AVONDALE, Louisiana – The Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA), a non-profit dedicated to inspiring an inclusive future through golf, announced today that ESPN NFL analyst and Super Bowl champion Ryan Clark, two-time NBA champion J.R. Smith, three-time World Long Drive champion Alexis Belton, and former ESPN SportsCenter anchor Stan Verrett are among the field of celebrity golfers set to join Michael Eaves, an ESPN SportsCenter and golf anchor and longtime APGA supporter, for the inaugural APGA Michael Eaves Classic and Celebrity Pro-Am, July 27-29, at TPC Louisiana in Avondale, Louisiana.
Eaves, a seven-time Emmy Award winner, has earned industry acclaim for his contributions to ESPN’s coverage of major sports events, including The Masters and the PGA Championship.
“I am honored to host the inaugural APGA Michael Eaves Classic and Celebrity Pro-Am, knowing the profound impact it will have on today’s youth,” said Eaves. “Collaborating with APGA, along with some of the most well-known names in sports and entertainment, to host this event will help to cement the legacy of golf as an inclusive sport for all to learn and champion.”
Bios for the newly announced celebrity participants are below:
- Ryan Clark (@realrclark): Emmy Award-winning ESPN NFL analyst; 13-year NFL safety and Super Bowl champion; New Orleans, Louisiana native and LSU graduate.
- J.R. Smith (@teamswish): Two-time NBA Finals champion who played 16 years with the Nuggets, Cavaliers, Knicks, Hornets and Lakers; 2012-13 NBA Sixth Man of the Year; First-round pick of the New Orleans Hornets in 2004; Following his NBA career, he played collegiate golf at North Carolina A&T.
- Alexis Belton (@alexisnicolebelton) – Three-time World Long Drive champion; Media personality and former golfer at Texas Wesleyan University; West Monroe, Louisiana native.
- Stan Verrett (@stanverrett) – Former 23-year ESPN SportsCenter host; Current New Orleans Saints pregame show host; New Orleans native and a St. Augustine High School alumnus.
Clark, Smith, Belton, and Verett join a field that features previously announced celebrity golfers including:
- Shasta Averyhardt (@shastaaveryhardt) – Professional golfer and media personality; In 2011, became the fourth Black woman to earn an LPGA Tour card; A nine-time tournament winner at Jackson State University and a member of the JSU Sports Hall of Fame.
- Nikki Blades (@nikkiblades) – Golfer and media personality whose work spans across TV, radio, and social media content focused on entrepreneurship, golf and food; Host of the No Chaser Podcast, Founder of Blades Golf Club.
- Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) – Host of the Spolitics podcast and contributing writer for The Atlantic; Co-host of the Flagrant and Funny Podcast on iHeart Women’s Sports Radio; Former ESPN reporter and studio host; Emmy Award winner; Host of the NAACP original series Image Unscripted.
- Torii Hunter (@tnutts48) – Five-time All-Star, nine-time Gold Glove winner and two-time Silver Slugger winner during a 19-year career with the Twins, Angels and Tigers.
- Matt Kemp (@therealmattkemp) – Three-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glove winner, and two-time Silver Slugger winner during a 15-year career with the Dodgers, Padres, Braves, Rockies and Reds.
- Nischelle Turner (@nischelleturner) – 11-time Emmy Award-winning host on Entertainment Tonight; Former reporter and anchor for WVUE-TV FOX-8 in New Orleans.
- Dorell Wright (@dwrightuno) – NBA champion who played 11 seasons with the Heat, Warriors, Trail Blazers and 76ers; First-round pick of the Heat in 2004; Co-founder (along with Dwyane Wade) of ACE Members Only.
Following a Monday pro-am, 54 of the APGA’s top players will compete in a 36-hole tournament on Tuesday, July 28 and Wednesday, July 29. The event is the eighth tournament in the 2026 APGA Tour season and features a $25,000 purse, with $8,000 going to the winner.
Last year’s APGA tournament at TPC Louisiana, the APGA Two-Man Classic, was played under a team format. Luis Gagne and Willie Mack III won with a 36-hole score of 11-under-par 133. The APGA Tour season runs from January through November with 12 tournaments from coast to coast.
About the APGA Tour
Established in 2010, the APGA Tour is a non-profit dedicated to inspiring an inclusive future through golf. To accomplish this, the APGA Tour Board of Directors hosts and operates professional golf tournaments, player development programs, and mentoring programs that introduce urban youth to the game. It also organized a Player Development Program to aid golfers in their professional ambitions.
About Michael Eaves
Michael Eaves stands among the most distinguished and nationally recognized sports journalists of his generation, with an impressive career spanning over three decades. His reporting has placed him at the center of the world’s most watched and historically significant sporting events, including the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, the Super Bowl, the NBA Playoffs, the Masters and the PGA Championship, and the Rose Bowl. Michael grew up playing competitive golf and made history in 1990 while a student at South Hopkins High School, becoming the first Black golfer to qualify for the Kentucky High School State Golf Championship.
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