PORT ST. LUCIE, Florida – Bethune-Cookman University raised the bar it has set in women’s golf by earning a record 12th title, while Alabama State University’s men’s quintet captured its first team crown Sunday in the 29th PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship at PGA Golf Club.
Bethune-Cookman, behind senior Jennifer Hide’s closing 2-under-par 70, recorded an unprecedented fourth consecutive championship by a 33-stroke margin over the University of Houston-Victoria. The Wildcats finished their three days’ work on the Ryder Course with a total of 880.
“It never gets old to win the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship,” said Bethune-Cookman Head Coach and PGA Professional Loritz "Scooter” Clark. “I was glad that we had a little bit of a comfortable lead for once. We’ll celebrate today and look to hopefully repeat next year.”
Hide, a 21-year-old senior from Norfolk, England, had a 70, and 3-over-par 219 total, to lead the Wildcats.
“We work for this tournament throughout the year, and when we get here, we know that we have made the right preparations,” said Hide. “I really liked this course; it’s my favorite course to play.”
Alabama State entered the Division I men’s final round with a 14-stroke cushion over Florida A&M University, and finished at 893, seven strokes better than University of Incarnate Word of San Antonio, Texas. Tennessee State was third at 910, followed by Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M, which tied for fourth at 912.
The Hornets were led by Canadians Branson Ferrier, the Division I medalist, and Francis Bethiaume. Ferrier posted a 2-under-par 70 that included six birdies and two double bogeys, for a 54-hole total of 10-under-par 206. Berthiaume, a junior from Montreal, closed with a 71 for insurance, while teammates Andrei Collins of Trinidad-Tobago (80) and Jose Rodriguez of Puerto Rico (80) struggled coming in.
“It feels great after being here several years and being so close before, with some seconds and thirds, to finally win,” said Alabama State Assistant Head Coach Robert Clark. “As a PGA Professional, this means a lot for our program, for our kids and for our school.
“Branson is a very good player. He has aspirations of playing on the PGA Tour one day, and if he continues to work at his golf maturity, I think he will get there.”
University of Houston-Victoria sophomore Heather Shake of Pearland, Texas, fired a 67 to finish at 4-under-par 212 to claim her second-consecutive Division I medalist honor. The 20-year-old earned a berth in next week’s Symetra Tour’s Mission Health Wellness Classic at the Country Club of Asheville in North Carolina.
“It’s really cool to win here again,” said Shake. “Before I came here, I was struggling with striking the ball but something just clicked, and I finally got to throwing darts. I had problems putting yesterday, but thankfully, I got it back. I love this golf course; it sets up perfect for my game.”
Alabama State’s national champions traveled 10½ hours by bus from the campus in Montgomery, Alabama, to PGA Golf Club. “I had a birthday on the way down,” joked Clark. “Well, it felt like a birthday, because it was a long ride. Our expectations were high this week after having basically the same group last year.”
Cal State Dominguez Hills (Division II) and University of Texas at Brownsville (NAIA), the respective 36-hole division leaders, were declared champions when inclement weather forced a suspension of play at 2:51 p.m. Championship officials determined that both divisions would not have been able to complete their final rounds.
Cal State Dominguez Hills of Carson, California, had a 611 total, one stroke better than Texas A&M International.
The University of Texas at Brownsville had cruised to a 31-stroke lead over University of Houston-Victoria after two rounds, with a 4-under-par 580 total.
Tiana Jones, now a freshman in the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s PGA Professional Golf Management University Program, turned in a 72 and 223 total for a second straight Women’s Individual Invitational title. Last year, she was victorious while playing for South Carolina State University.
“I want to play on the LPGA Tour, and also want to own my own academy and build my own golf course, and give back to the community,” said Jones. “I want to see more African-Americans in golf.”
Cathleen Wong of Florida Gulf Coast University and Grace Chua of the University of Delaware shared runner-up at 225.
LeMoyne-Owen College senior Dominique Worthen of Flint, Michigan, captured the Men’s Individual Invitational after a long journey. He lost a 2013 playoff while attending Texas Southern University, then was third last year. He held on Sunday for a 74 and 217 total, defeating Siyan Liu, a Palm Beach Atlantic University freshman from Beijing, China, by two strokes.
