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The Charlie Sifford Centennial Cup at Quail Hollow Club will bring together six historically Black golf teams for a Presidents Cup format on Aug. 29.

For the first time, Quail Hollow Club will host Black college golf.

The Aug. 29 Charlie Sifford Centennial Cup will feature six of the country’s top men’s golf programs at the Charlotte Sifford Centennial Cup, an exhibition match of six men’s teams, including host school Johnson C. Smith. The showcase will be played under Presidents Cup format and routing as part of The Presidents Cup media day activities.

“My father’s vision was that the golf establishment provide equal access to make the game of golf more inclusive to all people,” said Sifford’s son Charles Jr. “The Charlie Sifford Centennial Cup is a great example of the diversity and inclusion that Dr. Charles Luther Sifford exemplified as the first African-American member of the PGA Tour. He envisioned young people playing a championship course with the opportunity to acquire experience and knowledge of what it takes to compete at the highest level.”

The top four Division I HBCU men’s teams, as well as the No. 1 Division II program determined by the Golfstat Ranking following the end of the NCAA season, will join the Division II Golden Bulls.

“Johnson C. Smith University is honored to be the host school for the Charlie Sifford Centennial Cup,” Golden Bulls golf coach William Watkins said. “Our players look forward to competing on a world-class course like Quail Hollow Club, while helping to showcase the many talented golfers who represent the HBCU programs in our sport.”

If the current rankings hold through season’s end, Howard, Alabama State, Florida A&M and Chicago State would earn the Division I berths, with North Carolina A&T fifth. Livingstone would earn the Division II invitation.

Each school can bring the top four golfers from their 2022-23 roster, then split into two teams of 12 with players remaining intact with their teammates. The morning competition will be made up of foursomes (alternate shot format), while the afternoon will be singles (head-to-head) for 18 points to be earned during the exhibition.

The first team to 9.5 points wins.

“As a native of Charlotte and the first African-American golfer on the PGA Tour,” Presidents Cup Chair Johnny Harris said, “Charlie Sifford’s legacy lives on not only through the impact of events such as this, but throughout communities around the country where golf has enabled countless young men and women from all backgrounds to benefit from this tremendous sport.”

After the Sifford Cup competition, U.S. team captain Davis Love III and International team captain Trevor Immelman will make their picks for the 2022 Presidents Cup. Love will get six selections; Immelman has four, with automatic qualifiers in place after the BMW Championship on Aug. 21. The HBCU golfers and coaches will be invited to attend the selection show at Quail Hollow.

In addition to the Sifford Cup, the Presidents Cup will host a leadership summit with representatives from the corporate community, sports and HBCU presidents discussing diversity and inclusion efforts and the role Black colleges can play.

“The Presidents Cup provides a global platform every two years where our fans, partners and players converge to celebrate camaraderie and sport through an international team competition,” executive director Adam Sperling said. “As we looked towards the impact the 2022 event would have in Charlotte, it was imperative that we aligned with the priorities of the community to look for new ways to draw needed attention to the emerging discussions in this space.”

For more information on the President’s Cup or to buy tickets, visit PresidentsCup.com.

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