Pete McDaniel
Contributing Editor
African American Golfer’s Digest
Blog: January/February 2014
“A Glass Half Full”
The call came out of the blue during the holidays. It was an old acquaintance with a query shrink wrapped and extracted from among the mothballs.
“Hey Pete,’’ he began, “What’s it going to take for us to get another player on the Tour?’’
Of course, the reference was to the big boy tour—the one replete with big names like Tiger, Phil, Rory and Adam. No disrespect to the LPGA but inquiring minds want to know the status of the tour that dominates electronic and social media. Gender inequality is the subject of a blog for another day.
Normally, I would have a pat answer for such an inquiry, one that paints a not-so-rosy picture. However, this time, perhaps in the spirit of the spiked eggnog and Santa cookies season of giving, I decided to be somewhat substantive in my answer. Call it my glass half-full forecast.
“Well, I saw a lot of improvement in both the number and quality of prospects this year, so I’m encouraged that we’re close to a breakthrough,’’ I said. “Look at the pipeline. There are several—most notably Joseph Bramlett, who was out there with Tiger a few years ago, Harold Varner III, who played in the U.S. Open this year and has status on the Web.com Tour in 2014, and a 2014 Northern Trust Open exemption. Joshua and Jeremiah Wooding, the latter fared well at PGA Q-school this year and has status on the Web.com, Vincent Johnson and Marcus Manley, both stalwarts on the Advocates Tour, and journeyman Tim O’Neal, who kicked a lot of butt in South America this year.’’
Speaking of the Advocates Tour, I really admire those brothers who are cut from the same benefactor mold as Joe Louis, George May and the countless sponsors/organizers of the Black golf tours. Through their events they are providing a training ground for prospects to compete for cash. I believe that experience will pay dividends some day when those that elevate to the big time get a bad case of oxygen deprivation in mounting pressure. Winning is as much about confidence as it is about execution. Winning boosts confidence and self-confidence breeds a winning attitude. Giving those young men an opportunity to win is a gift that will keep on giving.
Now if only there were a similar developmental tour for women, one unlike the Symetra that would dig deep into the HBCU ranks for the undiscovered jewels.
From what I witnessed at the Bill Dickey Invitational this past summer in Alpharetta, Ga., the women might show more promise than the men. Teenagers sporting single-digit handicaps scoring in the mid-70s were very impressive. The top four—Lauren Waller, Alex Wright, Maria Davis and Arita Harris—I believe are poised to eventually join the ranks of hopefuls Shasta Averyhardt, Cheyenne Woods, Ginger Howard and Mariah Stackhouse.
As long as the BDI continues to showcase top minority junior talent like those four young ladies and the top four young men—Charles Griffin, Joseph Stills, Malik Luckett and Jarett Croff—Bill Dickey’s legacy will live on.
Giving further credence to my optimism is the golf industry stepping up its game with a serious attempt to recognize African American contributions to golf through two bold exhibits that give a tip of the cap to the past while heralding a bright future in the process.
“More Than A Game’’ is scheduled to debut at the USGA Museum in February. It explores the impact of African American golf clubs on the development of the game and is centered on Clearview Golf Club, the course that Bill Powell built and his daughter, Renee, keeps teed up so the world won’t forget her trailblazing dad.
The other exhibit—“Honoring the Legacy: A Tribute to African Americans in Golf’’—is close to my heart as I am fortunate to be the lead writer for the project at the World Golf Hall of Fame and Museum in St. Augustine, Fl., slated to open this spring. The cool thing about this exhibit is that the PGA Tour, USGA and PGA of America joined forces to make it happen.
Talk about positive synergy.
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Pete McDaniel is a veteran golf writer and best-selling author. His blogs and books are available at petemcdaniel.com
Comments on this topic may be emailed directly to Pete at: gdmcd@aol.com
