SHOAL CREEK, Ala. – Bethune-Cookman Women's Golf finishes up the 2022-23 season this week when the Wildcats travel to participate in the 2023 PGA WORKS Collegiate Championships presented by Sapphire at Shoal Creek Club & Brent Brook Golf Course.
 
Traditionally, Bethune-Cookman has been one of the favorites each year when it was previously known as the PGA National Minority Championships, and was annually housed in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
 
The PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship, the most culturally significant championship in collegiate golf, annually hosts student-athletes enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and other Minority-Serving Educational Institutions.
 
The PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship (PWCC) was created in 1986 to highlight competitive golf programs at the most underserved and underrepresented Minority-Serving Institutions in the country and educate and inspire student-athletes to pursue career opportunities in the business of golf and beyond. PWCC is considered the most culturally significant championship in collegiate golf.
 
The Championship is a 54-hole, stroke-play event contested across five divisions from HBCUs, HSIs, and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).
 
The individual competition is open to all minority men and women student-athletes playing collegiate golf at the Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and NJCAA level, or participants who are enrolled in one of the PGA of America's PGA Golf Management University Programs.
 
ABOUT THE COURSE
Regarded as a challenging shot-makers course which makes good use of creeks and ponds, Shoal Creek is always in excellent condition.
 
Bob Cupp designed Shoal Creek and the course opened in 1977, hosting several top-flight competitions since then. Buddy Alexander won the U.S. Amateur Championship in 1986, while Lee Trevino and Wayne Grady won two majors at Shoal Creek – picking up the coveted PGA Wanamaker Trophy in 1984 and 1990. The Shoal Creek Club hosted the 2008 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, won by Cameron Peck, then the first of five editions of the Tradition Tournament on the Champions Tour (one of the senior tour's five major championships) was held at Shoal Creek in 2011.
 
It's a fabulous course serving a private golf club whose members luxuriate in a Williamsburg-styles clubhouse surrounded by a residential golfing community which sees each exist in perfect harmony. Shoal Creek is routed through a natural and secluded environment which is just a short distance from the city center of Birmingham, Alabama. With the magnificent backdrop of Double Oak Mountain to the east, Shoal Creek is one of the most peaceful golfing environments imaginable.
 
For the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championships presented by Sapphire, Shoal Creek plays as a par 72, with a yardage of 6,970 altogether.
 
Each day's round will begin at 8 a.m., with daily results posted to GolfStat.com.
 
WILDCATS IN THE FIELD
1. Skylar Kew (Fr.) – Dundas, Ontario (Canada)
2. Kyleigh Leaf (R-Jr.) – Brownsburg, Ind.
3. Kamary Leaf (Soph.) – Brownsburg, Ind.
4. Emma Hastie (Sr.) – Buffalo, N.Y.
5. Jordan Davis (Fr.) – St. Petersburg, Fla.
 
QUOTES FROM STOKES
"I know the history of this event – especially from the Bethune-Cookman historical side of things. I know where we want to be in this competition, and I know what it's going to take to try and get back to where this program used to be…winning this trophy and being a perennial champion. I want the team to enjoy this moment and tournament for what it is and remember where we used to be as Bethune-Cookman University. And I want them to help us get back to that position one day, hopefully sooner rather than later."
 
"In the last event of the season, you want to make sure everyone lays it all on the line. You don't want to have any regrets when walking off the course. I want each player to know they did everything possible to try and win us a championship, as well as trying to capture the individual medalist award themselves."
 
"Every year, this event just gets better and better. This is a challenging course, and it's against a very challenging field. I look forward to this event as a coach, and I know each of our student-athletes embraces the chance and challenge of playing here against so many other strong young ladies and teams, in general."
 
LAST TIME OUT FOR BCU
Bethune-Cookman finished third in the 2023 Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship as the final round of play wrapped up at The Refuge Golf Course in Flowood, Mississippi.
 
As a team, Bethune-Cookman (333-329-307=1001, +137) finished third overall in the field in the 54-hole tournament.

Texas Southern (316-308-310=934, +70) took home the championship for the second consecutive year, followed by Prairie View A&M (327-321-307=955, +91) in second. Alabama State (393-408-397=1198, +334) rounded out the field in fourth.

Emma Hastie led the Wildcats all week, posting the team's three best rounds at 78, 79, and 82, respectively. She earned All-SWAC First Team honors for her efforts, finishing tied for fifth among all golfers in the field with a 239 (+23) for the event.

Kamary Leaf finished the week with a 246 (+30) after back-to-back 83s and an 80 to round out play Wednesday.

Kyleigh Leaf recorded a 254 (+16). She posted an opening-round 84, followed by an 82 and 88, respectively.

Skylar Kew carded a 262 (+46) after an 88, 85, and 89.

Jordan Davis also competed for B-CU, recording a 361 on the week.

"Considering where we were as a team last year, this was a massive improvement," Head Coach Harry Stokes said. "I'm happy to see Emma Hastie make First Team All-SWAC and improve on her Second Team finish last season. We still have a lot of work to do and a lot of room to grow. We're a very young team and we're only going to get better from here. We're looking forward to getting back to the grind and getting ready for PGA Works next month."
 
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