Cabrera Bello, Rafa
Campos, Rafael
Cappelen, Sebastian
Champ, Cameron
Chappell, Kevin
Choi, K.J.
Cook, Austin
Dahmen, Joel
Davis, Cam
Day, Jason
DeChambeau, Bryson
Donald, Luke
Dufner, Jason
Duncan, Tyler
Eckroat, Austin +
Every, Matt
Fowler, Rickie
Frazar, Harrison
Frittelli, Dylan
Garnett, Brice
Gay, Brian
Gellerman, Michael
Ghim, Doug
Gibson, Rhein
Gligic, Michael
Glover, Lucas
Gómez, Fabián
Gordon, Will
Griffin, Lanto
Grillo, Emiliano
Hadley, Chesson
Hadwin, Adam
Hagy, Brandon
Hahn, James
Harrington, Scott
Hearn, David
Hickok, Kramer
Higgo, Garrick
Higgs, Harry
Hoag, Bo
Hoffman, Charley
Hoge, Tom
Holmes, J.B.
Homa, Max
Hossler, Beau
Howell III, Charles
Hubbard, Mark
Hughes, Mackenzie
Im, Sungjae
Jones, Matt
Kang, Sung
Kim, Michael
Kim, Si Woo
Kirk, Chris
Kisner, Kevin
Kizzire, Patton
Knox, Russell
Kodaira, Satoshi
Kokrak, Jason
Lahiri, Anirban
Laird, Martin
Landry, Andrew
Lashley, Nate
Lebioda, Hank
Ledesma, Nelson
Lee, Danny
Lee, K.H.
Lee, Tain
Lewis, Tom
List, Luke
Long, Adam
Mack III, Willie +
Mahan, Hunter
Malnati, Peter
Matsuyama, Hideki
McCarthy, Denny
McCumber, Tyler
McGirt, William
McNealy, Maverick
Merritt, Troy
Mickelson, Phil
Muñoz, Sebastián
Murray, Grayson
NeSmith, Matthew
Niemann, Joaquin
Noren, Alex
Norlander, Henrik
O’Hair, Sean
O’Neal, Tim +
Oppenheim, Rob
Pak, John +
Percy, Cameron
Perez, Pat
Pereira, Mito
Piercy, Scott
Potter, Jr., Ted
Putnam, Andrew
Reavie, Chez
Redman, Doc
Reed, Patrick
Rodgers, Patrick
Roth, Jeff #
Ryder, Sam
Sabbatini, Rory
Schenk, Adam
Seiffert, Chase
Shelton, Robby
Simpson, Webb
Sloan, Roger
Snedeker, Brandt
Spaun, J.J.
Stadler, Kevin
Stallings, Scott
Stanley, Kyle
Straka, Sepp
Streb, Robert
Stuard, Brian
Suh, Justin
Taylor, Ben
Taylor, Nick
Taylor, Vaughn
Thompson, Curtis +
Thompson, Davis +
Thompson, Michael
Todd, Brendon
Trahan, D.J.
Trainer, Martin
Tringale, Cameron
Tway, Kevin
Van Pelt, Bo
van Rooyen, Erik
Varner III, Harold
Ventura, Kris
Villegas, Camilo +
Walker, Jimmy
Watney, Nick
Watson, Bubba
Werenski, Richy
Wetterich, Daniel
Whaley, Vincent
Willett, Danny
Wolff, Matthew
Woodland, Gary
Zalatoris, Will +
June 29, 2021
Pro golfer Camiko Smith played strong in his debut in The John Shippen National Invitational at the historic Detroit Golf Club in Michigan.
Finishing sixth among a field of 21 players, Smith, born and raised on the beautiful island of Bermuda where he enjoyed eating his mom’s homemade banana pancakes and codfish with potatoes, carded an even-par 144 over two rounds.
“It wasn’t my best ball-striking by far, but I managed and I’m pleased with my score,” Smith said.
“I’m feeling good but need to get off the tee better, hit more fairways and sharpen up my iron shots into the greens to give myself a chance at more birdie putts.”
Smith was two shots behind the leader and eventual winner Tim O’Neal after shooting an opening-round 73 at the PGA Tour Rocket Mortgage Classic.
He got off to a flying start after rolling in back-to-back birdies on the 2nd and 3rd holes.
However, Smith could not maintain his momentum and dropped shots at the 7th and 9th holes, making even par at the turn.
His situation got even worse when he bogeyed two of the first four holes on the back nine after missing the fairway to move to two over.
Smith did manage to play the remaining five holes at one under after refocusing and gaining a better hold of his ball-striking, His garnered a third birdie of the round at the penultimate hole.
“Unfortunately none of the players were able to get a practice round in due to the course being flooded, so we basically played the first round blind,” Smith said.
Close, but not close enough, Smith, just two shots off the lead, remained in the hunt going into the second round.
He got off to another good start after making birdie at the first hole.
However, he lost momentum after carding bogeys at the 2nd and 7th holes before a birdie at the par-four 8th left him at level par at the turn for the second straight day.
His fortunes then took another turn for the worst when he bogeyed two of the first four holes on the back nine after missing the fairway to move to two over.
But after refocusing and tightening up his ball-striking, Smith managed to play the remaining five holes at one under, rattling in a third birdie of the round at the penultimate hole.
