Inaugural Culture Cup adds charitable celebrity element to collegiate development program
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – The PGA TOUR and Bridgestone Americas today unveiled the field for the second Bridgestone HBCU Invitational, a 54-hole team and individual stroke play event at Laurel Springs Country Club in Suwanee, Georgia. The tournament, set for October 24 and 25, is an element of the Bridgestone Collegiate Development Program, part of the PGA TOUR’s Pathway to Progression, which aims to achieve greater diversity in golf through increased focus on developing talent from diverse and historically underrepresented groups.
In addition to the collegiate competition, this year the Bridgestone HBCU Invitational will also introduce the inaugural Celebrity Culture Cup presented by Bridgestone, an 18-hole Stableford event on October 23 at Laurel Springs featuring celebrity participants advocating for the growth of the game. Participants set to compete include Victor Cruz, Roger Steele, Michael Collins, Erick Lottary, Shasta Averhardt, as well as Earl Cooper and Olajuwon Ajanaku from Eastside Golf, among others. Each celebrity will represent a participating school, with the winner presenting a $10,000 donation check on behalf of Bridgestone to the HBCU golf program.
“The Bridgestone HBCU Invitational provides as an incredible opportunity for our sport to identify and cultivate the next generation of stars,” said Kenyatta Ramsey, PGA TOUR Vice President, Player Development. “The PGA TOUR is proud to once again partner alongside our friends at Bridgestone as we continue to provide pathways into the great game of golf, and we look forward to an exciting week of competition and fellowship at Laurel Springs.”
Schools competing in this year’s event include Alabama State, the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, Florida A&M, Howard University, Miles College, Morehouse College, North Carolina A&T, North Carolina Central, Southern University, Texas Southern and Tennessee State. The winning schools will earn a two-day development camp at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, home of THE PLAYERS Championship. In 2023, winners Arkansas Pine Bluff and Alabama State each saw their men’s and women’s programs win their conference champinonships and qualify for NCAA Regionals after their victories at the Bridgestone HBCU Invitational.
“It’s exciting to see the growth of our collaborative work with the PGA TOUR to continue providing development opportunities and unique experiences for athletes across the HBCU community,” said Caitlyn Ranson, Senior Manager of Partnership Marketing, Bridgestone Americas. “What really matters is helping build a stronger and more inclusive golf community with equitable access to pathways of career progression. The expansion of this year’s HBCU Invitational and the addition of the Culture Cup are the latest examples of those efforts in action.”
In addition to the competition, the event will provide players with custom Bridgestone ball fittings and will also include a Pathway to My Career panel featuring key stakeholders from throughout the sports world. The panel, in collaboration with the Black Sports Business Academy, will discuss internships, gaining experience, translating golf skills to life and work, the importance of cultural competence and inclusive leadership.
About PGA TOUR Pathway to Progression
The PGA TOUR Pathway to Progression player development program is a comprehensive effort to achieve greater diversity in golf by increasing the focus on developing talent from diverse and historically underrepresented groups. The program provides opportunities for talented junior and collegiate golfers from diverse backgrounds to continue their development as they pursue a career as professional golfers.
About Bridgestone Americas, Inc.:
Bridgestone Americas, Inc. is the U.S.-based subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, a global leader in tires and rubber, building on its expertise to provide solutions for safe and sustainable mobility. Headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., Bridgestone Americas employs more than 45,000 people across its worldwide operations. Bridgestone offers a diverse product portfolio of premium tires and advanced solutions backed by innovative technologies, improving the way people around the world move, live, work and play.
About Bridgestone Golf
Based in Covington, GA, Bridgestone Golf, Inc. manufactures premium golf balls under the Bridgestone and Precept brands. Beginning in 2006, Bridgestone revolutionized golf ball selection with its custom ball-fitting program, identifying a golfer’s ideal golf ball based on personal swing characteristics. Today, as the #1 Ball-Fitter in Golf, Bridgestone has conducted over four million fittings via a combination of live-fitting, online selection, OTTOAutonomous Ball Fitting, and its V-FIT video ball fitting. The consumer data gathered from ball-fitting continues toinspire Bridgestone’s innovative new golf ball designs, yielding industry-leading performance products for the entire range of players, from recreational golfers to the best in the world. Bridgestone Golf is proudly represented on professional tours by Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Matt Kuchar, Jason Day, Chris Gotterup, and Lexi Thompson. Bridgestone Golf USA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bridgestone Sports Co. Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo. More information: bridgestonegolf.com.
