THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational Presented by Rocket Mortgage
Invites Top Black Male Golfers to Compete June 24-25 at Detroit Golf Club; Event to Air on CBS in Advance of the PGA TOUR’s Rocket Mortgage Classic
The Field Will Compete for an Exemption into the Rocket Mortgage Classic; Final Round Open to Fans; Admission and Parking are Complimentary
DETROIT – Intersport today announced the men’s field of players committed to compete in the third iteration of THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational presented by Rocket Mortgage. The 36-hole stroke-play competition for Black male professional and amateur golfers will be held June 24 – 25 at Detroit Golf Club. A one-hour TV special about THE JOHN SHIPPEN will air nationally on CBS on Sunday, July 2, leading into final-round coverage of the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
On June 25, fans will be able to check out THE JOHN SHIPPEN in person. Gates open at 9 a.m., and admission and parking will be complementary, with hospitality options available for purchase. For more information on hospitality options please email THEJOHNSHIPPEN@intersportnet.com.
The winner of the event will earn an exemption into the PGA TOUR’s Rocket Mortgage Classic (June 29 – July 2). Sixteen of the 23 players in the field are SHIPPEN alumni, including defending champion Wyatt Worthington II.
THE JOHN SHIPPEN, designed to showcase Black amateur and professional golfers, is named after John Shippen, Jr., who was the first American-born golf professional and also the country’s first Black golf professional. Shippen was bestowed PGA of America membership posthumously in 2009.
To ensure that any financial barriers are removed, THE JOHN SHIPPEN will cover all travel costs (airfare and hotel) for participating players.
“We’re ecstatic about the tremendous field we have for THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational presented by Rocket Mortgage said Jason Langwell, Executive Vice President of Intersport, Executive Director of THE JOHN SHIPPEN and Executive Director of the Rocket Mortgage Classic. “Now in its third year, THE JOHN SHIPPEN continues to be a leader in providing opportunities for Black golfers that fundamentally increases diversity in golf on a national scale. We’re excited to welcome fans from the Detroit community and beyond to see the immense talent of these players on display in what will again be a rigorous competition for a spot in Rocket Mortgage Classic.
The following players have committed to THE JOHN SHIPPEN NATIONAL INVITATIONAL
PRESENTED BY ROCKET MORTAGE
Name / Age / Status / College / Current Residence
AARON BEVERLY (29) – Professional (Sacramento State) – Vallejo, California
– 2021 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– 2022 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– 2022 Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption (PGA TOUR)
– 2022 PGA Tour Canada (Mackenzie Tour) member
JABIR BILAL (38) – Professional (Grambling State University) – Stockton, California
– 2021 PGA Georgia Section Championship Winner
– 2022 PGA National Championship Contestant
JORDAN BOHANON (27) – Professional (North Carolina Central University) – Tampa, Florida
– Drive Chip & Putt National Finalist
– 3 Collegiate Individual Wins
– NC Central University career scoring average record holder
– 7 Top Ten APGA Tour Finishes (3 in 2022)
– Competed in 2022 APGA Tour Bermuda Invitational
– Top African American finisher at Michigan Open the last 2 years
– Tied 8th at 2023 US Open Local Qualifying
– Tied 7th at 2023 APGA Tour Las Vegas
GARY BULLARD (22) – Amateur (Army West Point, United States Military Academy) – Chantilly, Virginia
– APGA Deere Run low amateur
– APGA Craig Ranch low amateur
– Nassau Invitational T18 (73-74-75), undefeated in match play against Navy
MARCUS BYRD (26) – Professional (Middle Tennessee State) – Ann Arbor, Michigan
– 2021 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– 2022 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– 2023 PGA TOUR Honda Classic competitor
– 2023 PGA TOUR Wells Fargo Championship competitor
– 2023 Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption (PGA TOUR)
– 2020 U.S. Amateur participant
– 2019 Conference USA Player of the Year
JEAN-ROMARIC DJEZOU (26) – Professional (Lycée Technique d’Abidjan – Ivory Coast) – Abidjan, Ivory Coast
– Number one Professional Golfer in Ivory Coast, West Africa.
