PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Garrett Price’s vision for the PGA Works Collegiate Championship has come to fruition.
During the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park, Price, a software engineer from the Bay Area, pitched his vision for the event formerly known as the National Minority College Championship and created in 1986 to highlight competitive golf programs at the most underserved and underrepresented minority-serving institutions in the country to PGA CEO Seth Waugh. The vision? Treat the PGA Works as if it was college golf’s version of the U.S. Amateur and bring it to world-class courses.
This week TPC Sawgrass hosted the 37th edition of the event for the second time in the last four years, which also included Shoal Creek in Alabama, where Price is a national member, and is headed to Whistling Straits next year. Not to take anything away from the tournament’s former longtime host – PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie – but this is a significant upgrade.
“These girls see this golf course on TV and it’s so iconic,” said Texas A&M – Corpus Christi Head Coach Pat Stephens. “To be able to play it under a tournament situation, they’re making memories they’ll be talking to their grandchildren about.”
As University of British Columbia junior Una Chou put it, “It was surreal to be able to play at a PGA Tour golf facility. I can’t believe we get to play here and I just enjoyed the vibe.”
It was a thrill for Florida A&M men’s coach Mike Rice, who was a member of the team the last time the Rattlers won the title in 2000.
“It’s a long time coming,” said Rice, who has coached the team for 13 years, the last six as the head coach. “This is the closest team we’ve had in a long time and I really think that was the difference. They played for each other.”
On a warm, windy day, the Rattlers combined to shoot a 13-over par 301 on Wednesday at TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium course to win by 29 and record a wire-to-wire victory as the Men’s Division I Champions. Alabama State University (56-over) finished runner up and North Carolina A&T State University (74-over) claimed third place.
Good to see @SteveHarveyFM hanging out at the PGA Works Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Did not know he was such a golf fan and supporter of minority golf. pic.twitter.com/F9P6HQRP0x
— Adam Schupak (@AdamSchupak) May 8, 2024
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