Renee Powell Wins Sifford Award

In 2004, Renee Powell sat within the viewers when Charlie Sifford grew to become the primary Black member of the World Golf Corridor of Fame. On March 9, Powell was the primary recipient of an award in Sifford’s honor.

A former LPGA participant from North Canton, Ohio, Powell accepted the Charlie Sifford Award for her spirit in advancing variety in golf in the course of the current World Golf Corridor of Fame ceremony at PGA Tour headquarters in Ponte Vedra Seaside, Florida. The next is extra on Powell’s story.

Renee Powell is among the most resilient and persevering athletes of our time.

Raised on an East Canton, Ohio golf course constructed by her father, William “Invoice” Powell, throughout occasions of racial adversity and segregation, Renee realized early on what it meant to excel towards the percentages. By the age of three she was swinging a golf membership for the primary time, and early into her teenage years she had received greater than 30 tournaments.

In 1967, she grew to become the second African-American girl to compete on the LPGA Tour. As a tour participant she competed in additional than 250 skilled tournaments and received the 1973 Kelly Springfield Open in Brisbane, Australia. 

Following her time on the LPGA tour, Powell devoted her life to diversifying the sport of golf. She grew to become an Worldwide Goodwill Ambassador touring to Africa on greater than 25 journeys to host golf clinics. 

She has additionally dedicated her life to increasing golf to extra youth, girls, seniors, minorities, and army veterans. In 2011, she launched Clearview H.O.P.E. (Serving to Our Patriots In all places) a cost-free, year-round therapeutic and leisure golf applications particularly for girls veterans. As a sought-after public speaker, Renee has knowledgeable, impressed, and enlightened numerous audiences domestically, nationally, and internationally. 

Renee has earned numerous awards throughout her greater than 5 a long time within the sport of golf. 

In 2015, she grew to become certainly one of two American girls initially given honorary membership into the Royal and Historical Golf Membership of St. Andrews, Scotland. A few of her different notable awards embrace; being named PGA of America First Girl of Golf, the LPGA Rolex For the Love of the Recreation Award, the PGA Tour Card Walker Award, the USGA Ike Grainger Award, and the LPGA Pioneer Award.

In 2008, Renee grew to become the third American, and the one girls golfer, to ever obtain an honorary doctorate from The College of St. Andrews in its now 600-year historical past. The College additionally bestowed the distinction of naming a residence corridor for her.

In 2010, The College of Maryland Japanese Shore awarded Renee with an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service. Different awards embrace The Donald Ross Award, Charles Bartlett Award and LPGA Ellen Griffin Rolex Award.

Renee has additionally made strides in different areas of the golf trade together with trend and broadcasting. Whereas dwelling in London, England, she was one of many first girls golfers to design her personal clothes line. She has additionally commentated on quite a few golf tournaments on each CBS and ABC. 

Right now, Renee is the LPGA/PGA Head Golf Skilled at Clearview Golf Membership in East Canton, Ohio the place she’s holding her father’s legacy of “Golf for Everybody” alive. Renee’s work extends all through her group as a member of a number of boards together with the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame, Mercy Medical Middle, and Pathway Caring for Kids, Conference and Guests Bureau, in addition to a member of Rotary Worldwide.