The most culturally significant championship in collegiate golf aligns with a stable of golf industry, business and athletic leaders, as well as college golf coaches, to enhance all facets of a national showcase event
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (Dec. 3, 2018) – The PGA of America today introduced an advisory council to oversee the 33rd PGA Minority Collegiate Championship and PGA WORKS Career Expo, taking place May 9-12, 2019 at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Further enhancing the most culturally significant Championship in collegiate golf, the PGA of America has aligned with a stable of golf industry, business and athletic leaders, as well as college golf coaches who will provide expert insight on the event and one-of-a-kind career development program for student-athletes. Forming the 2019 PGA Minority Collegiate Championship Advisory Council are:
NCAA Coaches
- Art Gelow: Head Men’s and Women’s Golf Coach, Savannah State University (Division I – MEAC Conference);
- Kevin Jennings: Head Men’s and Women’s Golf Coach, Prairie View A&M University (Division I – SWAC Conference);
- Angela Rayhill: Head Women’s Golf Coach, Chicago State University (Division I – WAC Conference);
- Leonard Smoot: Head Men’s Golf Coach, Miles College (Division II – SIAC Conference);
- Ron Eastman: Head Men’s Golf Coach, California State University Dominguez Hills (Division II – CCAA Conference);
- Dave Pezzino: Head Men’s Golf Coach, University of Connecticut (Division I – AAC Conference)
Athletic Director
- Sandra Booker: Associate Athletic Director, Bethune-Cookman University (MEAC Conference)
Golf & Business Leaders
- Tiana Jones, PGA: Director of Better Golf, Lozano Golf Center (former PGA Minority Collegiate Championship winner);
- Steve Shorrock: Director Customer Service Operations, Titleist;
- Lamell McMorris: CEO, Phase 2 Consulting and PGA REACH Trustee;
- Earnie Ellison: Managing Partner, Ellison Consulting Group
PGA of America Staff/Executives
- Ryan Cannon: Senior Director, PGA REACH;
- Scooter Clark, PGA: Championship Manager, PGA Minority Collegiate Championship, PGA of America;
- Trenton Blundell, PGA: Tournament Manager, Junior Championships, PGA of America;
- Kendall Murphy M.A., PGA: Program Coordinator, PGA Golf Management Program, UNLV
“The mission of the PGA Minority Collegiate Championship Advisory Council is to align PGA staff, with college coaches, athletic administration and related golf and business leaders to establish a collaborative environment designed to share expert perspectives and drive strategic planning that can enhance our overall program, while consistently shaping the narrative of the PGA Minority Collegiate Championship and PGA WORKS Career Expo moving forward,” said Scooter Clark, Championship Manager, PGA Minority Collegiate Championship.
The 54-hole PGA Minority Collegiate Championship is a stroke-play event contested across six divisions: NCAA Men’s Division I, Men’s Division II, Men’s NAIA, an overall Women’s Division (team), Men’s Individual and Women’s Individual.
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While many of the participating teams represent historically black colleges and universities, the individual competition is open to all minority men and women student-athletes playing collegiate golf at the Division I, Division II or NAIA levels, or participants who are enrolled in one of the PGA of America’s PGA Golf Management University Programs.
A key component of the event is the PGA WORKS Career Expo, where student-athletes are exposed to internships and employment opportunities, as well as networking and career development sessions supported and attended by leading golf companies.
Adds Clark, “The PGA Minority Collegiate Championship and PGA WORKS Career Expo is unlike any event for student-athletes, as it provides a top-level golf championship in concert with a career development program designed to cultivate the next generation of golf industry and business leaders. Each year this program gets stronger, backed by the quality of the players participating, combined with the involvement of national corporations and organizations in the career expo. It creates unmatched networking and career opportunities for our participants.”
The PGA Minority Collegiate Championship originated at a meeting in November 1986, following the Jackson State University Golf Tournament. The founders’ goal was to elevate the game at minority colleges and universities by providing student-athletes with the opportunity to compete on a championship stage during an era when they were excluded from playing in many collegiate golf events.
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The inaugural Championship was conducted in the spring of 1987 at Highland Park Golf Course in Cleveland. Since 1998, PGA Golf Club has hosted the Championship, and in 2006 the PGA of America was granted complete ownership and management of the Championship by the National Minority College Golf Scholarship Fund.
About the PGA of America
The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations, with nearly 29,000 professionals who daily work to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. For more information about the PGA of America, visit PGA.org, follow @PGA on Twitter and find us on Facebook.
