PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -- In November of 1986, following the Jackson State University Tournament, Coach Eddie Payton of Jackson (Miss.) State University joined with Dr. Joe D. Saunders; the late Dr. Herschel Cochran, former president of the National Negro Golfers' Association; Ms. Rose Elder, of the Sports Management Institute of Washington D.C.; and William (Bill) Dickey, president of the National Minority Junior Golf Association and the 1999 PGA Distinguished Service Award winner, to form the National Minority College Golf Championship.
Now, 20 years later, in its first year with complete ownership and management of the Championship, The PGA of America will host a "Founders' Dinner" on Fri., May 5, from 7-9 p.m. in the PGA Education Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla., to celebrate the Championship's strong history. Each of the original founders, including Atty Clarence Rogers, who will attend on behalf of Dr. Cochran, will be featured in a fireside chat, giving the 140 contestants, coaches, family and guests on hand an understanding of how the Championship has grown along with the goals of conducting the Championship.
Brian Whitcomb, Vice President of The PGA of America, will attend and speak about The PGA's vision for the Championship's promising future. Iain Page, who joined The Golf Channel in 2004 and serves as a reporter and host for Golf Central, the network's nightly news program, will be the emcee for the evening.
"We are honored to have Iain with us to help celebrate with the founders and the largest field in the Championship's history," said Whitcomb. "The PGA of America is proud to host the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship as one of our premium events. The Championship has a tremendous history and we envision the field and level of competition to continue to grow each year, along with granting more minority student-athletes the opportunity to participate in this Championship.
The PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship will be conducted May 5-7, at PGA Golf Club's South Course in Port St. Lucie, The PGA of America's first owned and operated state-of-the-art public golf facility. This year marks the ninth consecutive year that PGA Golf Club has hosted the national Championship. State Farm Insurance and The Golf Channel have combined to produce a one-hour Championship highlight program, which will air on July 6, at 6 p.m. EST.
Celebrating its 90th anniversary, The PGA of America was founded in 1916, and is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf, while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are dedicated to growing participation in the game of golf.