“It was tough for me today, but I knew if I could hit good drives, I could win,” said Worthen, who had a two-putt par on No. 18. “I borrowed my dad’s driver after the first round, and it feels good to win.”
The Championship featured 220 players representing 50 colleges and universities, 12 countries and two U.S. territories.
The PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship has elevated golf in minority colleges and universities by providing opportunities for players to compete in a national championship. In 2006, the PGA of America was granted complete ownership and management by the National Minority Collegiate Golf Scholarship Fund.
29th PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship
PGA Golf Club - Ryder and Wanamaker Courses
Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Final Summary
Men’s Team Division I
1. Alabama State 301-291-301—893
Branson Ferrier 66-70-70—206
Francis Berthiaume 79-77-71—227
Andrei Collins 77-73-80—230
Ian Mmbando 79-75-83—237
Jose Rodriguez 86-73-80—239
2. University of the Incarnate Word 310-300-290—900
Austin Wylie 74-78-69—221
Kevin Smith 76-76-75—227
Christopher Martinez 83-73-74—230
Myles Dumont 77-75-79—231
Pedro Martinez 87-76-72—235
3. Tennessee State 308-305-297—910
Todd McGill 77-74-70—221
Andy Stout 73-74-77—224
Jermey Fultz 79-76-76—231
Matthew Campbell 79-81-74—234
Dallas Hill 84-82-83—249
T4. Bethune-Cookman 307-310-295—912
Ian Clark 74-77-73—224
Leon Fricker 76-79-75—230
Daniel Kovari 78-76-76—230
Jackson Kneeshaw 79-78-74—231
Alvaro Ramirez 84-79-73—236
T4. Florida A&M 299-307-306—912
Kevin Parker 76-75-71—222
LyRon Henderson 70-79-80—229
Omari Whitmore 78-76-82—236
Dennis Minefee 75-86-77—238
Anthony Phipps 84-77-78—239
T6. Chicago State 322-300-302—924
Dan Patkunas 81-70-76—227
Austin Egbers 78-75-74—227
David Keenan 78-77-76—231
Drew Vannoy 85-78-76—239
Miles Bailey 88-91-79—258
T6. North Carolina Central 322-311-291—924
Sumner Tate 81-77-71—229
Zane Lewis 82-76-74—232
Jordan Bohannon 82-78-72—232
Garreth Carpenter 78-84-74—236
Michael Wilson 81-80-82—243
8. Savannah State 313-308-315—936
Brandon Neals 74-79-73—226
Hayden Barrows 85-81-75—241
Scott Rogers 89-78-76—243
Riley Keagle 80-84-91—255
Travis Roe 74-70-NC—NC
9. University of Maryland Eastern Shore 312-317-311—940
Bryce Young 74-80-74—228
Norman Blanco 76-82-71—229
Demarkis Cooper 79-72-87—238
Timothy Mitchell 83-83-79—245
10. Texas Southern 319-318-308—945
Renior Knox 76-82-71—229
Jarett Croff 82-79-76—237
Thomas McLaughlin 84-76-79—239
Blake Lolato 81-81-82—244
Connor Mathers 80-92-86—258
11. Hampton 333-331-338—1002
Toiriste O'Neal 81-77-83—241
Kenneth Gaither 81-84-82—247
Dawson Hobbs 86-87-83—256
Arthur Davis 91-96-90—277
JeVon Bell 85-83-NC—NC
12. Prairie View A&M 354-329-320—1003
John Jones 91-78-75—244
Gabriel Hernandez 82-82-82—246
Jason Hudson 92-83-77—252
Harold Carter III 89-86-86—261
Vlryn Veal 95-87-89--271
Women’s Team Division
1. Bethune-Cookman 295-294-290--879
Jennifer Hide 78-71-70—219
Andrea Orozco 73-75-73—221
Patrizia Trevisan 73-74-74—221
Alice Plumb 77-74-73—224
Mackenzie Butzer 72-78-75—225
2. Houston-Victoria 303-310-300--913
Heather Shake 67-78-67—212
Rebecca Benchot 77-77-75—229
Brooke Brasseaux 81-78-78—237
Shelbi Vincent 80-77-80—237
Hayley Harris 79-83-81—243
3. Delaware State 312-313-307—932
