According to Golf 20/20, golf’s direct economic impact in the state of Florida grew to $8.2 billion in 2013, up from $7.5 billion in 2007. The report showed that golf’s economic impact is greater than other main industries in the state such as amusement and theme parks ($5.4 billion) and medical equipment and supplies manufacturing ($6.5 billion). In addition, the golf industry in Florida supports 132,532 jobs and $3.6 billion in wages. Florida also boasts the most golf courses of any U.S. state at 1,103. “Golf brings thousands of visitors to Florida each year, spurs new residential construction and creates demand for myriad goods and services,” said Steve Mona, CEO of the World Golf Foundation, which administers Golf 20/20.

Hosted by Gina Paige, co-founder of African Ancestry, and award-winning producer Shirley Neal, “African Ancestry Radio” will launch live on Sunday, February 8 at 12:00 pm ET on SiriusXM Urban View channel 126 with Louis Gossett Jr. and Aunjanue Ellis as their first celebrity guests.

Launched in celebration of Black History Month, the show will feature the hosts leading the conversation on heritage and guiding SiriusXM listeners of African descent looking to more accurately and reliably trace their roots. In addition, “African Ancestry Radio” will feature discussions on how a person’s roots influence personality, who they are and how they act.  Each show will include at least one celebrity guest who has previously taken the tests and whose African ancestry will be revealed during the broadcast.

“‘African Ancestry Radio’ promises to be enlightening, empowering, and inspirational for SiriusXM listeners across the country,” said Dave Gorab, Vice President and General Manager, Talk Programming, SiriusXM. “We are pleased to present this exclusive series as part of our special programming commemorating Black History Month.” After the broadcast, “African Ancestry Radio” will be available on SiriusXM On Demand for subscribers listening via the SiriusXM Internet Radio App for smartphones and other mobile devices or online at siriusxm.com.  Visit www.siriusxm.com/ondemand for more information.

“This new and exciting radio show is sure to inspire many Black Americans to conduct their own personal heritage search though the test that is provided by African Ancestry. In 2011, I was pleased to discover, through the help of African Ancestry, that my DNA traces my paternal family lineage back to the Ewondo people of Cameroon and the Tsogo people of Gabon.”

(photo: Debert Cook with neighborhood youth, Dakar, Senegal)

“This knowledge was tremendously enlightening, and, could never have been gained by me and my family without the help of African Ancestry.  The test was easy to order, and when it arrived, the instructions were very easy to follow and quick to conduct.  The results arrived in my mailbox within just a few weeks.  This information about my heritage is something that I was always curious about, and now, I am planning for my first visit to Cameroon and Gabon,” said Debert Cook, publisher of the African American Golfer’s Digest, who has already visited 7 African countries.  In 2014, Cook also utilized African Ancestry’s My DNA Mix, an admixture test that determines the various ancestries in your genetic family tree and providing a percentage breakdown of continental areas. “My DNA Mix confirmed me to being 70% Sub-Saharan African, 26% European and 4% Indigenous American,” says Cook. 

Gina Paige is co-founder of African Ancestry, Inc., pioneering a new way of tracing African lineage using genetics.  Paige resides in Washington, D.C. and holds a degree in Economics from Stanford University and an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

Shirley Neal is an Emmy-Award winning television and film producer whose programming has aired on major broadcast and cable television outlets. She currently helms her own production company, Park Hill Entertainment. SiriusXM Urban View features conversation, information, inspiration, empowerment, motivation and companionship from the African American perspective.

Founded in 2003, African Ancestry Inc. pioneered genetics ancestry tracing for people of African descent across the world demystifying African roots for more than 100,000 people including icons such as The King Family, Oprah Winfrey, Isaiah Washington, Condoleezza Rice, Nas, Samuel L. Jackson and Andrew Young.  It was featured in the ground-breaking PBS specials African American Lives and Finding Your Roots with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

For more information on SiriusXM, please visit www.siriusxm.com. For more information on African Ancestry, visit www.africanancestry.com.

About SiriusXM Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRI) is the world’s largest radio broadcaster measured by revenue and has 27.3 million subscribers.  SiriusXM creates and broadcasts commercial-free music; premier sports talk and live events; comedy; news; exclusive talk and entertainment; and the most comprehensive Latin music, sports and talk programming in radio.

SiriusXM is available in vehicles from every major car company in the U.S. and from retailers nationwide as well as at shop.siriusxm.com. SiriusXM programming is available through the SiriusXM Internet Radio App for smartphones and other connected devices as well as online at siriusxm.com. SiriusXM also provides premium traffic, weather, data and information services for subscribers in cars, trucks, RVs, boats and aircraft through SiriusXM Traffic™, SiriusXM Travel Link, NavTraffic®, NavWeather™, SiriusXM Aviation, SiriusXM Marine™, Sirius Marine Weather, XMWX Aviation™, and XMWX Marine™.  SiriusXM holds a minority interest in SiriusXM Canada which has more than 2 million subscribers. SiriusXM is also a leading provider of connected vehicles services to major automotive manufacturers, giving customers access to a suite of safety, security, and convenience services including automatic crash notification, stolen vehicle recovery assistance, enhanced roadside assistance and turn-by-turn navigation.

