‘Beyond the Green’ shares golf industry opportunities with diverse student athletes in Alabama for the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship
The PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship has brought diverse student athletes from across the nation to Birmingham. (PGA of America)
The day before the 2023 PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship, presented by Chase Sapphire, started in Birmingham, college golfers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions and other minority-serving institutions from across the country were not only preparing for the championship, but also for their careers at the PGA WORKS Beyond the Green at the city’s Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex.
A career-exploration event, Beyond the Green is held at various championships run by PGA of America, inviting local high school and college students from historically underrepresented backgrounds to discover the opportunities available to them within the $102 billion golf industry, along with the chance to hear from local business leaders.
“The fact is, the PGA of America loves the game of golf,” PGA Vice President Don Rea said Sunday in his welcome message to the attending students. “The truth is, we want to share it with everyone.”
Mackenzie Mack with Callaway Golf Company at the Beyond the Green event in Birmingham. (PGA of America)
A networking and career-focused event like Beyond the Green fits well with each championship but is especially poignant at the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship, as the college athletes will soon be entering the workforce.
Beyond the Fairway podcast hosts Will Lowry and Doug Smith emceed the event and sat down with golf industry experts and local community leaders to provide panel discussions to help the attending students start considering their future careers.
They started with PGA and LPGA Member Mackenzie Mack of Callaway Golf Company, Andrea Lattimore of Acushnet and Kendall Murphy of Troon – all directors of diversity, equity and inclusion for their respective companies.
“You belong in our company,” said Mack to the students during the “From Whisper to Roar” panel. “Whatever you want out of your career, there’s a spot for you. We need to hear your voice in these boardrooms and organizations.”
The “Get on Par” panel focused on understanding the vastness of the golf industry and included PGA Career Services Senior Director Scott Kmiec, Titleist Player Development Representative Jasmin Cunningham and PGA Recruiting and Member Engagement Specialist Dylan Gladney.
Doug Smith, Will Lowery, Kendall Murphy, Scott Kmiec, Jasmine Cunningham and Dylan Gladney during the “Get on Par” presentation at the PGA WORKS Beyond the Green event in Birmingham. (PGA of America)
Tyler Thomas, a freshman at Winston-Salem State University, already has plans to become a PGA Member and is feeling even more motivation to move forward after listening to the panels.
“I’ve learned that in this game, it’s important to take initiative, because at times there are doors that are open that you don’t know are open,” said Thomas. “The biggest takeaway I got from Beyond the Green is to know there is a community out there that has open arms, welcoming me to work in this field.”
Utah Valley University senior Kai Iguchi just received a degree in finance, but the golf industry has caught his eye.
“Beyond the Green has been great, there are a ton of employers here for us to meet,” said Iguchi. “It’s been a great resource to learn about a variety of employment opportunities in golf. A lot of us would like to play professionally but realistically not everyone will. There is a ton of fulfillment to be found by working in the golf industry.”
Finally, in a panel labeled “New Birmingham,” local leaders including Miles College President Bobbie Knight, TechBirmingham President & CEO Deon Gordon, IMC Financial Consulting founder Isaac Cooper, LRY Media Group CEO Rashada LeRoy and Ralph Williams, director of Community Engagement for Alabama Power’s Birmingham Division, spoke with students about becoming transformational leaders and how they’ve seen the city grow and develop.
Beyond the Green was sponsored by Alabama Power and CastleOak Securities. The 2023 PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship at Shoal Creek Golf Club and Bent Brook Golf Course concludes on May 10 and is being broadcast live on PGA.com and the Golf Channel from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. central time.
Information for this story was provided by PGA of America.
