Apr. 13, 2006

Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. - Twenty-years ago, following the Jackson State University Tournament in 1986, Coach Eddie Payton of Jackson (Miss.) State University joined with Dr. John Saunder; the late Dr. Herschel Cochrane, former president of the National Negro Golf Association; Rose Elder, of the Sports Management Institute of Washington D.C.; and William (Bill) Dickey, president of the National Minority Junior Golf Association and the 1999 PGA Distinguished Service Award winner, to form the National Minority College Golf Championship.

The first Championship was contested on May 17-19, 1987, at the Highland Park Golf Course in Cleveland, under the direction of the newly formed National Minority College Golf Scholarship Fund (NMCGSF). The Championship was conceived to focus national attention on the crisis of minority college golf, to stimulate the development of golf programs at the intercollegiate level and to create a 36-hole national Championship for America's finest minority college golfers.

This year, The PGA of America has been granted full operation and management of the Championship for the first time in its history, along with a name change to the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship. Thirty-five colleges and universities will participate in the Championship at The PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on May 4-7, 2006. Nine schools are participating for the first time.

"The PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship is a key part of our Association's strategy to bring more people of color into the business of golf," said Joe Steranka, PGA of America chief executive officer. "The PGA of America is excited to host this for the ninth year, and the additions to the field will make it the premier golf competition among minority college athletes."

The 54-hole stroke play competition will be contested on The PGA Golf Club's South Course and consist of an expanded field of more than 140 men and women student-athletes who will comprise of one of six divisions: Men's Team Division I, Men's Team Division II, Men's Team NAIA Division, Women's Team Division, Men's Independent Division and Women's Independent Division.

The five-person team competition is open to universities and colleges that provide education to a predominately minority student body. Predominately minority serving institutions that are classified as Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Traditional Black Colleges, Traditional Hispanic Colleges and Universities and Tribal Colleges are eligible to participate. All defending Champions receive an automatic entry. The individual division is comprised of thirty-one male and female students who are African-American, Hispanic-America, Native or Alaskan American, or Asian or Pacific American.

Following is the list of the teams and independent schools that have been accepted into the 2006 PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship.

Men's Team Division I Bethune-Cookman College, Daytona Beach, Fla. Grambling (La.) State University Hampton (Va.) University Jackson (Miss.) State University Savannah (Ga.) State University Southern University, Baton Rouge, La. Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tenn. Texas Southern University, Houston University of Texas Pan-American, Edinburg, Texas South Carolina State University, Orangeburg, S.C.

Men's Team Division II Benedict College, Columbus, S.C. Fayetteville (N.C.) State University Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, N.C. Lincoln University, Jefferson City, Mo. Morehouse College, Atlanta North Carolina Central University, Durham, N.C. St. Augustine's College, Raleigh, N.C.

Men's Team NAIA Division Haskell University, Lawrence, Kan. Johnson & Wales University, North Miami, Fla.

Women's Team Division Bethune-Cookman College, Daytona Beach, Fla. Hampton (Va.) University University of Texas Pan-American, Edinburg, Texas

Men's Independent Division Bethune-Cookman College, Daytona Beach, Fla. Community College of Allegheny County, Pittsburgh Creighton University, Omaha, Neb. Edward Waters College, Jacksonville, Fla. Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Fla. Haskell University, Lawrence, Kan. Kentucky State University, Frankfort, Ky. Louisburg (N.C.) College Methodist College, Fayetteville, N.C. Minneapolis (Minn.) Community and Technical College New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, N.M. Oregon State University, Corvallis, Ore. University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky. Virginia State University, Petersburg, Va.

Women's Independent Division Alabama A&M University, Normal, Ala. Benedict College, Columbus, S.C. Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va. University of Richmond (Va.)

Celebrating its 90th anniversary, The PGA of America was founded in 1916, and is a not-for-profit organization that promotes the game of golf, while continuing to enhance the standards of the profession. The Association is comprised of more than 28,000 men and women PGA Professionals who are dedicated to growing participation in the game of golf.