College golfers check out Frisco course months ahead of 2027 PGA Championship

Seven months before the best golfers in the world tee off at Fields Ranch East for the 2027 PGA Championship, some of the best college golfers made their way to PGA Frisco to try the course out themselves.

Dozens from across the country traveled to compete in the Jackson T. Stephens Cup, featuring some of the top Power 4 programs and HBCUs. The event gives them a chance to showcase their talent on a national stage.

"For me, I think it's an incredible litmus test for what the HBCU programs have improved and where they've come from,"  Howard University Director of Golf Sam Puryear said. "Now they're sending young people to this event that can play. What has really transpired is that now some of the programs are getting invited to other events as a result of playing this event. This has been the perfect springboard for a lot of HBCU golf."

"It's something special that we've all worked hard for as coaches and as players as well," Florida A&M golf coach Troy Stribling said. "For them to have the opportunity to be on this platform to showcase their talent is very special."

Anyone who has ever played golf knows it is a game that is 90% mental, especially at the competitive level. The course has a way of teaching you about yourself, and for these coaches, that is what the game is truly about. It is not just about winning tournaments or posting the lowest score. It is about developing character, resilience, and life lessons that last long after your playing days are done.

"This is just setting you up for life," Puryear said. "We're coming out and playing a game today, but the bigger game is life. You're not going to win every day. There are going to be people that are better than you. You have two options. You can quit, which I don't recommend, or say 'OK, they're better than I am today.'"

"It's all about being patient," Stribling said. "Nothing really happens fast. Life is difficult. Golf is difficult. Taking these lessons and being able to be patient, taking it a hole and a shot at a time. Just like life, take every day at a time. Be happy to be alive and just enjoy the process. That's something to take."