“Unfortunately none of the players were able to get a practice round in due to the course being flooded, so we basically played the first round blind,” Smith said.
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At just two shots off the lead, Smith remained in the hunt going into the second round. He got off to another good start after making birdie at the first hole.
Smith sunk to two under after rolling in back-to-back birdies at the 13th and 14th. He dropped a stroke at the par-four 16th but was able to sustain his way to end with a one-under 71. This left him at even par for the tournament.
Tim O’Neal won reigned as the winner of the 36-hole event named after John Shippen Jr, the first American-born golf professional and first Black golf professional. O’Neal pulled if off by two shots grabbing the sole spot up for for an exemption into the Rocket Mortgage Classic to be held at the same venue June 27-28.
“With all the rain and flooding that Detroit has had, there is some standing water on the course,” Smith said.
“Other than that, the course is in great condition and I’m sure it will be in greater shape for the [tournament].
“Sommer Woods and Jason Langwell with their team have done an amazing job with organizing and getting this event off the ground.”
TOP BLACK MALE AND FEMALE PROFESSIONAL & AMATEUR GOLFERS TO COMPETE ON JUNE 27-28 AT DETROIT GOLF CLUB
June 26, 2021 | BY AAGD STAFF
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A full field of players are committed to compete in THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational presented by Rocket Mortgage beginning this Sunday. On the field are some of the nation’s top amateur and professional Black golfers who have been invited to play June 27-28, at the historic Detroit Golf Club. The National Invitational, designed specifically to showcase and provide heightened opportunities and recognition to Black golfers.
In conjunction with the event, a one-hour TV special about THE JOHN
SHIPPEN will air on CBS leading into final-round coverage of the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Sunday, July 4.
THE JOHN SHIPPEN is named after John Shippen, Jr., who was the first American-born golf professional and also the country’s first Black golf professional. Shippen tied for fifth place in the second U.S. Open in 1896 and played in four additional U.S. Opens. He was bestowed PGA of America membership posthumously in 2009.
THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Golf Invitational Competition:
• The Women’s Division will feature a 36-hole competition with a two-player team format. The winning duo will earn an exemption into the LPGA’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational (July 14–17), which is also played as a team event.
• The Men’s Division will compete in a 36-hole individual stroke play event, with the winner receiving an exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Rocket Mortgage Classic (July 1-4).
THE JOHN SHIPPEN Shoot-Out Presented by Cognizant is a three-hole individual competition that will take place on the South Course (5th, 6th and 7th Holes) at Detroit Golf Club on Monday, June 28, directly following THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational final round play. The Shoot-Out will feature the four players from the second- and third-place teams of the
women’s field with the individual winner being awarded a sponsor exemption into the LPGA’s Cognizant Founders Cup (October 4-10).
Golf programming to be offered to thousands of kids for the first time
Brentwood, TN (June 22, 2021) — The Payne Stewart Kids Golf Foundation has entered into a long term agreement with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America offering golf programming, instruction and equipment to thousands of young kids across the country who attend Boys & Girls Clubs. Golf will now join the sports line up for the first time allowing all kids to experience and learn the basics of a game for a lifetime.
“The Payne Stewart Kids Golf Foundation was founded to help lower-income and inner-city kids learn the game of golf,” said Kelly McCammon, founder and CEO. “In working with the Boys & Girls Clubs, we now have the opportunity to reach kids who have never stepped on to a golf course or had a golf club placed in their hands by a family member. There is an entire universe of young people who will benefit from learning the basics of golf through a fun introductory experience and we are honored to be teaming up with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.”
The Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a national organization of local chapters which provide voluntary after-school programs for young people. Founded in 1860, the organization is headquartered in Atlanta. More than 4,700 clubs serve 4.6 million young people through club membership and community outreach.
“Boys & Girls Clubs of America is honored to partner with the Payne Stewart Kids Golf Foundation. Together we will be introducing the game of golf to Club members nationwide,” said Frank Sanchez, vice president of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “Payne’s legacy is one of inclusiveness and a passion to create opportunity for kids. Youth who would have never had a chance to play the game of golf will now have access to world class training and instruction, thanks to this partnership.”
“We are so pleased to partner with such a well-respected organization as the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in introducing children to the game that Payne loved,” said Tracey Stewart. “Their care for children of all backgrounds, especially those in need, inspires us and aligns with our desire to positively impact the lives of as many children as possible. Together, we can share the virtues and joy of golf with children who would otherwise never have had such an opportunity.”
In 2021, five key markets will be selected to launch the introductory golf experience at select Boys & Girls Clubs. One of those markets will include a military base as well as an Indian Reservation. The plan is for 50 locations in 2022.
About the Payne Stewart Kids Golf Foundation
The Payne Stewart Kids Golf Foundation, established in 2020, is the fundraising entity behind the Payne Stewart Golf Camps & Clinics. These unique programs provide a complete golf learning experience for kids ages 4-9 years old. Using unconventional spaces to bring golf to the masses, the camps and clinics make any gymnasium or soccer field a golf learning center to teach children the fundamentals of both golf and life. For more information about the Payne Stewart Kids Golf Foundation please visit www.paynestewart.org.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America For 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Clubs programming promotes academic success, good character and leadership, and healthy lifestyles. More than 4,700 Clubs serve 4.6 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook or Twitter.