Inaugural HBCU Elite Invitational bringing awareness, diversity, and youth participation to the game of golf
NEW YORK, July 21, 2023 - Wendell J. Haskins, Founder of the Original Tee Golf Classic and newly appointed Consultant to TMRW Sports and TGL (Co-Founded by Tiger Woods & Rory McIlroy) is proud to announce Major League Baseball World Champion Gary Sheffield as this year's honoree for his lifetime commitment to excellence in sports, historical achievements in Major League Baseball and his advocacy for youth in golf.
Sheffield had an illustrious career as a player of the New York Yankees and New York Mets, in addition to the Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Florida Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and Detroit Tigers, He is the first and only player in MLB history to record 100 RBIs in a season for five different teams and is one of the rare members of the 500 home run club.
"In addition to being a world-class athlete, Sheffield is an avid champion of golf and advocate for youth in sports. It gives me great pleasure to honor Gary as our 2023 Original Tee Golf Classic True Original Award recipient," says Haskins. "We also look forward to presenting our Inaugural HBCU Elite Invitational to allow aspiring HBCU athletes to compete for a purse."
A proud graduate of Hampton University, Haskins understands the importance of elevation and inclusion by creating this tournament which benefits golf programs for children of color bringing youth to the table to learn and master the game of golf. Haskins's golf expertise is highly sought after by entertainers and sports figures for his insight into and direction of "all things golf." Haskins currently consults for ARCIS Golf, Live Nation's Music Forward Foundation and recently consulted with DJ Khaled for his first "We The Best Foundation" golf tournament.
Haskins was the driving force behind securing the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama in 2014 for Charlie Sifford. Sifford was the first African American to play on the PGA Tour and the first African American to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Sifford also advocated for Lee Elder to be the first African American golfer to play at the Masters in 1975.
This year, Haskins has been focused on securing the Presidential Medal of Freedom for PGA Hall of Famer Renee Powell and her family whose father Bill Powell established and designed Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio, the first golf course to allow African-American golfers. Haskins will be presenting a contribution of $150,000 to support Renee Powell's Clearview Legacy Foundation for Education, Preservation, and Research raised from Friends of the OTGC.
The sold-out 24th Annual OTGC will be held on Sunday, July 23 at the Wild Turkey Crystal Springs Golf Resort in Hamburg, NJ. For more information about OTGC, please visit: https://originaltee.com or Instagram: @otgclassic
For Press, Media Inquiries, and Interviews, please contact: Stacey Murray at 362545@email4pr.com, 2019666555.
SOURCE Original Tee Golf Classic
