News - Page 6 of 7 - Mack Champ Invitational

MCI Once Again Included in Epson Tour’s MVP Invite Program

Post author By Charlie Hanger
Post date March 15, 2022

Amari Avery with Cameron Champ after her victory in the 2021 Mack Champ Invitational.

Amari Avery and Cameron Champ at Mack Champ Invitational — Amari Avery with Cameron Champ at the 2021 Mack Champ Invitational.

For the second year in a row, the LPGA’s qualifying tour has chosen the Mack Champ Invitational to be one of the tournaments included in its MVP Invite program.

Amari Avery, who is now playing for the University of Southern California, earned an exemption last year.

Here’s more from the Epson Tour:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 15, 2022) – For the second straight year, the Epson Tour will welcome an MVP Invite exemption from three elite minority championships into select tournaments on the “Road to the LPGA.” Each MVP Invite will be selected by the respective amateur tournament’s committee and provided the chance to compete in a designated Epson Tour event.

“We are excited to continue offering MVP Invite exemptions in 2022. This unique opportunity embraces the LPGA legacy of pioneering diversity and changing the face of golf, a foundation that started with the LPGA Founders more than 70 years ago,” said Mike Nichols, Chief Business Officer of LPGA Qualifying Tours and member of the LPGA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. “The PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship and National Women’s Collegiate Golf Championship both have a rich legacy showcasing players from HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions, while the Mack Champ Invitational featured an incredible group of competitors for the inaugural event in 2021 that will only get stronger.”

The Mack Champ Invitational is the first tournament that will provide an Epson Tour MVP Invite in 2022. Named after PGA TOUR professional Cameron Champ’s late grandfather Mack Champ, the invitational honors Mack’s legacy by identifying talented, diverse players. Tournament play runs March 19-20 at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston and the MVP Invite will earn an exemption into the Garden City Charity Classic at Buffalo Dunes Golf Club in Garden City, Kan. from April 29-May 1.

Read the complete release

Tournament News

Michael Collins and Scott Walker to Host MCI Live Stream

Post author By Charlie Hanger
Post date March 8, 2022

Michael Collins, aka America’s Caddie, and veteran broadcaster Scott Walker will be the lead commentators for our tournament live stream on Saturday and Sunday.

These two TV pros have been bringing insight, personality and humor to golf for years, and we can’t wait to see them covering our tournament in Houston.

Tune in right here on mackchampinvitational.com for three hours of live coverage both days. Saturday’s coverage will start about noon Central time.

Cameron Champ Tournament News

PGA Tour Features Mack Champ Invitational

Post author By tournamentsiteadmin
Post date December 9, 2021

During the week of the Houston Open, the PGA Tour took an in-depth look into the Mack Champ Invitational and the impact our tournament has had on diverse junior golfers like Allyn Stephens, a Houston native who will play her college golf for Texas A&M.

In addition to the video above, you can read the article on pgatour.com.

Cameron Champ Tournament News

Video: Mack Champ Invitational 2021

Post author By tournamentsiteadmin
Post date June 6, 2021

Watch the video below for a look back at the inaugural Mack Champ Invitational, including interviews with Cameron Champ, players, parents, and tournament volunteers.

Chevron Scholarships

Chevron Establishes $50,000 Scholarship Fund for MCI Players

Post author By tournamentsiteadmin
Post date March 24, 2021

In keeping with Mack Champ’s words of wisdom – “It’s not where you come from, it’s where you’re going” – Chevron has committed $50,000 to start a scholarship fund to benefit college-bound participants in the Mack Champ Invitational.

We will release more information soon about the application process.

Glenn Weckerlin Friday night dinner reception — Glenn Weckerlin, chairman of the board for the Cameron Champ Foundation, announced the scholarship fund at the Mack Champ Invitational’s Friday night dinner reception.

Cameron Champ Roman Solomon Tournament News

Solomon Wins Boys Division by Three Shots

Post author By tournamentsiteadmin
Post date March 21, 2021

Cameron Champ with Roman Solomon, who won the boys 15- to 18-year-old division.

Roman Solomon, a member of the class of 2025 from Sarasota, FL, won the boys division of the inaugural Mack Champ Invitational at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston with an even-par total.

Solomon was remarkably consistent, shooting 72 both days with three birdies and three bogeys in both rounds. Ian Davis (class of 2022) from Howey in the Hills, FL, and Xavier Bighaus (class of 2021) from McKinney, TX, tied for second at three over par.

