The United Golfers Affiliation (UGA) is ready to host the UGA Invitational, offered by Coca-Cola Drinks Florida, to have fun its 100-year legacy and uplift rising golf stars from traditionally Black faculties and universities (HBCUs), the Golf Wire reported.
Kicking off on Valentine’s Day 2025, the weekend-long occasion can be held on the Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, showcasing the subsequent spherical of golf execs and offering them with alternatives resembling participant improvement grants for the winners within the junior divisions. Along with two competitions going down — the UGA Invitational for junior gamers and the Legacy Cup for primarily HBCU college students — attendees will be capable to assist eight of the dozen Black girls on the Skilled Golf Tour Circuit.
The group was based in 1925 by a gaggle of African American golfers who curated a separate sequence {of professional} golf tournaments for golfers amid the rise of racial segregation in the USA. Because of these golfers, UGA turned a shining gentle of hope and gave a platform to Black golfers to compete, advance, and showcase their abilities and fight discriminatory practices that saved them out of golf’s mainstream trade, in line with press particulars shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE.
The centennial invitational honors Black golfers who got here by way of the UGA circuit to develop their skills and paved the way in which for the longer term era of golfers. The occasion will maintain tributes and awards to trailblazers together with Ted Rhodes, Renee Powell, Charlie Sifford, Calvin Peete, Althea Gibson, Jim Dent, Jim Thorpe, and Lee Elder, the primary Black golfer to play in The Masters.
A glance again at this landmark occasion will spotlight the historical past of the Nationwide Championships, going from 1926 to 1976, and can be labeled as a brand new period of aspiring golfers like Tarek “Ty” DeLavallade. The Chicago native didn’t know something about UGA’s existence till 2020 when he was invited to talk on a golf range panel on the African American Golf Expo. He and enterprise associate Andy Walker began engaged on highlighting UGA’s legacy and have since raised 1000’s and curated key relationships with firms to supply assist to younger Black golfers who’re wanting ahead to enjoying in school or on the professional degree.
Outdoors of Coca-Cola’s assist, different company sponsors embody AARP, Cisco, CDW, Disney, Common, the Tampa Bay Rays MLB group, and the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.
In recent times, quite a few HBCUs, starting from Florida A&M College to Fayetteville State College, have been highlighted for his or her golf groups. The North Carolina A&T State College golf group, with star participant, former NBA participant J.R. Smith, was featured on the Undisputed four-part docuseries in 2023.
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