Eastside Golf's Collegiate Invitational creates seismic waves of change in a tradition-heavy sport

I talk a lot about this new wave of golf media and fashion as being, at the end of the day, all about growing the game and making it more accessible and inviting. Eastside Golf, even just by why the brand was created and what it stands for, embodies this more than any other company in this space. They are constantly putting on events and giving back to schools and communities by donating equipment or putting on clinics. But, they have just one-upped themselves in the best way possible by putting on an all encompassing tournament that invited HBCU golfers to compete at the highest level possible; enter The Eastside Collegiate Invitational presented by State Farm. Played at PGA Frisco, the golf course at the PGA headquarters in Texas, it was truly a test of golfing skill and tournament mindset, especially with the inclement weather. Even on a nice sunny day, this course is no joke, so the plethora of low scores really speaks to the skill of these players. The golfers battled in these weather delayed rounds all the way into Monday, elevating the tournament’s difficulty to another level. Not only did this give the golfers a chance to put themselves to a very difficult test, but to the programs as well. How ready were the coaches and trainers for a tournament like this? The way this tournament played out, it seems like everyone involved was eager to play at such a high stage. 

Cementing Eastside’s commitment to helping the game grow and giving people opportunities, all the schools involved were HBCU’s. Of course, Eastside founders Olajuwon and Earl’s alma mater Morehouse College was there. Also invited were Prairie View A&M, Southern University, Alabama State, Howard University, Delaware State, North Carolina A&M, and FAMU, and while everyone was throwing crosses and hooks, one team came out throwing haymakers. The FAMU Rattlers won the event with Miguel Ilas shooting a -7 65 in the final round to help his team come out to a double digit stroke lead. Not only did FAMU win the inaugural event, but they also won one of the coolest varsity jackets that I’ve seen, a bright red jacket in the retro varsity style with pops of white on the sleeves and collar. The State Farm and Eastside collaborative tournament logo is on the back, letting everyone know this jacket was not given, but earned. It was also first introduced to the world by Chris Paul a few weeks ago in the NBA tunnel, already giving it celebrity status. Green jacket who??

With the support of the PGA, State Farm, Bridgestone, CP3, and the ever-growing Eastside community, nothing could get in the way of this tournament’s success. The rain only gave the athletes time to regroup and come out swinging more accurately and confidently. This is an elite golfing mindset, to use something adversarial to better themselves and find a way through it, not around it. It speaks to the prowess of these golfers and why tournaments like this are long overdue in terms of a place for golfers at smaller schools and HBCU’s to showcase their skills. Mens and women’s golf teams were represented, with awards given out individually and to the teams with the lowest score, like the aforementioned varsity jacket which went to the FAMU team. They also had medals and a very sexy trophy to award to the golfer who went the lowest. The overall mindset of the golfers, to push through and grind it out, is reflected in the tournament and Eastside itself. A black owned golf brand, alive for only around 5 years, putting on a nationally recognized tournament at an elite course with some of the largest sponsors in college golf, only for HBCU’s. Just a couple years ago, the amount of extra obstacles there would be, people saying no, not believing in the benefits of this tournament and the skills of these programs, would be tenfold higher. This jump just in a few years goes to show how much Eastside has been able to shift golf culture through their products, sponsors, and overall vibe they bring to the sport. They have found a way through the obstacles against them, not around, fearlessly bringing themselves into the game of golf, not changing themselves to fit the game of golf. In a sport still plagued by bouts of stuffy tradition, brands like Eastside are imperative to help manipulate golf to help it fit the multicultural world of today, from local munis all the way to the PGA Tour. So far, Eastside has had a lot more successes than failures on their journey, and the brand only continues to grow in influence, substance, and consequence. Their HBCU Invitational is the perfect way to help give back to elite golfers who have already given so much to a sport that at times, seems to not even respect them. At this tournament, they were celebrated for their skill and given the opportunity to show what they are capable of, not a handout or skip the line pass. Just an equal chance that every golfer should have to put their skills to the test on a course and stage that they are deserving of. It is another quake in the seismic shift that Eastside Golf is causing, and the reverberations were felt from the PGA Tour to the NBA. While golf has always been a sport about tradition, it is the evolution of tradition that truly has kept the sport relevant for this long. Eastside Golf, time and time again, has said screw it, we’re making our own traditions. It’s already changed the sport in so many ways. As the rain and wind sharpened the golfers at the Invitational, forcing them to better themselves for the next day of play, Eastside’s trials and tribulations have just forced the brand to evolve itself. Cooler clothes than before, larger sponsors than last time, and more fire in their eyes when trailblazing their path in this crazy, unforgiving, beautiful sport. Eastside Golf has done and been through so much already, but just like the golfers that battled in their Eastside Invitational, fearlessly, they are just getting started.