Prior to the 2015 Farmers Insurance Open, Tiger Woods talks to the media about the passing of Charlie Sifford, the impact and influence that Sifford had on him. and how his golf game is progressing.

South African professional golfer Gary Player’s phone interview this morning on Morning Drive discussing the life and legacy of Charlie Sifford, whom he had the honor of inducting into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.

Video: Gary Player Discusses Charlie Sifford’s Impact in Golf

Gary Player Quotes on Charlie Sifford

“One of the greatest honors of my life, was when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and he asked a white, South African to induct him in the Hall of Fame.  That was a very great honor for me in my life because I had a long friendship with him.”

“I continued to phone him all through the years, and he always ended his call with ‘Love you my man.’ He always said, ‘love you my man.’”

“One of his messages he left behind was, ‘Learn to accept adversity.  Keep fighting.’  He paved the way, he was a pioneer.”

“Having had similar lives to him, there is one thing that stands out in my mind – Evil will prevail unless good men make a stand, and that applies to Charlie Sifford.”

I befriended him and we played practice rounds together and we became very good friends.  He was always trying.  He said, ‘You know I don’t have much, but I’ll always try.  Even if I’m finishing last, I’m trying my best.’ And that is the way I felt about golf as well because I didn’t have much when I started. And he always said to me at the end, he said, ‘You know laddie, I made some money.  Man, I made it.’  It was so gratifying to hear that.”

“He never gave up. That is the thing, that is the great thing that he leaves behind, is that he never gave up. Not only in his demeanor as far as not being accepted, but also on the golf course.  It was prevalent, throughout his whole system, he was a fighter, and he never ever gave up, which to me is a very important thing.”

“There was no sense of entitlement, which so many young people have today in the United States.  I mean, here America continues to lose the Ryder Cup, it doesn’t make sense. The best golf courses, the most money, the best coaches and the best climate and they keep getting clobbered.  There must be a reason for it.  The fact remains that the Europeans are just better, and there is a great sense of entitlement in America.  You don’t have the best tennis player, you don’t the best golfer and you have all of the best facilities.  We have got to instill this that existed with Charlie Sifford – no sense of entitlement.  You’ve got to keep working and double your practicing.”

South African professional golfer Gary Player’s phone interview this morning on Morning Drive discussing the life and legacy of Charlie Sifford, whom he had the honor of inducting into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.

Video: Gary Player Discusses Charlie Sifford’s Impact in Golf

Gary Player Quotes on Charlie Sifford

“One of the greatest honors of my life, was when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and he asked a white, South African to induct him in the Hall of Fame.  That was a very great honor for me in my life because I had a long friendship with him.”

“I continued to phone him all through the years, and he always ended his call with ‘Love you my man.’ He always said, ‘love you my man.’”

“One of his messages he left behind was, ‘Learn to accept adversity.  Keep fighting.’  He paved the way, he was a pioneer.”

“Having had similar lives to him, there is one thing that stands out in my mind – Evil will prevail unless good men make a stand, and that applies to Charlie Sifford.”

I befriended him and we played practice rounds together and we became very good friends.  He was always trying.  He said, ‘You know I don’t have much, but I’ll always try.  Even if I’m finishing last, I’m trying my best.’ And that is the way I felt about golf as well because I didn’t have much when I started. And he always said to me at the end, he said, ‘You know laddie, I made some money.  Man, I made it.’  It was so gratifying to hear that.”

“He never gave up. That is the thing, that is the great thing that he leaves behind, is that he never gave up. Not only in his demeanor as far as not being accepted, but also on the golf course.  It was prevalent, throughout his whole system, he was a fighter, and he never ever gave up, which to me is a very important thing.”

“There was no sense of entitlement, which so many young people have today in the United States.  I mean, here America continues to lose the Ryder Cup, it doesn’t make sense. The best golf courses, the most money, the best coaches and the best climate and they keep getting clobbered.  There must be a reason for it.  The fact remains that the Europeans are just better, and there is a great sense of entitlement in America.  You don’t have the best tennis player, you don’t the best golfer and you have all of the best facilities.  We have got to instill this that existed with Charlie Sifford – no sense of entitlement.  You’ve got to keep working and double your practicing.”

Black Course will again host in 2021 and 2027

(February 3, 2015) – Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that Bethpage State Park’s Black Course will again host The Barclays professional golf tournament in 2021 and in 2027. Bethpage Black first held The Barclays in 2012 and the public golf course, located in Farmingdale, will again host the tournament in 2016. The Barclays is the first event of the PGA Tour Playoffs for the FedEx Cup.

