Central Michigan University Athletics
Men's Golf Tees it up in Prestigious Bridgestone Collegiate Inv. in Napa, Calif.
3/22/2026 12:15:00 PM | Men's Golf
Chippewas host unique event, which features international, HBCU teams
NAPA, Calif. – the Central Michigan men's golf team is set to host the Bridgestone Collegiate Invitational at Silverado Country Club beginning on Monday.
The prestigious 54-hole event -- 36 holes on Monday, the final 18 on Tuesday – is part of the PGA Tour's Pathway to Progression, an initiative launched in 2023 to identify, support and accelerate the careers of junior and collegiate golfers from underrepresented communities.
It marks the third consecutive year that the Chippewas have hosted the event under coach Kevin Jennings, who serves on the board of the Black College Golf Coaches Association and on the advisory board for the PGA Works Championship.
The field comprises 13 NCAA Division I teams including three HBCU programs, Howard, North Carolina A&T and Florida A&M. Also in the field is one of the premier collegiate teams in Japan, Tohoku Fukushi University, the defending champion.
"What makes it special is the diversity and the global effect that you see on that leaderboard, and we want to continue to embrace that," Jennings said. "The PGA Tour's involvement with our event is paramount too, and we support the PGA Tour's vision of making the game of golf as diverse and accessible is we possibly can and by showing that we can all come together and have a wonderful time competing and we can elevate the game at the same time.
"It's wonderful for our guys to have an opportunity to compete, not just a national scale, but an international scale. And it's not just for the individuals within our program, but our program on the whole, for Central Michigan University, and the Mid-American Conference."
The tournament medalist receives an exemption to the Korn Ferry Tour's Blue Championship, scheduled for July 9-12 at TPC Colorado.
Also in the field are 2024 champion Brigham Young, Cal Poly, Eastern Michigan, Hawaii, North Alabama, San Francisco, Santa Clara, UC Davis and UConn.
Four of those teams are ranked in the top 100 nationally. BYU is 27th, Santa Clara is 90th, Eastern Michigan is 94th, and North Alabama is 97th.