– Member of the Florida Professional Golf Tour
KEVIN HALL (40) – Professional (The Ohio State University) – Cincinnati, Ohio
– 2021 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– 2022 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– 2004 Big Ten Individual Stroke Play Champion
– Earned conditional status on the Korn Ferry Tour for the 2018 season
– Four-time APGA Tour winner
CHRISTIAN HEAVENS (34) – Professional (Georgetown College) – Scottsdale, Arizona
– NAIA All American
– 3x APGA Winner
– Former PGA Tour Canada Member
– Won 27 professional events
– Golf Channel’s Big Break Myrtle Beach Competitor
MICHAEL HERRERA (25) – Professional (Riverside City College) – Los Angeles, California
– 2021 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– 2022 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational runner-up
– 2023 PGA Tour Farmers Insurance Open competitor
– Two professional wins
– Five professional top 5s
JOE HOOKS (30) – Professional (Wayne State University) – Detroit, Michigan
– 2021 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– 2022 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– 2020 seven Top 10s on APGA Tour and 4 Top 5s
– 2022 four Top 10s on APGA Tour
CHASE JOHNSON (27) – Professional (Kent State University) – Barberton, Ohio
– 2021 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– 2022 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– Mid-American Conference Player of the Year 2016
– U.S. Amateur participant 2016, 2018
– 2017-2018 All American honorable mention
– NCAA All-American Honorable Mention 2018
– PGA Latino America Tour member for 2019 season
– Korn Ferry Tour member 2020 and 2021 season
– 2023 APGA Tour member
WILLIE MACK III (32) – Professional (Bethune-Cookman University) – Flint, Michigan
– 2021 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– 2022 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– 2023 Korn Ferry Tour conditional member
– Five PGA TOUR starts
– Four Korn Ferry Tour starts
– Three PGA TOUR Latino América starts
– 75 professional wins
C.M. MIXON (22) – Amateur (University of Louisville) – Bowling Green, Kentucky
– 2023 PGA Works Collegiate Champion
– 2022 Robert Trent Jones Amateur Champion
– 2022 The Players Amateur Champion
– 2020 ACC Academic Honor Roll
– 2018 USGA Junior Amateur competitor
XAVIER PROCTOR (23) – Amateur (Livingstone College) – Shelby, North Carolina
– 2022 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– One collegiate win
– Three college top 5 finishes
– 2022 CIAA Player of The Year
– 2022 NCAA Ping D2 All American
– 2022 Jackson T. Stephens Cup competitor
– 2023 CIAA Northern Division All-Tournament Team
QUINN RILEY (22) – Professional (Duke University) – Minneapolis, Minnesota
– 2022 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– Three PGA TOUR starts (John Deere Classic, Shriners Children’s Open, Wells Fargo Championship)
– One collegiate win (2022 Stitch Intercollegiate Championship)
– Three collegiate Top 10s
– 2022 Ranked #1 APGA Rankings
– First African American golfer in Duke University program history
– Stitch intercollegiate champion
– 6 top 5 finishes on APGA
– 7 top 10 finishes on APGA
MARCUS SMITH (21) – Amateur (Howard) – Temple Hills, Maryland
– One collegiate win
– Two collegiate top 10s
– IHSA State Champion 2018
– AJGA UHY Detroit Junior at Forest Lake Champion 2020
– Top 10 at Mountaineer Invitational 2021
– T6 at Boilermaker Invitational 2022
– T5 at APGA Tour @ TPC Deere Run 2022
– T3 & Low Amateur in the 73rd Illinois Open Championship. 2022
– T2 at USF-Howard Intercollegiate 2022
– T3 at Carpet Bagger Intercollegiate 2023
– T6 at NEC Conference Championship
KRISTOPHER STILES (20) – Amateur (San Jose State University) – Palmdale, California
– 2022 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– Two collegiate top 10s
– 2021 Academic All-Mountain West and Mountain West Scholar Athlete.
– 12 top 25’s in collegiate events
-2022 US Amateur qualifier
-2022 GCAA All-America Scholar
-2022 BCGCA All-America Team
JOEY STILLS (27) – Professional (University of West Florida) – Orlando, Florida
– 2022 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– 2023 PGA Tour Latin American Member
– 2022 Jim Thorpe Invitational Winner
– 2023 Runner Up APGA Famers Insurance Open
– 10 top 10s in 2022 APGA Tour Season
TROY TAYLOR II (23) – Professional (Michigan State) – Westerville, Ohio
– 2021 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– 2022 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– One Korn Ferry Tour start
– One collegiate win
– Three collegiate top 5s
– Mr. Ohio Golf 2018
– Ranked number 1 junior golfer in State of Ohio 2018
ANDREW WALKER (24) – Professional (Michigan State) – Holt, Michigan
– 2022 APGA Cisco Invitational Champion
– Two-time Srixon/Cleveland All American Scholar (2018/19, 2019/20)
– Qualified for the US Amateur at the age of 14; 5th youngest in history at the time and still the youngest African American to ever qualify and play in the US Amateur
MONTRELE WELLS (40) – Professional (Benedict) – Jacksonville, Florida
– National Minority Champion Inaugural Adrian Stills Award Recipient
EVERETT WHITEN JR. (22) – Amateur (Howard University) – Chesapeake, Virginia
– 2022 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– Two collegiate wins
– Howard record holder for lowest 18- and 54-hole total
– 2021-22 All MEAC team
– 2020-21 All MEAC Team
– 2021-22 Towson Invitational Medalist
– 2019-20 Hampton Invitational Medalist
– 2022 Jackson T. Stephens Cup competitor
– 2018-19 Big South All Freshmen Team
WYATT WORTHINGTON II (36) – Professional (Methodist University) – Columbus, Ohio
– 2021 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational competitor
– 2022 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational winner
– 2022 PGA TOUR Rocket Mortgage Classic competitor
– 2023 PGA Championship competitor (Oak Hill)
– 2022 PGA Championship competitor (Southern Hills)
– 2016 PGA Championship competitor (Baltusrol)
– Winner of TPC Las Vegas APGA 2023
Intersport collaborated with Woods and Watts Effect to launch THE JOHN SHIPPEN as a vehicle to fundamentally increase diversity in golf and to create opportunities for young men and women of color in sports on a national scale.
