LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. (December 27, 2019) – The 2019 Patriot All-America Invitational presented by Valley Toyota Dealers welcomes 84 elite amateur golfers, with defending champion Isaiah Jackson, a senior at the University of Memphis, and 2017 champion, Mason Overstreet, a senior at the University of Arkansas headlining the field. The 54-hole collegiate golf tournament will descend upon the renowned Wigwam’s Gold Course December 27-31, with play beginning on Saturday.
The field features PING All-America golfers from all three NCAA Divisions, NAIA and NJCAA rankings as well as U.S. Military Academies and International Universities. Among the strongest in the field includes 6 top-100 from the World Amateur Golf Rankings including Quade Cummins from the University of Oklahoma, Noah Norton fromGeorgia Institute of Technology, Joshua McCarthy from Pepperdine University, Alex Schaake from the University of Iowa, Cameron Sisk from Arizona State University and Zan Luca Stirn from Arkansas State University.
The Patriot All-America Tournament holds great significance as the players are playing for more than just a victory. Each player represents a fallen or severely wounded soldier bearing the name of the American hero embroidered on the player’s golf bag donated by PING. The soldier’s stories are shared on a card and attached to the golf bag so the players can better understand the soldier they are playing for. At the conclusion of the tournament, the player’s bags are shipped back to their school and auctioned off with all proceeds benefiting the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides scholarships to children and spouses of military service men and women.
The Patriot All-America is a collaboration between the Arizona Golf Association, Golf Coaches Association of America, JDM Partners and the West Valley Mavericks in partnership with the Folds of Honor Foundation and support from the Thunderbirds, the Waste Management Phoenix Open host. This will be the 9th year this unique event will be played since its inception in 2011.
Patriot All-America alumni now playing on the PGA TOUR includes:
2011, 2012 Richy Werenski, Georgia Tech
2011, 2012 Ollie Schniederjans, Georgia Tech
2011, 2012, 2013 Sebastian Cappelen, University of Arkansas
2011, 2012 Austin Cook, University of Arkansas
2011 Bobby Wyatt, University of Alabama
2011 Chase Wright, University of Indiana
2011 Tyler Duncan, Purdue
2011 Trey Mullinax, University of Alabama
2011 Brooks Koepka, Florida State University
2011 Patrick Rodgers, Stanford University
2011 Justin Thomas, University of Alabama
2012 Daniel Berger, Florida State University
2012 Brandon Hagy, University of California, Berkeley
2012 Zachary Blair, BYU
2012 Matt NeSmith, University of South Carolina
2013 Bryson DeChambeau, SMU
2014 JT Poston, Western Carolina University
2014 Aaron Wise, University of Oregon
2015 Collin Morikawa, University of California, Berkeley
2016 Cameron Champ, Texas A&M
2016 Doc Redman, Clemson University
About Arizona Golf Association
The Arizona Golf Association has been serving amateur golfers in Arizona since 1923 when it held the first State Amateur Championship. Today, it is licensed by the United States Golf Association to provide handicapping and course rating services to member clubs, to provide tournament and rules expertise and to oversee the application of amateur status.
About Golf Coaches Association of America
Established in 1958, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) is the professional organization of golf coaches. The GCAA’s mission is to support its member coaches by creating educational opportunities, providing resources, and promoting its members with the purpose of enhancing their overall performance as coaches, mentors, and teachers. The GCAA also recognizes the excellence and achievements of its members and their student-athletes in academic, athletic and civic endeavors.
About the West Valley Mavericks: The West Valley Mavericks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It is their mission to assist children and families, help people in need, and improve the quality of life in the West Valley communities. The West Valley Mavericks (or just ‘Mavericks’) is a group lead by gentlemen who believe that the West Valley is an incredible place to live, work, play, and call home. The Mavericks’ charter is to advance charity, culture, community, and commerce in the West Valley of Phoenix, Arizona. The group’s membership hails from a diverse set of trades & professions and includes men from all manner of backgrounds and philosophies.