Bridgestone HBCU Invitational: A Showcase of Talent and Opportunity

The Bridgestone HBCU Invitational stands as a significant event in the world of collegiate golf, providing a platform for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to showcase their talent. This annual tournament, held at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia, is more than just a competition; it's a key element of the PGA TOUR's Pathway to Progression, aiming to increase diversity in golf by developing talent from underrepresented communities.

A Commitment to Diversity and Development

The PGA TOUR and Bridgestone Americas have partnered to create the Bridgestone HBCU Invitational, a 54-hole stroke-play event for men's and women's golf teams from HBCUs. This initiative is a vital part of the Bridgestone Collegiate Development Program, which focuses on providing competitive opportunities and professional development resources to help cultivate talent from diverse backgrounds.

Kenyatta Ramsey, PGA TOUR Vice President, Player Development, emphasizes the importance of the Invitational: "The Bridgestone HBCU Invitational provides an incredible opportunity for our sport to identify and cultivate the next generation of players from diverse backgrounds. The PGA TOUR is proud to once again partner alongside our friends at Bridgestone to provide these players with an elevated platform to showcase their growing skills, and we look forward to an exciting week of competition and fellowship at TPC Sugarloaf."

The 2025 Invitational: Teams and Competition

The third annual Bridgestone HBCU Invitational, held September 1-4, 2025, at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia, promises to be another exciting event. The tournament features ten HBCU men’s golf teams and five women’s teams.

Men's Teams:

Florida A&M
Howard University
Jackson State University
Johnson C. Smith University
LeMoyne-Owen College
Miles College
Morehouse College
Southern University
Tennessee State University
Winston Salem State University

Women's Teams:

Alabama State University
Bethune-Cookman University
Howard University
North Carolina A&T
Texas Southern University

The Invitational spans three rounds of competition, culminating in the crowning of the overall men’s and women’s team winners on September 4th. The winning teams will earn a trip to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, for the HBCU Performance Experience presented by Bridgestone.

TPC Sugarloaf: A Championship Venue

The tournament is held at TPC Sugarloaf, a private golf course with the Sugarloaf Country Club located in Duluth, GA. Designed by Greg Norman, the course has been awarded Magazine's "Renovation of the Year", designed to recognize the most outstanding golf course renovations and restorations completed in late 2019. The TPC Sugarloaf is a championship-level par-72 course measuring 7,259 yards, featuring tree-lined Bermuda fairways, water hazards, and rolling terrain. The course includes a third nine, The Pines course. While these nine holes are slightly shorter in distance, The Pines course is every bit as compelling as The Meadows and Stables courses.

Beyond the Fairway: Development and Opportunity

The Bridgestone HBCU Invitational extends beyond the golf course, offering valuable development opportunities for the participating athletes. The event includes a "Pathway to My Career" development workshop, featuring key stakeholders from throughout the sports world. This workshop aims to provide athletes with insights and guidance for their future careers, both on and off the course.

Caitlyn Ranson, Director of Partnership Marketing for Bridgestone, emphasizes the importance of these opportunities: “Creating more access and opportunity for the next generation to learn and develop is what really matters. We’re proud to work with the PGA TOUR to continue evolving this unique and impactful experience for HBCU athletes that can help position them for future success both on and off the course.”

Celebrity Culture Cup

Adding another layer of excitement to the Invitational is the Celebrity Culture Cup presented by Bridgestone, returning for its second consecutive year on September 2nd. This 18-hole Stableford event features celebrity participants. The winning celebrity will randomly draw an HBCU school, which will receive a $10,000 donation from Bridgestone. In 2025, celebrity participants included Vince Carter, Kordell Stewart, Victor Cruz and Steve Smith Sr. among others.

Florida A&M's Dominance in Previous Years

In a past Bridgestone HBCU Invitational, Florida A&M demonstrated exceptional performance, securing a commanding victory. The Rattlers finished with a team score of 843 after rounds of 277, 275 and 291, easily outpacing second-place Howard, which closed at 3-over 867.

Head Coach Mike Rice lauded his team's performance: "Our guys delivered from the very first tee. To not only lead the field by a wide margin but also sit first and second in the individual standings shows just how strong and balanced this team is."

Phalatphon Viboonviriyasakul of Florida A&M claimed medalist honors at 11-under 205 after rounds of 70, 67 and 68. Emilio Garcia, also from Florida A&M, placed in a tie for third at 5-under 211, sharing the spot with Howard's Mathis Perroni. Florida A&M's depth proved the difference, with all five Rattlers contributing across the three rounds.

Bethune-Cookman's Preparations and Outlook

Bethune-Cookman Women's Golf welcomes five newcomers to the quad for the opening of the 2025-26 campaign under head coach Harry Stokes, as the Wildcats begin the new campaign at the third annual Bridgestone HBCU Invitational beginning Wednesday, Sept. Joining Bethune-Cookman is this year's women's field will be teams from Alabama State, Howard, North Carolina A&T and Texas Southern.

During the 2024 SWAC Individual Championship Katie Robinson, a senior and the 2024 SWAC Individual Champion, led the Wildcats charge on the final day with an impressive final-round 76 (+4), tying for the second-best score of the day. Robinson's consistent play throughout the tournament (81-81-76) earned her a third place finish at 238 (+22), just one stroke behind Alabama State's Lucia Parada, who took second at 237 (+21). Meeya Marquez showed tremendous improvement in Wednesday's final round, carding a 79 (+7) to move up the individual leaderboard. Also contributing to the Wildcats' third place effort were junior Skylar Kew, who posted a final-round 86 to finish tied for 13th at 253 (+37), and senior Kamary Leaf who closed with an 88 to tie for 11th at 252 (+36).

"I am really looking forward to getting out there on the course and seeing some of the newcomers in action. I think this team has a lot of potential, and I expect us to get better as the season progresses.

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Howard University's Participation

Howard University men's and women's golf teams travel to Duluth, Ga., to compete in the third annual Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational (Sept. 3-4). Bison standouts Paris Fieldings (Chesapeake, Va.), Marley Franklin (Los Angeles), Tariro November and Mathis Perroni (Metz, France) will compete in the fifth annual Jackson T. Stephens Cup (Sept.

Tennessee State's Perspective

Tennessee State Men's Golf opens the 2025-26 season at the third annual Bridgestone HBCU Invitational, beginning Wednesday, September 3, at TPC Sugarloaf. TSU's men's squad will compete against nine other HBCU teams, including Florida A&M, Howard, Jackson State, Johnson C.

"We are thrilled to kick off the season at the Bridgestone HBCU Invitational. It's a great stage for our guys to test themselves against fellow HBCU competitors on a championship course," said Parrish McGrath. "We have a strong core of returning seniors, and the freshmen and transfers add exciting depth.

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