Pro Golf Now
Fansided

Billy Horschel, Cisco Bring Minority Golf Event to TPC Sawgrass

By Kathlene Bissell

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 16: Billy Horschel of the United States plays his shot from the 13th tee during the second round of the RBC Heritage on April 16, 2021 at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA - APRIL 16: Billy Horschel of the United States plays his shot from the 13th tee during the second round of the RBC Heritage on April 16, 2021 at Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

PGA Tour player Billy Horschel will host a limited field, 36-hole, Advocates Professional Golf Association (APGA) event for promising minority golfers at TPC Sawgrass, July 29-31.

“Growing up in a blue-collar family, I did not always have the same opportunities in golf as some of my fellow competitors. Without some of the success that I had in college, I would have struggled to find financial backing, resources, and industry connections to continue my dream of making it onto the PGA Tour,” Horschel said in a statement on the new tournament.

“At Cisco, we are focused on powering a more inclusive future,” Mark Patterson, SVP at Cisco said about sponsoring the tournament. “We are proud to step up and provide support for promising golfers, just as we did earlier this year when we welcomed Kamaiu Johnson to Team Cisco.”

The official name of the tournament is the Billy Horschel APGA Tour Invitational presented by Cisco. Cisco, located in San Jose, California, is a leading technology company that makes and sells internet networking hardware and software as well as other high-tech equipment.

The event will also include an a pro-am, roundtable and seminars slated to be development opportunities with key partners and industry leaders.

The field for the tournament will include:  Johnson, Ryan Alford, Marcus Byrd, Jarred Garcia, Michael Herrera, Willie Mack III, Joey Stills, Davin White, Rovonta Young, Mulbe Dillard, Andrew Walker, Mahindra Lutchman, Cameron Riley and Prince Cunningham.

The remaining spots will be filled by one amateur selected by the tournament and APGA Tour leadership and three sponsor exemptions to be named later.

More from Golf News

All in the tournament are looking for a chance to make it to the Korn Ferry Tour and eventually the PGA Tour.

Johnson and Mack have had starts on the PGA TOUR this year. They are both ambassadors for Farmers Insurance and played in the 2021 Farmers Insurance Open. They also received sponsor exemptions for the Genesis Invitational.

After Johnson’s PGA Tour experiences, he won his first event on the APGA Tour at TPC Las Vegas in April.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA – MARCH 19: Kamaiu Johnson of the United States plays his third shot on the 14th hole during the second round of The Honda Classic at PGA National Champion course on March 19, 2021 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA – MARCH 19: Kamaiu Johnson of the United States plays his third shot on the 14th hole during the second round of The Honda Classic at PGA National Champion course on March 19, 2021 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /

Mack is one of the most successful APGA golfers with six victories and two Lexus Cup titles. In addition, Mack has 65 professional mini-tour victories.  As a collegian, he won 11 times playing for Bethune-Cookman.

PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 19: Willie Mack IIIof the United States plays his shot from the 12th tee during the second round of The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club on February 19, 2021 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 19: Willie Mack IIIof the United States plays his shot from the 12th tee during the second round of The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club on February 19, 2021 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Alford won the TPC Scottsdale APGA tournament earlier this season.

Byrd won his sixth start on the APGA Tour which was held at the TPC Louisiana in New Orleans earlier this month.

Herrera won the first APGA event of 2021 which was played in Carlsbad, California.

Rovonta Young and Jarred Garcia both have victories in 2021 on the APGA Tour. Young’s victory came at the APGA tournament in March at the King & Bear at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine.

Garcia has had status on the PGA Tour LatinoAmerica, but is currently playing on the APGA. He won the APGA Tour Black History Month Classic played at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida, in February 2021.

Dillard earned an exemption into the Korn Ferry Tour’s REX Hospital Open by finishing a No. 1 in the APGA Collegiate Ranking which ended at the end of May 2021.

Walker, Lutchman, Riley and Cunningham complete the rest of the top five inaugural class of the APGA Collegiate Ranking.

The tournament host, Horschel, is a six-time PGA Tour winner, including the 2014 FedExCup. He also hosts the Billy Horschel Junior Championship and recently became one of two National Chairmen on the AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) Board of Directors. Before turning professional, he was a standout on the golf team at the University of Florida.

Home/Golf News