Queens golf coach Sam Puryear is bringing national attention to movie theaters in Winston-Salem and Charlotte with the release of “From the Rough,” a film starring Academy Award nominees Taraji P. Henson, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Tom Felton (“Harry Potter”).

The movie, which opens April 25 in 35 theaters across the country, is the story of Tennessee State golf coach Catana Starks (Henson) who in 1987 became the first African-American woman to coach a men’s NCAA Division I team. Puryear, a Winston-Salem native and one of Starks’ first recruits at Tennessee State — playing from 1988–92 — is a consultant on the film.

Starks, a former classmate of Olympic track and field gold medalist Wilma Rudolph, coached Sean Foley, swing coach of world No. 1 player Tiger Woods’ and PGA standout Lee Westwood.

A former assistant coach at Stanford, Puryear became the first African-American NCAA men’s head golf coach in a major conference in 2007 when he took the job at Michigan State. Puryear took over at Queens in 2011.

“It’s an incredible honor to say that I played for coach Starks,” said Puryear, an assistant at Stanford when the Cardinal won a national title and a former Big Ten coach of the year at Michigan State who led the Spartans to a league championship and the NCAA tournament. “Her leadership has inspired me over the years to touch the lives of young people through helping them achieve their goals and learn life lessons through principles of the game of golf. She overcame incredible odds in her tenure, and she deserves to be honored for her success in opening doors for student-athletes to fulfill their dreams in life.”

Starks will be a special honoree at Queens’ second annual Royal Golf Outing, a friendly competition and fundraiser for student-athletes hosted by the university’s athletics department, on April 21. The public is invited to participate in the event at Firethorne Country Club, 1108 Firethorne Club Drive in Marvin. Shotgun start is 11 a.m.

Starks also will be honored at a “From the Rough” launch party on April 21 from 8–10 p.m., at The Cowfish Sushi and Burger Bar, 4310 Sharon Road in Charlotte.

Puryear’s Queens teams have won conference championships — the only titles in school history — and the Royals have been nationally ranked this year.

The 2013 Royals Golf Outing raised more than $20,000. 

On the Net:

http://www.queensathletics.com/sports/2012/12/13/GEN_1213125311.aspx

“From the Rough” movie trailer at www.fromtherough.com. 

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