Hornets take second at HBCU golf championship
March 8, 2024
Congratulations to the Delaware State University women’s golf team for their second-place finish Feb. 24-26 in the inaugural HBCU Collegiate Golf Championship, presented by Arcis Golf.
Women’s teams from seven historically black colleges and universities played three rounds in a team stroke play format at The Players Course in Weston, FL. The Robert Trent Jones, Jr. layout at The Club at Weston Hills is one of 70 public and private courses operated by Arcis in the United States.
Howard University’s Bison took first place, with Alabama State coming in third behind DSU. The other teams included North Carolina Central (4th), Chicago State University (5th), Prairie View A & M (6th), and Texas Southern (7th).
Estelle Verny finished best for the Hornets in second place overall, behind Kendall Jackson of Howard. Among the other DSU golfers, Claudia Hofmeister finished fourth, with teammate Julie Gauvin in fifteenth, Emily Murray tied for seventeenth, and Taylor Harvey tied for twentieth in the field of 35 golfers.
DSU Head Coach Rick McCall, Jr. said, “It was a great event run by ARCIS and the Black College Golf Coaches Association! This is the time of year to really challenge each player and prepare them for the NEC Championship in April.”
Rick McCall, Jr.
McCall added, “Scores are not our real concern, it is more about inner growth and building our self-belief and creating positive self-talk during the round. So, failing right now is welcome and I am just trying to get my team in situations that cause them to start feeling comfortable in the uncomfortable. All in all, a good event for us and certainly trending towards success in April!”
In a press release, Blake Walker, Founder and CEO of Arcis said, “We are incredibly proud and pleased to host the first of what we expect will become a recurring fixture on the collegiate golf scene. This tournament exemplifies how we can grow the sport for all audiences, while helping the student-athletes learn more about the industry and the business of golf.”
Sussex Superhero Golf Outing set for April 22
The Kim and Evans Family Foundation is holding its final charity fund-raising golf tournament April 22 at The Peninsula Golf and Country Club in Millsboro. The event supports the foundation’s programs assisting local families in need and local veterans.
A portion of the proceeds will also benefit the Red Bird Legacy Foundation, a Bethel, DE nonprofit. The organization helps parents with life-threatening illnesses to create photographs and other keepsakes to preserve legacies and carry their memory forward for their minor children.
The tournament includes 18 holes of golf, food, snacks, and prize opportunities. The individual player entrance fee is $250, with foursomes at $1,000. Sponsorships are also available ranging from $250 through $5,000.
It is highly unusual to announce that a nonprofit’s fundraiser tournament is the last one it will hold. When asked why, Foundation president Joseph Kim gave a cost/benefit explanation. “The cost of golf outings has increased leading to less profits. The number of charity golf outings have also increased, leading to more competition for sponsors and golfers. We announced it to inform our ‘regular’ golfers and sponsors as a courtesy. It was a great run.”
For participation information or to register or become a sponsor, go to kimandevansff.org. For more information about Red Bird Legacy, go to redbirdlegacyfoundation.org.
In some respects, Kim’s comments sound a bit like the companies who recently announced they will no longer sponsor PGA Tour events, such as Wells Fargo, Farmers Insurance, and Honda.
There is a limit.
Jaye Bird
There is something to be said for taking a hands-on approach to creating and operating your business.
If you won’t, who will?
Jaye Bird founder Katie Byrnes moved to Hong Kong in 2018 and spent many hours developing contacts and sources in search of better women’s golf wear. “I knew what I wanted for the look and feel,” she said when we chatted at the 2024 PGA Show. “I wanted pockets, pull on comfort, and fabric wicking for warm weather. I did not want so much of a sporty look. I was going for a simple timeless look instead.”
Like many women in the golf apparel business I have interviewed, Byrnes also sought to create clothing options that golfers would love to wear off the course as well as on.
The resulting designs, all built in Hong Kong, include several appealing features.
The knit fabric provides 50+ SPF protection and the tops and bottoms are easily mixed and matched.
Classic solids, prints, plaids, and polka dots round out the options.
Byrnes said the tops retail for $108 to $130, with bottoms going for $148 to $159.
Among her items in her core collection, I was impressed by the Mel Ruffle Collar Golf Top ($108 SRP), the Mills Side Tie Skort ($148 SRP), and the Emily Golf Dress ($188 SRP).
Jaye Bird first launched at the 2023 Show.
Byrnes said she acquired more green grass accounts at this year’s Show.
The company also sells direct-to-consumer at its website, jayebirdgolf.com.