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Kentucky State University student-athlete Jeremy Kimbrough joined the field of the 2018 PGA Minority Collegiate Championship at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida May 10-13.

The sophomore mechanical engineering major from Chattanooga, Tennessee said he first became interested in golf at age five when his dad introduced him to the game.

Kimbrough said about two years ago he and his father were watching the Golf Channel and happened to see a story on the 2016 PGA Minority Collegiate Championship.

“It was instantly an awesome sight to see that many players on the course that looked like me,” Kimbrough said. “Growing up, I was the only black golfer my age and even to this day I can go to a tournament and be the only minority player present.”

Once he learned about the tournament, he set a goal to one day participate.

“Hopefully, a little kid somewhere sees me playing on TV this year amongst dozens of other minority golfers and gets that ‘I want to do that, too…I can do that’ feeling,” Kimbrough said.

While his father has had the greatest influence on him, Kimbrough said Kathleen McCarthy, Ronnie Workman and Harry Hill at The First Tee of Chattanooga helped him indefinitely along the way.

Kimbrough said his golf coach, Bishop Robert Manley, and assistant coach, Chris Meadows, have been invaluable this past season. Kimbrough said Kentucky State University President M. Christopher Brown II and his staff have been instrumental in assisting with this tournament.

Earl Ruffin, will serve as Kimbrough’s coach during the trip.

According to the event’s media guide, the PGA Minority Collegiate Championship is a 54-hole, stroke-play championship consisting of four team divisions: NCAA men’s Division I, men’s Division II, men’s NAIA and an overall women’s division. In addition, there is an individual invitational competition for minority men and women players who are listed on the roster of their college team or are part of the PGA of America’s PGA Golf Management University programs.

To be eligible, contestants must be students of a university or college, and who have met all the academic requirements of their respective institution governing participation in intercollegiate athletics.

The PGA Minority Collegiate Championship originated in November 1986 following the Jackson State University Golf Tournament and has elevated golf in minority colleges and universities by providing opportunities to more players to compete in a national championship, according to the event media guide.

In 1990, a career fair was conducted for the first time in conjunction with the national championship, to provide corporate sponsors an opportunity to interview and recruit outstanding college students for future employment. As a result, the career fair has developed into an invaluable resource to assist students in gaining internships and full-time positions within the golf industry.