PGA Tour and Bridgestone Partner to Empower HBCU Student-Athletes

The Florida A&M golf team fell short of winning the inaugural Bridgestone HBCU Invitational.

But the team has had many victories elsewhere, such as the PGA Tour— in collaboration with Bridgestone — hosted a tournament allowing athletes from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

“The golf course was in great shape, the competition was good, but I think the best moment was seeing (business) executives sharing their stories of how they got to where they are in their career, and to share that with the student-athletes. was huge,” said Mike Rice, the head coach of the Florida A&M men’s golf team, in an exclusive interview with Play through.

The tournament, held Nov. 1-2 at TPC Sugarloaf outside Atlanta, featured 15 teams from HBCUs: 10 men’s teams and five women’s teams.

Arkansas Pine-Bluff emerged victorious on the men’s side, while Alabama State took home the trophy on the women’s side.

While the wins are significant, this tournament was much more about golf, as Coach Rice alluded to.

Florida A&M University Athletics

HBCU Bridgestone Invitational more than a tournament

As part of the event, eight executives from Bridgestone, the PGA Tour, the Atlanta Hawks, Mercedes-Benz and other companies, as well as representatives from ESPN Michael Collins— organized a discussion panel for student-athletes before the start of the competition.

“You don’t know if you’re going to have great engagement when you’re talking about education and learning at 9 a.m.,” said Caitlyn Ranson, head of partnership marketing for Bridgestone Americas, in an interview with Playing Through.

“But it was so amazing.”

“The players were very enthusiastic about it, and what’s exciting is that Bridgestone is not only sponsoring this program for the development of the game, but we also hope to teach these athletes and provide them with opportunities with an idea of what life after sport will be like.

The leaders spoke about their successes, offering advice on what to do as a young professional and emphasizing that golf can create opportunities in many areas.

But they also invoked trust in these young men and women.

“(Many student-athletes) feel they lack experience and employment in the past, unlike those who have had internships at all these big companies,” Ranson added.

“Just because you didn’t have an incredible internship doesn’t mean the skills taught through sports and golf can’t be applied. »

After the panel concluded, the panelists split into groups at different tables. This created a more intimate setting with each of the student-athletes. Topics included creating resumes, navigating LinkedIn, and how to handle professional interviews.

More importantly, these close discussions also focused on the racial barriers that unfortunately still exist and how to overcome them and prevail.

“We were very intentional in making sure there was representation of color because we want these athletes to see themselves in the future,” Ranson said.

“We know that representation matters, and that starts with seeing it. Another key aspect of the panel was that we wanted to make sure these athletes could see each other.

Diverse representation within professional golf has been an issue for years.

This question is also prevalent today. Consider 2023 US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club, where the field included no black players.

One hundred and fifty-six people participated in the U.S. National Championship, and yet the tournament did not represent the diversity of population that the United States has to offer.

Which explains why the PGA Tour and Bridgestone have joined forces to empower these student-athletes. Not only can this program allow an HBCU player to compete on the PGA Tour, but it also provides multiple opportunities for someone to pursue other professional opportunities, both in and outside of golf.

PGA Tour takes steps to address diversity issues

“It’s not just about hitting the ball,” said Kenyatta Ramsey, PGA Tour vice president of player development, in an interview with Playing Through.

“We’re trying to build a holistic program that helps these guys not only on the course but off the course as well. We help them with finances, mental health, planning your tournaments, etc.

Holistic is the word Ramsey kept using to describe this event – ​​a perfect term to describe the vision the PGA Tour and Bridgestone have for shaping these future professionals.

“There’s a lot to do,” Ramsey continued.

“And it takes a lot more if you don’t have the support system like you have when you come out of college, and you go to the NBA or the NFL, and you have a whole franchise there- down to help you. Well, in golf you’re on your own. We underestimate the other things that make professionals be professionals.

“Now we’re trying to prepare them to be on the ropes, but it’s like we’re able to offer resources holistically in your development. I know we will have a huge impact on the overall presence of diverse talent on tours.

The career panel was undoubtedly a highlight, but as with the tournament itself, the winners received a trophy and an invitation to TPC Sawgrass for a two-day development camp.

Photo by Caryn Levy/PGA TOUR

This program will undoubtedly improve the play of dozens of HBCU student-athletes.

But the coaches have also reaped the rewards of this initiative.

Bridgestone will sponsor the HBCU Coaches Summit, which helps mentor and provide better information to coaches. The summit is being held in collaboration with the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) and the Black College Golf Coaches Association (BCGCA).

“It’s great to be able to sit in a room and hear some of the things that these other coaches who have won championships are doing,” Rice said of the summit he attended last year.

Coaches are teachers, and teachers help empower future generations, whether in preschool or pre-law.

“I’m amazed at the passion and love these coaches have for these kids,” Ramsey said.

Hence the need to provide coaches with valuable resources that will continue to support HBCU student-athletes.

Talk about a holistic approach.

“I hope 10 years from now, in a perfect world, one of these HBCU Invitational players will be on the tour, right?” » said Ranson.

“That’s what we talked about during the career panels. For example, you are experiencing history right now because you have this opportunity to create change. Because at the end of the day, what really matters for future generations is that players and fans need to see themselves reflected in the sport they play.

But HBCU student-athletes are already making an impact.

Look East Side Golfthe clothing company founded by Earl Cooper and Olajuwon Ajanaku, two men who played on the Morehouse College golf team.

Unsurprisingly, Eastside Golf, whose goal is to further diversify golf through its products, lent a helping hand to players who participated in the HBCU Bridgestone Invitational.

And this endeavor is a perfect example of the overall mission of the tournament.

“What we’re trying to do with the HBCU golf network is raise the floor and reward the ceiling,” Ramsey said.

“That’s what we try to do with everyone and every team. We’re going to get everyone to a level where everyone can succeed together. But then we want to be able to reward those who are really successful in terms of the competitive aspects with enhanced opportunities that are going to help you grow, and then help those below you to motivate and inspire.

So, looking back on the final tally of the 2023 HBCU Bridgestone Invitational, did Florida A&M really lose?

Jack Milko is golf editor for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check @_PlayingThrough Also.