Opening
Ceremony and Career Fair Kick Off 18th National Minority
College Golf Championship
May 5, 2004
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. - An inaugural opening ceremony will kick off the
18th National Minority College Golf Championship, May 6, at 4:30 p.m. EDT.,
at the PGA Historical Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Approximately 100 participants
and coaches from 24 colleges, representing 11 countries will participate
in the ceremony, with music provided by the St. Lucie West (Fla.) Centennial
High School Band.
The 18th National Minority College Golf Championship will be conducted May
7-9, at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie. It marks the seventh consecutive
year that PGA Golf Club has hosted the national championship, which is co-sponsored
by The PGA of America and the National Minority College Golf Scholarship
Fund of Cleveland, Ohio.
During the opening ceremony, State Farm Insurance Companies representatives
will award National Minority College Golf Scholarship Fund grants totaling
$2,500 to four participants whose teams are partaking in this year's championship.
The four scholarship recipients are: Kimberly Frye of South Orange, N.J., Owen
Willis of Dunn, N.C., Samuel Wells of Flint, Mich., and Andrae Harden of
Detroit, Mich.
"
State Farm Insurance is focused on education and feels that the Championship
is more than just a golf tournament as it is also a means to help student-athletes
get a good quality education," said John Rosenstock, State Farm's director
of community relations. "The game of golf helps students get a good start
in their life as it teaches traits such as integrity, perseverance and honesty."
Frye, competing in her third consecutive Championship, is a junior economics
major at Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga.. She was the Independent Women's
Division Champion in 2002 and finished fourth in 2003.
Willis is a business administration major at Fayetteville (N.C.) State University,
while Wells and Harden are both marketing majors at Grambling State University
and Texas Southern University, respectively.
Following the grant presentations, student-athletes in the championship will
be presented the opportunity to learn more about employment possibilities
within the golf industry during the 10th annual Career Fair. Employees of
The PGA of America, PGA Tour, United States Golf Association, LPGA, Titleist & FootJoy
Worldwide, Nike Golf, GolfWeek, Farm Links, Club Car, National Minority Golf
Foundation and State Farm Insurance Companies will be available to help assist
the participants with career guidance.
"
The Career Fair offers student-athletes the opportunity to meet people in the
golf industry who would generally not be at institution career fairs," states
Barbara Douglas, president of the National Minority Golf Foundation in Phoenix,
Ariz., and coordinator of the past eight Career Fairs.
"
By talking to possible hiring managers in the golf industry, they are able
to explore career options outside of the traditional golf industry opportunities.
The conversations are extremely beneficial as they can lead to potential internships."
The PGA of America, founded in 1916, 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
