PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla.
– Garrett Price’s vision for the PGA Works Collegiate Championship has come to fruition. During the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park, Price, a software engineer from the Bay Area, pitched his vision for the event formerly known as the National Minority College Championship and created in 1986 to highlight competitive golf programs at the most underserved and underrepresented minority-serving institutions in the country to PGA CEO Seth Waugh. The vision? Treat the PGA Works as if it was college golf’s version of the U.S. Amateur and bring it to world-class courses. This week TPC Sawgrass hosted the 37th edition of the event for the second time in the last four years, which also included Shoal Creek in Alabama, where Price is a national member, and is headed to Whistling Straits next year. Not to take anything away from the tournament’s former longtime host – PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie – but this is a significant upgrade.
“These girls see this golf course on TV and it’s so iconic,” said Texas A&M – Corpus Christi Head Coach Pat Stephens. “To be able to play it under a tournament situation, they’re making memories they’ll be talking to their grandchildren about.” As University of British Columbia junior Una Chou put it, “It was surreal to be able to play at a PGA Tour golf facility. I can’t believe we get to play here and I just enjoyed the vibe.”
It was a thrill for Florida A&M men’s coach Mike Rice, who was a member of the team the last time the Rattlers won the title in 2000. “It’s a long time coming,” said Rice, who has coached the team for 13 years, the last six as the head coach. “This is the closest team we’ve had in a long time and I really think that was the difference. They played for each other.”
On a warm, windy day, the Rattlers combined to shoot a 13-over par 301 on Wednesday at TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium course to win by 29 and record a wire-to-wire victory as the Men’s Division I Champions. Alabama State University (56-over) finished runner up and North Carolina A&T State University (74-over) claimed third place.
FAMU senior Marcus Taylor of South Africa clinched the Men’s Division I medalist honors behind a three-day score of 2-over-par 218. He posted 1-under-par 71 in the final round for a five-stroke victory.
Rice recalled seeing Taylor’s swing on a recruiting web site and eventually offered him and his brother, Miles, scholarships. “I’m really stoked with the win, as an individual and as a team,” said Marcus. “I didn’t have much preparation coming into this, I was packed with academics, taking 19 credits this semester. Graduation was my main focus so I had no expectations coming into this event.”
With four birdies on the card in his final round, how he finished on the famed 17th and 18th holes on the Stadium course made the difference for Taylor. “My birdie on 17, I stood over that ball on the tee and didn’t feel nervous to be honest with you,” he said. “I was like it’s another wedge shot and just stood up there and did what I had to do.” He stuck it to 8 feet. As for the birdie putt? “I thought ‘send me out the right way and make this putt.’ I was really stoked about that. On 18, driver is the best club in my bag and I absolutely laced it about 350 yards. I had 55 yards in.”
Taylor hadn’t played 18 holes for three weeks due to his heavy course load this semester, but his game showed little rust. “I went out and free-styled it,” he said. “I’m chuffed with the result.”
Chaminade University of Honolulu (67-over), who traveled the furthest to compete in the PWCC, also came from behind to win the Men’s Division II Championship by one stroke.
“It’s like a dream,” said Chaminade Head Coach Renee Yuen. “First of all, getting here to this tournament, this venue was something that when I heard about it, I said I want to bring the team. To come here, to play, struggle through it and then to win by one stroke, I’m so happy and proud of the guys.”
With a final round team score of 25-over 313, Lincoln University of Missouri was runner up at 68-over 932. Bluefield State University (70-over) took third following a 25-over 313. Lincoln University of Missouri senior Austin Shoemaker (4-over) went wire-to-wire to win the Men’s Division II Medalist honors.
University of Michigan junior Yuqi Liu (3-under) claimed the Men’s Individual Championship title with a final round 2-under-par 70. “It wasn’t easy but I always believe in myself,” Liu said. “I knew I could pull it off and I did.”
University of North Alabama’s sophomore Eric Luo (2-under) carded a bogey-free 3-under-par 69 for his low round of the championship to finish runner-up. Purdue University sophomore Kentaro Nanayama (1-under) finished third.
On the women’s side, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi recorded an 11-over-par 299 team score in Wednesday’s final round to finish at 56-over for the week and win by five shots. Three years after their first PGA Works Collegiate victory here, the Islanders claimed their fourth consecutive Women’s Team Division title today at Sawgrass’ Dye’s Valley course.
The Islanders became the second Women’s team to win at least four consecutive PWCC titles (Bethune-Cookman 2012-19). “It feels amazing,” said senior Lucie Charbonnier. “I’ve won it every year I’ve played. It’s just like the perfect dream. I have four rings, what more can I have than that?”
Charbonnier, the 2022 and 2023 Women’s Team Medalist, ended her collegiate career with yet another memorable PWCC performance. She recorded five birdies, including three on the front-nine en route to a 3-under-par 69.
The Peron, France native finished runner-up in the Women’s Team Medalist race at 5-over-par 221. Howard University (61-over) was second following a final-round 9-over-par 297. Delaware State University (92-over) took third with a 15-over-par 303. Howard University’s Kendall Jackson (4-over) claimed Women’s Team Division Medalist honors.
The junior from Pearland, Texas posted a 1-over-par 73 on Dye’s Valley, highlighted by a clutch birdie at the par-5 17th hole to win by one.
The Women’s Individual Division was a tightly-contested battle that came down to the final putt on Stadium’s par-4 18th hole. Chou and Eastern Kentucky University junior Dili Sitanonth embarked on the final hole tied at 6-over. Chou “zoned everything out” and drilled a 4-foot left-to-right sliding putt for par to shoot 5-over-par 77 and clinch the victory at 6-over-par 222. Sitanonth made bogey to finish second at 7-over-par 223 after also shooting 5-over-par 77.
“This feels like my first major,” Chou said.
