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Georgia
Oboh and
Willie
Mack
III,
winners
of the
Men's
and
Women's
2024 THE
JOHN
SHIPPEN
National
Invitational
Champion |
| |
Elite
Field
Set for
Fifth
Annual
John
Shippen
Men's
Invitational
at
Detroit
Golf
Club
Tournament
offers
path to
PGA TOUR
competition,
continues
mission
to
expand
Black
representation
in
professional
golf
Justin
Tyme -
Sports
TellUsDetroit.com
DETROIT
–
Seventeen
of the
nation's
top
Black
professional
and
amateur
golfers
will
compete
for a
coveted
spot in
the PGA
TOUR's
Rocket
Classic
when the
fifth
annual
John
Shippen
Men's
Invitational
takes
place
June
21-22 at
Detroit
Golf
Club.
The
36-hole
stroke
play
tournament,
presented
by
Rocket,
will
crown a
champion
who
earns an
automatic
exemption
into the
Rocket
Classic,
scheduled
for June
26-29.
Defending
champion
Willie
Mack III
of
Flint,
Michigan,
headlines
the
field
alongside
2023
winner
Chase
Johnson,
who made
history
as the
first
Shippen
champion
to make
the cut
at a PGA
TOUR
event.
Free
Admission
for
Final
Round
Golf
fans can
attend
Sunday's
final
round at
no cost,
with
complimentary
parking
available
at
University
of
Detroit
Mercy
and
shuttle
service
provided
to the
course.
No
tickets
are
required.
"We are
excited
to
welcome
a
terrific
field of
the top
professional
and
amateur
golfers,"
said
Brittany
Jeanis,
Vice
President
of
Intersport
Golf and
Tournament
Director
for the
Rocket
Classic.
"Through
the
first
four
years of
this
event we
have
seen
tremendous
play and
crowned
four
incredible
champions."
Michigan
Connections
Strong
in Field
Five
players
with
Michigan
ties
will
compete,
including
Mack
III, who
captured
last
year's
title
with a
dramatic
performance.
The
Flint
native
opened
with a
blistering
9-under-par
63
featuring
10
birdies,
then
held off
challengers
despite
a shaky
front
nine in
the
final
round.
Other
Michigan-connected
competitors
include
Andrew
Walker
(Battle
Creek/Michigan
State),
Troy
Taylor
II
(Michigan
State),
Joe
Hooks
(Commerce
Township/Wayne
State),
and
Julian
Thompson
(Ferndale/Plum
Hollow
Golf
Club).
Breaking
Barriers
in
Professional
Golf
The John
Shippen
series,
created
in
partnership
between
Intersport
and
Woods &
Watts
Effect
in 2021,
addresses
the
historical
lack of
Black
representation
in
professional
golf.
The
tournament
honors
John
Shippen
Jr.,
America's
first
Black
golf
professional
and
first
American-born
golf
professional.
"Championing
diversity
in golf
is core
to our
mission
of
building
a
tournament
that
reflects
the
spirit
of
Detroit,"
said
Bill
Emerson,
President
of
Rocket
Companies
and the
Rocket
Giving
Fund.
"It was
incredible
to watch
Chase
Johnson
become
the
first
Shippen
winner
to
compete
through
the
tournament
weekend
last
year."
Proven
Track
Record
of
Success
Since
its
inception,
the John
Shippen
series
has
provided
opportunities
for more
than 100
of the
nation's
best
Black
golfers,
awarding
19
playing
opportunities
on the
PGA TOUR
and LPGA
Tour
while
donating
over
$300,000
to local
charities
and
scholarships.
The
tournament's
impact
extends
beyond
the
initial
exemptions.
Former
champion
Tim
O'Neal
achieved
a
milestone
in 2024
by
winning
the
Dominion
Energy
Classic
on the
PGA TOUR
Champions
–
marking
the
first
victory
for a
Shippen
alumnus
on one
of
professional
golf's
premier
tours.
"This
year's
field
includes
many
familiar
names,
as well
as five
players
who will
make
their
Shippen
debuts,"
said
Sommer
Woods,
tournament
lead for
The John
Shippen.
"We
appreciate
the
support
that
Rocket
has
provided
since
Day 1 to
help
provide
opportunities
for many
of the
best
Black
professional
and
amateur
golfers."
The John
Shippen
Men's
Invitational
continues
to serve
as both
a
competitive
showcase
and a
catalyst
for
change
in
professional
golf,
offering
talented
players
a
pathway
to
golf's
highest
levels
while
honoring
the
sport's
pioneering
heritage.
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