Tiana Jones, the director of Better Golf at the Lozano Golf Center in Corpus Christi, was recently named to the PGA of America advisory council to oversee the 33rd PGA Minority Collegiate Championship and PGA Works Career Expo. Known as the most culturally significant championship in collegiate golf will be held May 9-12, 2019, at the PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
“The mission of the PGA Minority Collegiate Championship Advisory Council is to align PGA staff with college coaches, athletic administration, and related golf and business leaders to establish a collaborative environment designed to share expert perspectives and drive strategic planning that can enhance our overall program,” said Scooter Clark, championship manager, PGA Minority Collegiate Championship.
The championship plays a 54-hole, stroke-play event across six divisions: NCAA Men’s Division I, Men’s Division II, Men’s NAIA, an overall Women’s Division (team), Men’s Individual, and Women’s Individual.
The PGA Works Career Expo provides opportunities for student-athletes to find internships and employment through networking and career-development sessions supported and attended by leading golf companies.
“The PGA Minority Collegiate Championship and PGA Works Career Expo is unlike any event for student-athletes as it provides a top-level golf championship in concert with a career-development program designed to cultivate the next generation of golf industry and business leaders,” Clark said. “Each year, this program gets stronger, backed by the quality of the players participating, combined with the involvement of national corporations and organizations in the career expo. It creates unmatched networking and career opportunities for our participants.”
Jones, who won the Women’s Individual championship in 2017, was selected as a representative of golf and business leaders in the nation. Other representatives were chosen from NCAA coaches and PGA of America staff. The athletic director is Sandra Booker, associate athletic director of Bethune-Cookman University in the MEAC Conference.
The Corpus Christi golfer won her first tournament title when she was 7 years old. Now 26, she is the Lozano Golf Center’s newest teaching pro. She holds a degree in Professional Golf Management from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
Active since 1987, the PGA Minority Collegiate Championship was first established to give minority players a national stage when they were excluded from playing in many collegiate golf events. PGA of America became owner and manager of the championship in 2006. It has been played at the PGA Golf Club since 1998.
The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest sports organizations with nearly 29,000 professionals who work to grow interest and participation in the game of golf.