A National Invitational committee was formed to help lead the recruitment and evaluation of players. The committee consists of more than a dozen leaders who support the advancement of Black golfers and includes coaches from HBCU schools, leaders from golf’s governing bodies and from men’s and women’s national golf events. The National Invitational committee is responsible for identifying the top Black professional and amateur golfers and recommending that group to the Selection Committee, which includes representatives from Intersport, the PGA TOUR, the LPGA, Woods & Watts Effect, Rocket Mortgage, Meijer and Dow. Any male or female professional or amateur golfer who identifies as Black can also submit their profile to THEJOHNSHIPPEN@intersportnet.com.
“We are looking forward to hosting the men who have accepted our invitation to compete in THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational presented by Rocket Mortgage,” said Sommer Woods, Co-Founder of Woods and Watts Effect, and Tournament Lead for THE JOHN SHIPPEN. “We’re proud that THE JOHN SHIPPEN is able to continue to provide these deserving players the opportunity and resources to compete at the highest level of professional golf and welcome all fans to see these talented golfers in person on Sunday, June 25.
Defending champion Wyatt Worthington II returns to defend his crown and seeks another start in the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Wyatt used a final round seven-under-par 65 to win the 2022 THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Invitational presented by Rocket Mortgage and secure a berth in his first PGA TOUR event.
Later this year, THE JOHN SHIPPEN Sports Business Summit will take place to create national awareness and opportunities for high school and college students of color interested in pursuing careers in the business of sports. The summit will take place in person in September in Detroit.
For updated information on THE JOHN SHIPPEN, please visit www.thejohnshippen.com/and follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@TheJohnShippen) and on Twitter (@TheJShippen). For information about sponsorship opportunities or how to get involved, email us at THEJOHNSHIPPEN@intersportnet.com.
ABOUT INTERSPORT
Since 1985, Intersport has been an award-winning innovator and leader in the creation of sports, lifestyle, culinary and entertainment-based marketing platforms. With expertise in Sponsorship Consulting, Experiential Marketing, Hospitality, Customer Engagement, Content Marketing, Productions and Sports Properties, this Chicago-based Marketing & Media Solutions Company helps their clients to create ideas, content and experiences that attract and engage passionate audiences. To learn more about Intersport, visit www.intersport.global, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
ABOUT WOODS & WATTS EFFECT
Woods & Watts Effect is an equity and inclusion consulting firm of transformation engineers, co-founded by Sommer Woods and Michele Lewis Watts, Ph.D. They are a solutions-driven team that adeptly designs programs that assess a company’s strengths and areas for improvement relative to inclusion and social equity. Woods & Watts Effect is innovative in their thinking, their engagement and their execution. Through a bold, non-traditional and engaging approach, they produce viable and actionable solutions for sustainable change. More information is available at WoodsWattsEffect.com.
ABOUT ROCKET MORTGAGE
Detroit-based Rocket Mortgage, the nation’s largest home mortgage lender and part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), enables the American Dream of homeownership and financial freedom through its obsession with an industry-leading, digital-driven client experience. In late 2015, it introduced the first fully digital, completely online mortgage experience. Since its founding in 1985, Rocket Mortgage has closed $1.5 trillion of mortgage volume across all 50 states. In late 2015, it introduced the first fully digital, completely online mortgage experience. Rocket Mortgage moved its headquarters to downtown Detroit in 2010. The company generates loan production from web centers located in Detroit, Cleveland and Phoenix. Rocket Companies, Rocket Mortgage’s parent company, ranked #7 on Fortune’s list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” in 2022 and has placed in the top third of the list for 19 consecutive years. For more information and company news visit RocketCompanies.com/PressRoom.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Solomon Hughes, 614.315.2446, shughes@intersportnet.com
Adrienne Alexander, 443.621.9506, adrienne@theipyagency.com
