Invitees will be the top Black amateurs and pro golfers in the country, seeking PGA Tour and LPGA Tour exemptions
A new national competition designed to bring attention to, and opportunity for, the best Black golfers across America will be contested in Detroit, June 27-28 at the Detroit Golf Club. Additionally, a one-hour TV special about THE JOHN SHIPPEN will air on CBS leading into final-round coverage of the Rocket Mortgage Classic on Sunday, July 4.
The players – invited from a pool of the best Black male and female golfers from both the professional ranks and collegiate programs – will be competing to earn an exemption into the PGA Tour Rocket Mortgage Classic for the men, and the LPGA Tour’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational for the women (in team format).
The tournament is named for the first black professional golfer in U.S. history – John Shippen, Jr. – who first worked in golf as a caddie at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. After playing in his first of 6 U.S. Opens in 1896, was hired as the golf professional at the Maidstone Club in East Hampton, New York later that year.
Shippen later worked as a golf professional at Aronimink Golf Club near Philadelphia and spent most of his working life at Shady Rest Golf Course in Scotch Plains, New Jersey – the first African-American owned and operated golf club in the United States – where he served from 1924-1960. Shippen was bestowed PGA of America membership posthumously in 2009.
To ensure that any financial barriers are removed, sponsors of THE JOHN SHIPPEN, like Rocket Mortgage, Dow, and Trion Solutions, will cover all travel costs for participating players.
To create an avenue for awareness and opportunities, THE JOHN SHIPPEN Sports Business Summit for high school and college students will be held virtually June 29-30, allowing athletes, influencers and business professionals to share their experiences and advice about how to pursue and secure a career within the business of sports. Summit attendees will be given the opportunity to apply for paid internships and scholarships from sponsors, organizations and foundations within and beyond the sports industry.
More info, visit www.TheJohnShippen.com
