October 1, 2009
The Play Golf America University program teaches and engages students through PGA professional instruction and other golf programs.
Texas Tech University will host a golf expo Oct. 5 at the Robert H. Ewalt Recreational Center fields, which aims to promote the PGA’s new Play Golf America University (PGAU) program and the Collegiate Golf Alliance’s National Collegiate Golf Championship.
The expo is a free interactive event that promotes golf to players of all levels. During the expo the university will offer free mini lessons from PGA professionals, skill challenges, contests, hitting stations, a mini course on campus and prizes.
Texas Tech is able to host the golf expo because of a grant received from Ryder Cup member and West Texas native Chad Campbell.
“We are very fortunate that Chad and his wife Amy, a Texas Tech alumna, thought enough about Texas Tech to donate money to the university,” said Jeff Key, coordinator of the Personal Fitness and Wellness program. “We are excited to get to continue the rich tradition of West Texas golf.”
The golf expo will promote both the PGAU program and its sponsors and will highlight other events that are associated with the National Collegiate Golf Championship, including Texas Tech’s own local qualifying tournament, which will take place Oct. 18 at the Reese Golf Course.
The local qualifying tournament is a two-person scramble and is an intramural sport. The winning team will be eligible to compete in the National Collegiate Golf Championship held in Las Vegas Nov. 7-9.
Since being launched, the PGA has distributed $7.3 million to 76 participating colleges and universities throughout the United States, including $6.1 million on behalf of members of U.S. Ryder Cup teams as a means to support the initiative.