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Opening Drive
Howard Hits the Big Stage
HOWARD UNIVERSITY ENJOYS A STERLING REPUTATION academically among its Historically Black Colleges and University brethren , sitting higher than any other Division I HBCU ( No . 2 overall ) on the latest U . S . News and World Report ranking of schools across the country .
Now take that academic reputation and add in a hefty seed investment from NBA superstar Stephen Curry to jumpstart a dormant golf program , and you can see why Howard has found quick footing in the DI men ’ s golf universe . And if you listen to Sam Puryear , Howard ’ s director of golf , the Bison are just getting started .
You can read more about the rise of Howard golf in this issue of Virginia Golfer . If you haven ’ t had a chance to check out the eight-part series “ Why Not Us ? Howard Golf ” on ESPN +, it ’ s worth a watch , and covers both the Howard men ’ s and women ’ s golf programs .
The men ’ s team features a pair of VSGA members — Everett Whiten Jr . and Justin Green — who both grew up in the 757 and have wholeheartedly embraced the HBCU experience . The mix of Puryear ’ s coaching credentials and Curry ’ s clout has opened the doors for Howard to compete on a national stage , and the improvement over the last couple of years has been noticeable .
The Curry piece of Howard ’ s story cannot be understated . Take Green ’ s word for it . One of the most famous basketball players on the planet , Curry could have just cut a check and left it at that . Instead , he ’ s made a personal investment with his relationships with the players and coaches , something that has not gone unnoticed .
“ Steph is unreal ,” Green says . “ I had one conversation with him my freshman year . Then after that , I see him again and he ’ s like , ‘ Yo , what ’ s good JG ? I heard you ’ ve been doing this , this and that .’ I mean , I had only talked to him one time . To me , that really tells me how much he cares about our program in general . He watches our tournaments when he ’ s around . When he ’ s playing the Wizards ( in Washington ), he comes in and sees us . Like it ’ s just insane to see , someone with that much commitment to an organization like our golf team .”
As the spring season commences , keep an eye on the Bison , especially if they can get over the hump , win the Northeast Conference title and advance to NCAA regionals for the first time . It ’ s the next natural step for a program on the rise .
Thanks for reading , and as always , my inbox is open for story ideas .
Chris Lang , Editor clang @ vsga . org by CHRIS LANG
Howard University places highest among Division I HBCU ' s on the latest U . S . News and World Report ranking of schools across the country .
Changing the Distance cont ’ d ...
Existing balls approved for conformance in 2027 may continue to be used by recreational golfers until January 2030 to give golfers , manufacturers and retailers additional time to adjust . These decisions are in line with the commitments made by the governing bodies at the project ’ s inception .
A significant portion of golf ball models that are currently in the market — and more than 30 percent of all golf ball models submitted for conformance across the game — are expected to remain conforming after these changes are applied .
“ Governance is hard . And while thousands will claim that we did too much , there will be just as many who said we didn ’ t do enough to protect the game long-term ,” Mike Whan , CEO of the USGA , said . “ But from the very beginning , we ’ ve been driven to do what is right for the game , without bias . As we ’ ve said , doing nothing is not an option , and we would be failing in our responsibility to protect the game ’ s future if we didn ’ t take appropriate action now .”
In addition to the new ball-testing conditions , the governing bodies will :
• Expand the testing approach to better detect “ driver creep ,” which can result in drivers exceeding the limits set out in the Equipment Rules . This is a change in the testing methodology for submitted drivers , to identify and proactively address driver models that are within current tolerance levels and have Characteristic Time ( CT ) values that are more likely to exceed the limit through regular use .
• Continue to monitor drivers and explore possible additional options related to distance . Specifically , we will research the forgiveness of drivers and how they perform with off-center hits . This is an ongoing review , and the USGA / R & A will seek input from and continue to work with the industry — including manufacturers — to identify driver design features that can be regulated as a means to reward center impact position hits versus mishits .
Have Questions ? Visit the USGA ’ s FAQ page for more information or scan the QR code .
6 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J ANUARY / F EBRUARY 2024 vsga . org