Howard University’s men’s golf team has won their second championship in two years. According to PGA.com, the Bison men’s squad was dominant on the green and blew out their competition by 57 shots.
The team, which is only in its third season, was led by Senior Everett Whiten Jr., who won the tournament with a 14-under par (201) performance. Whiten spoke about his championship-level performance, showing love to his team.
“It’s been good vibes all week, and I knew the course was getable if I just stayed patient,” Whiten expressed. “I’m so proud of my guys. It’s been a long year, but we came here knowing what we had to do and trusted the process.”
HU Senior and two-time PWCC champion Gregory Odom Jr. finished second in the tourney after hitting five-under-par (210) throughout rounds.
Bisons Head Coach Samuel G. Puryear spoke about his squad and what went into their historic accomplishment.
“I feel like if you prepare properly and you execute by trusting the process, things like this can happen,” Puryear said. “This is a byproduct of a lot of hard work, a lot of personal belief, and a lot of sacrifice. We had a quick two-day turnaround from our conference championship, so there was a lot on everybody’s plate, but it worked out in our favor.”
In a separate interview with WUSA News, Puryear elaborated on his comments, speaking to how “underfunded” the HBCU’s golf program once was.
“They have no idea how poorly underfunded we were 30-some years ago. But to see a group of brown kids do what they’ve done, and the belief system that they’ve established, it’s fantastic right now,” the coach added.
Howard’s men’s golf program entered the Northeast Conference as “an associate member” in the 2022-2023 season. HU men’s golf now has six events on their schedule, including the forthcoming Howard/USF Intercollegiate exhibition set to played at the TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm.
The historically black college’s golf program debuted its Division 1 men’s and women’s golf teams during the 2020-2021 season. Leading up to the announcement, Steph Curry announced he would be committed to supporting HU’s golf squads for the next six years. Golden State‘s star player disclosed to the campus that he would gift the program $6 million, HBCU Gameday reported.
“Golf is a sport that has changed my life in less tangible ways, but just as impactful,” Curry expressed to Howard University’s The Dig in 2019. “It’s a discipline that challenges your mental wherewithal from patience to focus, and is impossible to truly master, so when you hear about these passionate student-athletes who have the talent but don’t have a fair shot at the game, it’s tough.
“I feel really honored to play a small role in the rich history of Howard University, and look forward to building their first men’s and women’s golf teams with them.”