One of the most impressive rounds of the tournament came from 10-year-old Axel Monssoh, who won the 9- and 10-year-old division with a final round 68 for a total of two over par. Aadi Parmar from Selma, TX, won the boys 11- and 12-year-old division with a two-day total of seven over par.

Cameron Champ Tournament News

Avery Finishes Three Under to Win Girls Division

Post author By tournamentsiteadmin
Post date March 21, 2021

Amari Avery with Cameron Champ after her victory in the 2021 Mack Champ Invitational.

Amari Avery finished three under par to win the girls division of the inaugural Mack Champ Invitational at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston.

Avery, a high school junior from Riverside, CA, who has verbally committed to play her college golf at the University of Southern California, shot 2-under 70 on Sunday to edge Bailey Davis by a shot. Davis, a member of the class of 2021 from White Plains, MD, who will play her college golf at the University of Tennessee, shot 72-70 for a 2-under-par total.

Avery is also scheduled to play the Augusta National Women’s Open from March 31 to April 3.

Shyla Brown from Matthews, NC, made an incredible run that included a 7-under 29 on the front nine on Sunday. She finished in third place at two over.

Alexis Lamadrid of Phoenix (class of 2027) won the girls 11- and 12-year-old division with a two-day total of seven over par.

Cameron Champ Tournament clinic

Champ Has Advice for MCI Players at Saturday Clinic

Post author By tournamentsiteadmin
Post date March 21, 2021

On Saturday, Cameron Champ fielded questions from Mack Champ Invitational players and talked about his practice routine, mental preparation, and some finer points of preparation for elite competition.

Champ conducted the clinic on the first hole of Memorial Park Golf Course after the first round of play. Glenn Weckerlin, chairman of the board for the Cameron Champ Foundation, served as MC for the event.

Champ hit some shots and said that he preferred to get his practice on the course, not the range. Ever since he was a junior player, he said, he has liked to work on his game on the course. “That’s how you learn how to score,” he said.

After hitting a few iron shots, Weckerlin asked the juniors what club they wanted to see Champ hit. Not surprisingly for one of the longest hitters in the game, requests for driver won in a landslide. Here’s a look at what they got to see.

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Cameron Champ Lee Elder Roland Martin

Dinner Reception Features Cameron Champ, Lee Elder and Roland Martin

Post author By tournamentsiteadmin
Post date March 20, 2021

Cameron Champ and Roland Martin were on stage and Lee Elder joined the conversation via video conference.

Cameron Champ Roland Martin and Lee Elder at dinner reception — Cameron Champ and Roland Martin were on stage, and Lee Elder joined the conversation via video conference.

On Friday night before the first round of the Mack Champ Invitational, Roland Martin hosted a conversation at the Omni Houston Hotel with Cameron Champ and Lee Elder, who tuned in from home via video conference.

Elder, who broke the color barrier at the Maters in 1975 and will be an honorary starter at Augusta National in 2021, talked about his time on tour, the challenges he faced, the camaraderie he felt with other black golfers of his era, the importance of setting goals for success, and much more. He really brought the house down, though, when Martin asked him about the money games that players of his era competed in to make ends meet.

Martin asked, “Lee, you were hustling folks out of money?”

Without missing a beat, Elder replied: “I wasn’t hustling nobody. They wanted to make a donation.”

Champ spoke about his path to becoming a PGA Tour pro, his current game and tournament routine, the importance of focusing on improving his game while also maintaining a rewarding personal life, his new wife and their love of animals, and his outside-of-golf passion – drag racing.

Jeff Champ, Cameron’s father and the co-founder of the Cameron Champ Foundation, kicked off the evening with advice for the assembled golf parents and also shared some memories about his father, Mack, and Cameron’s junior golf days. Glenn Weckerlin, chairman of the board for the Cameron Champ Foundation, spoke about the foundation’s work and plans for the future.

At the end of the night, Cameron Champ surprised the crowd by handing out new Nike sunglasses for all of the players.

Cameron Champ

New Masters Documentary Features Cameron Champ

Post author By tournamentsiteadmin
Post date March 15, 2021

Cameron Champ’s first Masters experience will be a featured storyline in a new documentary produced by Augusta National Golf Club that will premiere on ESPN on Tuesday, March 16, at 7 p.m. ET.

Titled “The One in November,” the film gives a behind-the-scenes look at the 2020 Masters and chronicles the preparation and experience of a variety of individuals in the days leading up to the Masters.

The documentary will re-air multiple times in advance of ESPN’s live coverage of the 85th Masters Tournament. ABC will also air the documentary on Saturday, April 3, at 4 p.m., and it will be available on ESPN+ and Masters.com beginning April 4 as well.