Accomplishing the Mission – Participation, Recruit PKB & New Sponsors
This week, we will focus on our members and sponsors, the growing number of girls in the east and companies who are making an impact in junior girl’s golf and the collegiate ranks. Through growing participation across the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest the tour continues to grow and remains the largest “girls’ only” tour in the country. In addition, new sponsorship partnerships with three new companies in addition to the strong support from the LPGA, further assist the PKBGT in fulfilling our mission of increased competitive opportunities for female golfers.
INCREASED MEMBERSHIP & PARTICIPATION – 2013 saw the tour membership grow to just under 400 players, a 12% increase from 2012, including large growth in the Mid-Atlantic & Midwest. With the influx of new players from new regions, the strength and size of tournament fields were the benefit, as noted last week in the increased national ranking recognition of tour events. In 2013 PKBGT Championship events, participation averaged 72 participants with representatives from an average of 7 states. PKBGT Classic multi-day events averaged 46 participants, with multiple events during the Spring Series reaching the PKBGT maximum of 90 girls. PKBGT One-Day Open Series events averaged 37 participants, providing an ideal environment for developing players to meet similar girls in a fun, yet competitive setting.
For the 2013 season, 57% of the members participated in Bell Division Series events while the remaining 43% were in the Futures Division. For 2014, we project our growth to continue, providing even stronger and diverse fields. With the addition of the various Series in the 2014 tour, we will have numerous opportunities for players of all stages of the development process to compete and be recognized.
MEMBER SIGNINGS – The early signing period this November was the biggest yet for the PKBGT with 51 members from the Class of 2014 signing national letters of intent to play collegiate golf next Fall. In the 7 year history of the tour, 240 members have fulfilled this dream! Also exciting is another 12 members from the Classes of 2014 & 2015 have already made verbal commitments to play collegiate golf in the future. A key mission of the PKBGT since its founding, these statistics re-energize our efforts as our players reach their goals. With the creation of our RecruitPKB initiative led by College Consultant Brandi Jackson in 2013, we are poised to continue this trend and provide the events and resources to help PKBGT families navigate and be seen during the college recruiting process. Learn more at http://recruit.pkbgt.org/.
ALUMNI EXCELLING IN THE COLLEGIATE RANKS – It is exciting for us to see the girls continue to have success when they reach the collegiate ranks and beyond. From 2008 & 2009 Order of Merit season champion Katherine Perry (Cary, NC) earning All-American status while a member of the UNC Chapel Hill golf team or Laura Wearn (Charlotte, NC) making the second stage of LPGA Tour School this year, PKBGT alumni are making a splash. Recent PKBGT alumni are also making a mark, with multiple players winning collegiate events this fall including Ashlli Thompson (Brown Summit, NC) for UNC Pembroke, Sarah Bae (Raleigh, NC) for High Point University, Ali Green (West Chester, OH) for Ashland University and Taylor Allison (Elizabeth City, NC) for Western Carolina University. In addition, three PKBGT Alumni are currently ranked in the Top 100 in the Shotstat Collegiate Rankings including Sloan Shanahan (Suwanee, GA, Clemson University) at 36th, Kateyln Dambaugh (Goose Creek, SC, U. of South Carolina) at 85th, and Sarah Bae (Raleigh, NC, High Point U) at 99th.
COACHES ON SITE AT PKBGT EVENTS – RecruitPKB College Consultant Brandi Jackson keeps in regular communication with collegiate coaches on the East Coast to learn what they are looking for and inviting them to attend and recruit at PKBGT events. PKBGT Championships and Classic events are prime opportunities to see numerous coaches following the action on-site. For example, at the 2013 PKBGT Invitational, we were excited to see many of the regions strongest programs on-site, including Clemson, Furman, Gardner-Webb, Georgia, UNC Greensboro, High Point, Michigan State, NC State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. Learn more about programs recruiting PKB at http://recruit.pkbgt.org/collegeresearchcenter.php.
NEW SPONOSRS OF BOARD FOR 2014 – We are excited to announce three new sponsors for 2014 and the return of our principle sponsor, the LPGA Foundation & the LPGA/USGA Girls Golf program. The charitable arm of the LPGA, the LPGA Foundation certified the PKBGT in 2012 as an LPGA Approved Tour, the only such tour with this designation in the country. The PKBGT is promoted nationally through the LPGA/USGA Girls Golf programs and provides a great way to get in touch with developing players looking for a place to play.
In 2014, two new “Tour Sponsors” have joined the PKBGT team, Gogie Girl Headwear and Frogg Toggs Sport Towels. Froggs Toggs will be providing a PKBGT logoed Sport Towel and Gogie Girl Headwear will be providing a PKBGT logoed hat to each 2014 PKBGT membership packet. In addition, each will be providing specials & discounts throughout the year for PKBGT members. Also in 2014, we are excited to have Rocket Tour Golf as the new “Event Sponsor” for the PKBGT Players Championships. The newly named, Rocket Tour Players will be played February 15 & 16th in Braselton, Georgia and players will be treated to an awesome custom PKB Rocket Tour headcover for participating. It is companies like these that are allowing the PKBGT to achieve our mission of affordable competitive opportunities and a truly making a difference in girls’ golf!
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If you have any questions about our ranking partnerships or how they are relevant to you or your player, please contact me at mparker@pkbgt.org or call the offices.
Mike Parker
PKBGT Tour Director
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