Elaine Peete 74-73-79—226
Suchada Anusuriya 76-80-71—227
Samyra Lewis 82-76-83—241
Brooke Foster 81-84-78—243
Ireanna Peete 81-86-79--246
4. Texas Southern 315-310-309—934
Kassandra Rivera 73-73-69—215
Cherie Chua 79-76-76—231
Allison Flores 82-77-82—241
Carmen Gonzales 81-84-82—247
Jalyn Kuykendall 87-95-92—274
5. Chicago State 317-320-322—959
Fernanda Valdes Solis 75-77-73—225
Talialaina Letoi 77-80-85—242
Taneka Sandiford 83-81-79—243
Pia Serrano 82-82-86—250
TiAnna Ford 86-107-85--278
6. Hampton 314-323-325—962
Cheryl Chua 71-76-75—222
Britney Smith 79-76-74—229
Zora Moore 77-82-81—240
Milan James 90-89-95—274
Treliah Samuels 87-91-96--274
7. Texas A&M International 344-323-334—1001
Begona Aranguren 80-77-71—228
Sasha Linauskas 84-77-84—245
Abigail Palacios 88-86-89—263
Hannah Jiao 92-83-90—265
Amber Lopez 97-96-94--287
8. Texas at Brownsville 345-330-335—1010
Veronika Vasquez 82-77-80—239
Deanna Portillo 82-81-86—249
Angela Zepeda 86-82-89—257
Leanna Saenz 95-90-80—265
9. Lincoln 352-367-371—1090
Sophia Pardalos 82-86-83—251
Mackenzie Wilson 84-92-93—269
Lauren McHenry 86-94-94—274
Hanna Berendzen 100-95-101—296
Women’s Individual Invitational
1. Tiana Jones, University of Maryland Eastern Shore 73-78-72--223
T2. Cathleen Wong, Florida Gulf Coast University 72-78-75--225
T2. Grace Chua, University of Delaware 73-75-77--225
4. Adriana Trevino, Texas Southern University 82-72-79--233
5. Rachele Orme, Savannah State University 75-81-78--234
6. Hillary Washington, Texas Southern University 82-81-79--242
7. Sydney Woolfolk, Savannah State University 80-84-81--245
8. Sierra Everson, University of Akron 87-85-76--248
9. Jocelyn Williams, Savannah State University 84-89-84--257
10. Iyana Monagan, Delaware State University 88-89-85--262
11. Taylor Schwarz, Northern Kentucky University 96-87-89--272
12. Briana Trevino, Texas Southern University 100-84-91--275
Men’s Team Division II
reduced to 36 holes due to inclement weather
1. Cal State Dominguez Hills 306-305—611
Bret Gleason 76-74—150
Ryan Saldana 78-73—151
Brantly Blew 80-77—157
Shane Kowal 77-81—158
Cameron MacDonald 75-83—158
2. Texas A&M International 312-300—612
Steven Martinez 75-71—146
Sammie Goldfarb III 77-74—151
Rogelio Jimenez 78-78—156
Andres Aranguren 82-77—159
Zachary Jackson 83-78—161
3. Livingstone College 308-320—628
Phillip Harrison 71-77—148
Telvin Walker 77-82—159
Harry Standberry 79-81—160
Lennoris Williams 81-80—161
Stephen Washington 81-82—163
4. Lincoln 319-320—639
Blake Lammers 71-75—146
Cody Shaw 82-78—160
Austin Ruediger 81-80—161
Drew Geritz 85-87—172
5. Fayetteville State 317-330—647
Jared Chinn 72-77—149
Brandon Jobe 75-77—152
Christopher Jackson 81-79—160
Cameron Hughes 89-97—186
Corbin Rascoe NC-NC—NC
6. Benedict College 333-315—648
Kelly Allen 76-78—154
Rajai Cousley 84-75—159
Eddie Smith 83-83—166
Marques Edwards 90-79—169
Rhalston Jones 90-84—174
7. Morehouse College 320-332—652
Justin McElderry 81-80—161
Tommy Swearingen 81-81—162
Harvey Allen 79-83—162
Anthony Body 79-88—167
Caleb May 88-90—178
8. Miles College 352-332—684
Jacob McCurry 79-72—151
Vitthal Parker 83-87—170
Khaliq Dansby 89-86—175
Michael Fegan 101-87—188
Marcel Pickett 122-122—244
9. LeMoyne-Owen College 436-514—950
Darryl Lewis 101-98—199
Anthony Smith 95-107—202
Kemario Davis 115-158—273
