Frisco, Texas 一 PGA REACH, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America, today announced the field for the 2023 PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship (PWCC). The PWCC will be played May 8-10, at Shoal Creek Club and Bent Brook Golf Course in Birmingham, Alabama.
“The Most Culturally Significant Championship in Collegiate Golf,” will feature a competitive lineup of 30 teams representing Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions and other minority-serving institutions from across the country.
The PWCC is proud to have Dunning Golf as the Official Apparel Supplier of the championship. Dunning will be providing the opportunity for apparel support to all 30 teams participating in the Championship. The tech performance golf and lifestyle brand is sold at more than 1,500 country club and resort shops across the country and online at dunninggolf.com.
“The PWCC is such an important and influential Championship for the PGA as its impact goes well beyond the play on the course,” said PGA President and Director of Golf at the Country Club of Lansing John Lindert. “The Championship brings together student-athletes from diverse backgrounds to showcase their talent, and it highlights the positive impact golf can make on their lives. I look forward to seeing these outstanding young men and women compete as we hope to educate and inspire these student-athletes to pursue career opportunities in the business of golf.”
TEAMS
DIVISION I (MEN’S)
Alabama A&M University
Alabama State University
Chicago State University
Florida A&M University
Howard University
North Carolina A&T State University
Prairie View A&M University
Tennessee State University
Texas Southern University
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
DIVISION II (MEN’S)
Bluefield State College
Fayetteville State University
Johnson C. Smith University
Kentucky State University
Lincoln University
Livingstone College
Miles College
Savannah State University
Virginia State University
Virginia Union University
WOMEN’S DIVISION
Bethune-Cookman University
Chicago State University
Delaware State University
Howard University
North Carolina A&T State University
Prairie View A&M University
Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi
Texas A&M University – Kingsville
Texas Southern University
Western New Mexico University
The individual divisions will feature 52 competitors representing 44 programs. Howard University will return looking to defend its title in the Men’s Division I Championship. Texas A&M – Corpus Christi will attempt to take home the Women’s title for the third year in a row. Sparky Ariyachatvakin from the University of Delaware will look to defend his title for the Men’s Individual Division.
For the third year, exemptions from the Epson Tour and Korn Ferry Tour can be earned.
The top three finishers and ties in the Women’s Team or Individual Divisions will be eligible to apply for an exemption into the Epson Tour’s Guardian Championship, Sept. 15-17, at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Capitol Hill – Senator Course in Prattville, Alabama. The Guardian Championship Tournament Committee will review applications and award the exemption.
Korn Ferry extended sponsor exemption applications to the top three finishers in the Men’s Division I, Men’s Division II and Men’s Individual Divisions. Those individuals can apply for exemption into the 2023 Price Cutter Charity Championship, July 20-23, at Highland Springs Country Club in Springfield, Missouri.
“We are extremely excited to announce the impressive field set to compete in the 2023 PWCC,” said Scooter Clark, Director, PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship. “We are committed to enhancing the experience of underserved and underrepresented programs and students. The historic and transformative city of Birmingham is a tremendous location to host this Championship as we continue to spotlight these student-athletes and promote diversity in golf.”
The Championship is a 54-hole, stroke-play event contested across five divisions including: Division I Men’s Team, Division II Men’s Team, Women’s Team Division, Men’s Individual Division and Women’s Individual Division.
The individual competition is open to all minority women and men student-athletes playing collegiate golf at the Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA and NJCAA level, or minority women and men enrolled in one of the PGA of America’s PGA Golf Management University Programs.
For more information on the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship, visit www.PGAWORKSCollegiate.org.
About PGA WORKS
PGA WORKS is a strategic initiative designed to diversify the golf industry’s workforce. Funded by PGA REACH, the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America, PGA WORKS leverages fellowships, scholarships, career exploration events and the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship to inspire and engage talent from diverse backgrounds to pursue key employment positions across the golf industry. For more information, visit PGAREACH.org.
About PGA REACH
PGA Foundation, Inc. d/b/a PGA REACH is the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the PGA of America. The mission of PGA REACH is to Impact Lives Through Golf. For more information, visit PGAREACH.org, follow @PGAREACH on Twitter and Instagram, and find us on Facebook.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Greg Dillard, PGA of America, 561-308-8013, gdillard@pgahq.com
Jared Minski, Mastro Communications, Inc., 732-546-4325, jared@mastrocomm.com
