22nd PGA Minority Collegiate Scheduled for May 8-11

The PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., will host the 22nd PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship, May 8-11, with collegiate golfers from across the country challenged by the Ryder and Wanamaker Courses. The 54-hole, stroke-play tournament continues to expand, with the 2008 field featuring 175 participants representing 36 colleges and universities, the largest field of contestants in its 21-year history.

"We look forward to this championship each year, as it brings together some of the brightest and best collegiate golfers from across the nation," said PGA of America President Brian Whitcomb. "This championship continues to make substantial growth each year and we anticipate another outstanding championship in May. A number of the past contestants have become outstanding PGA Professionals. We are extremely proud of that."

Competition will be held in Men's Division I, Division II and NAIA; Women and Independent Men's and Women's. The University of Texas-Pan American Division I men's and Bethune-Cookman College women, both two-time defending champions, will battle for their third consecutive title, this year. Also, Fayetteville (N.C.) State University and Johnson & Wales University of North Miami, Fla., the respective two-time Division II and NAIA team champions, are making their respective bids at three consecutive titles.

The PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship originated from a meeting in November 1986 following the Jackson State University Golf Tournament. The late Dr. Herschel Cochrane, Dr. Joe D. Saunders of the National Negro Golf Association, Jackson State University Golf coach Eddie Payton, Rose Harper-Elder of the Sports Management Institute and William (Bill) Dickey founder of the Bill Dickey Scholarship Association and the 1999 PGA Distinguished Service Award winner, are credited as the founders of this Championship.

The goal was to elevate the game of golf in minority colleges and universities by giving them a chance to compete in a championship because of being denied opportunities to compete in NCAA collegiate golf events. The first championship was conducted in the spring of 1987 at Highland Park Golf Course in Cleveland, Ohio. Since 1998, the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., has been the host. In 2006, the PGA of America was granted complete ownership and management of the championship by the National Minority Collegiate Golf Scholarship Fund.

In 1990, a Career Fair was conducted for the first time in conjunction with the event to provide corporate sponsors the opportunity to interview and recruit outstanding college students for future employment. As a result, the Career Fair has developed into an invaluable resource to assist students in gaining internships and full-time positions within the golf industry.

State Farm Insurance has extended its sponsorship to support the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship through 2010. The State Farm sponsorship provides funding of a one-hour championship highlight program on the Golf Channel. Students from participating schools in the 2008 championship can apply to receive scholarship awards from State Farm Insurance for their academic excellence at their respective institutions.