“Bethpage State Park is one of the best public golf courses in the nation, and we are proud to welcome The Barclays back for two more tournaments,” Governor Cuomo said. “We look forward to welcoming golfers and spectators to these world-class competitions and urge them to also experience all that Long Island has to offer.”

Under Governor Cuomo’s administration, New York has secured six significant professional golf tournaments to be held at state-owned courses. In 2012, Bethpage Black hosted 100,000 spectators to watch Nick Watney win The Barclays, and the organization is already scheduled to return for a four-day competition in August 2016. Additionally, Governor Cuomo last year announced an agreement with The PGA of America to bring the 2019 PGA Championship and 2024 Ryder Cup to the famously challenging course.

PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem said, “Today’s announcement continues this tournament’s stellar rotation of playing on some of the area’s best courses. I’d like to thank the New York State Parks Department, Governor Cuomo and Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey for their partnership over the years at Bethpage State Park, which now extends well past the next decade. We’re thrilled to bring the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs to such a well-respected and challenging course again in 2021 and 2027, and we look forward to announcing additional venues in the rotation in the near future.”

Bethpage Black became the first publicly owned and operated course to host the U.S. Open in 2002 and hosted it again in 2009.

New York State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey said, “Bethpage Black has rightfully gained a reputation as a thrilling place to both play and watch great golf. I’m grateful to Governor Cuomo and the PGA TOUR for believing Bethpage State Park and its dedicated staff will host another great event and again demonstrate how the New York State park system is a national treasure.”

Golf Digest ranked Bethpage Black fifth on its 2012 list of “America’s 75 Toughest Golf Courses” and eighth on its 2013-14 list of “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.” In the early 1930s, the Bethpage Park Authority purchased the Lenox Hills Country Club and other adjacent properties to build what is now known as Bethpage State Park. Famed golf course architect A.W. Tillinghast was hired to design and oversee construction of three new golf courses (Black, Red and Blue) as well as modify the Lenox Hills Course which became the Green Course.

The Barclays has been a part of the PGA TOUR schedule since 1967 when Jack Nicklaus won the inaugural event at Westchester Country Club. Since that time, some of the greatest players in the game have earned the title including World Golf Hall of Famers Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, Raymond Floyd, Seve Ballesteros, Hale Irwin and Curtis Strange. Many of the world’s current top players have won the event as well, including two-time champions Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia; four-time champion Vijay Singh; and 2014 champion Hunter Mahan. As the first of four playoff events, The Barclays plays a leading role in the FedExCup, the season-long competition that is the centerpiece of the PGA TOUR season. For more information, visit www.BarclaysGolf.com.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 4, 2015

Statement by the President on the Passing of Charlie Sifford

Michelle and I offer our condolences on the passing of golf legend Charlie Sifford. Charlie was the first African American to earn a PGA tour card – often facing indignity and injustice even as he faced the competition. Though his best golf was already behind him, he proved that he belonged, winning twice on tour and blazing a trail for future generations of athletes in America. I was honored to award Charlie the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year – for altering the course of the sport and the country he loved. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his friends, and his fans.

Charles “Charlie” Luther Sifford, 92,  a professional golfer who was the first African American to play on the PGA Tour, passed away earlier this evening.  Sifford was admitted to South Pointe Hospital in Cleveland , Ohio, last week and was said to be battling a bacterial infection after also suffering a stroke.  Details of the funeral service and arrangements will be forthcoming, said a close friend of the family who spoke with this publication tonight.

Sifford was the first Black golfer to receive a PGA Tour card after the PGA desegregated in 1961. He twice proved himself on the Tour, winning the Greater Hartford Open in 1967 and the Los Angeles Open in 1969.  The legendary golfer added two more senior title wins to his accomplishments at the 1975 PGA Seniors’ Championship and the 1980 Suntree Classic.

In 2001, Sifford became the first Black golfer inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame and this past November, he became just the third golfer to be presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, joining Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.  At the evening program, held at the White House, Sifford arrived smiling in a wheelchair.  He enjoyed chatting with friends, taking photos and admiring the more than 100 guests who attended the celebration.  At the festive event, Sifford looked strong despite receiving ongoing dialysis treatments several times a week.

“I’ve lost a great friend and the world has lost a great man,” said Debert Cook, publisher of African American Golfer’s Digest where  Sifford served as its World Golf Ambassador.

Tiger Woods fondly refers to Sifford as his “grandfather” and often cites Sifford as an inspiration.  In a congratulatory tweet in November, upon learning about Sifford’s Presidential Medal of Freedom, Woods wrote: “the grandpa I never had,” and added, “Your past sacrifices allow me to play golf today. I’m so happy for you Charlie.”