Skills competition brings diversity to golf
PGA of America and a fraternity promote Junior League effort.
PALM BEACH GARDENS — The Sandhill Crane Golf Club played host to a special golf competitive skills event Saturday that was sponsored by the PGA of America and the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity to celebrate their highly successful Junior League golf pilot program partnership.
Created to cultivate diversity in junior golf across the nation, this first-time program — held at seven junior golf facilities throughout Florida, Georgia and Texas — provided six weeks of free PGA professional golf instruction to kids of all socio-economic backgrounds.
More than 200 young golf- ers participated in the Florida program, with close to 87 percent having never played golf before.
Sixty boys and girls from West Palm Beach, Miami and Orlando competed in a putting, chipping, pitching and driving competition, including a two-hole scramble format, earning points for their respective teams.
T h e 1 9 j u n i o r g o l f e r s from Palm Beach Count y finished first in the overall team competition, compiling 731 points. Orlando was second with 658 points, followed by Miami with 602 points.
Sandy Cross, PGA of America senior director of diversity and inclusion, foresees a brighter future for junior golf diversity.
“We’ve been making great progress bringing new kids into the game and the junior programs, especially with PGA of America senior director of diversity and inclusion
the help of Sigma Pi Phi,” Cross said. “Golf is a sport of invitation and access and ... we’re trying to change that, and I see nothing but growth for the future.”
We s l e y C o l e ma n , t h e national president of Sigma Pi Phi, has been a guiding force bringing youngsters into this newly created program.
“We work with our young black males with mentoring and scholarships,” Coleman said. “Sports helps build character. When we heard about PGA of America’s interest, we joined, believing this was a great opportunity for kids to play golf. Our mission was to find and iden-
tify interested kids.”
C a r l o s R o d r i q u e z , a 13-year-old seventh-grader from West Palm Beach, came in second overall with a combined score of 60.
“Today was one of those days I played to my maximum,” said Rodriguez, who started playing six years ago. “Nothing was wrong with my swing. My driving was the best today. “I’ve been shooting low scores, so it’s been a good year”
Rodriguez added that golf “helps me to concentrate and focus in school, too.”
McKenzie Williams, 11, of Boca Raton is new to the sport.
“It’s a fun sport and I want to play more,” Williams said.
Brothers Gavan and Ethan Keen enjoyed competing against each other.
“It’s really cool and we go back and forth like rivals,” said 10-year-old Ethan.
Sherri Pla, head PGA golf professional for the city of Palm Beach Gardens, coordinated the event.
“(The event’s) purpose is to bring diversity to golf and to PGA junior golf,” Pla said. “We’re not as diverse as we should be. There are 27,000 PGA members and only 273 African-Americans.”
Pla was asked why there are so few minorities in golf.
“Golf is a high skill-level sport. You need coaching and equipment, which is expensive. And you have to play tournaments to be good,” Pla said. “It’s about economics and exposure. That’s what we are providing. And to take away the barriers.”