Kevon Eskridge 125-151—276
Christian Coburn NC-NC—NC
Men’s Team NAIA
reduced to 36 holes due to inclement weather
1. Texas at Brownsville 285-295—580
Saad Milan 71-73—144
Angel Aguirre 71-73—144
Gage Murphy 70-75—145
Justin Kitten 73-76—149
Stevan Hinojosa76-74—150
2. Houston-Victoria 300-311—611
Vance Edwards 70-74—144
Will Hicks 73-82—155
Steven Jones 80-76—156
Cristian Esparza 77-79—156
Jake Truss NC-82—NC
3. Edward Waters College 315-306—621
Guido Vidotto 75-73—148
Bartosh Kaminski 77-79—156
Alvin Vicioso 82-75—157
Robel Woldagriel 81-79—160
4. Haskell Indian Nations 316-324—640
William Wilson 74-78—152
Deryk Speck 82-80—162
Josiah Kurley 78-84—162
Joshua Little Axe 82-86—168
Trevor Pueblo 87-82—169
Men’s Individual Invitational
1. Dominique Worthen, LeMoyne-Owen College 76-67-74—217
2. Siyan Liu, Palm Beach Atlantic University 76-69-74—219
3. Nqobani Ndabambi, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff 75-79-71—225
T4. Benjarong Murray, Palm Beach Atlantic University 72-79-76—227
T4. Matthew Chen, Florida Gulf Coast University 77-77-73—227
6. Will Smart II, Alabama A&M 76-76-76—228
T7. Danny De Los Santos, Mississippi Gulf Coast 76-73-80—229
T7. John Hulede, Towson University 77-80-72--229
T7. Joseph Stills, University of West Florida 76-77-76--229
T7. William Wells, Texas Southern University 81-71-77--229
T11. Victor Choi, Clemson University 75-83-73--231
T11. Luther Thompson II, Meridian Community College 83-74-76--233
13. William White, Elizabeth City State University 87-74-74--235
14. William Godfrey, Francis Marion University 78-79-80--237
T15. Gavin Parker, Campbell University 78-77-84--239
T15. Martre Lind, Texas Southern University 81-81-77--239
T17. Curtis Vinson, Elizabeth City State University 79-84-82--245
T17. Josiah Brown, Texas Southern University 83-80-82--245
T19. Jahmar Seltzer, Allegany College of Maryland 85-79-82--246
T19. Matthew Dismuke, Universlty of Arkansas at Pine Bluff 82-81-83--246
21. Taylor Nelson, Virginia Union University 77-83-88--248
T22. Daniel Castano, Methodist University 88-82-85--255
T22. Robert Calvin Mason, Johnson C. Smith University 92-84-79--255
24. Brencis Stanford, Johnson C. Smith University 86-85-85--256
25. Michael Harden, Clemson University 89-88-80--257
T26. Joshua Steger, Johnson C. Smith University 89-83-86--258
T26. Luis Colon, Texas Southern University 86-80-92--258
T28. Dominique Johnson, Allegany College Of Maryland 84-84-91--259
T28. Josiah Singletary, Methodist University 88-87-84--259
30. Jordan Hall, Methodist University 88-90-83--261
31. Johanan Edmeade, Johnson C. Smith University 89-90-85--264
32. Brandon Bolling, Lewis University 89-95-85--269
33. Brandon Bailey, Virginia Union University 95-92-94--281
34. Eddie Crawford, Methodist University 105-96-91--292
Charles Griffin, Alabama State University 77-77-NC--NC
Kevin Lim, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 81-76-NC--NC
Kijontray McClay, University of Maryland Eastern Shore 86-86-NC--NC
Marquis Usher, University of Maryland Eastern Shore 85-96-NC--NC
Nivel Felicien, University of Maryland Eastern Shore 93-79-NC--NC
Patrick Harris, University of Maryland Eastern Shore 87-87-NC--NC
Phil Soo Kim, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 75-79-NC--NC
COURTESY Michael Abramowitz, The PGA of America
