The John Shippen National Invitational will return in 2023 with three events, including one at Detroit Golf Club ahead of the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Intersport announced the schedule for The John Shippen, which is a series of competitions aimed at providing playing opportunities for the nation's top Black golfers on the PGA Tour and LPGA.
The events are named after John Shippen, Jr., who was the first Black golf professional and first American-born golf professional.
The men's portion of The John Shippen National Invitational is presented by Rocket Mortgage and takes place at Detroit Golf Club on June 24-25 with a 36-hole stroke play competition. The winner will be awarded an exemption into the Rocket Mortgage Classic, which takes place June 29-July 2 at Detroit Golf Club.
There's also the women's portion of The John Shippen, which will take place June 6-7 at Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids. The winner gets an exemption into the LPGA Tour's Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give from June 15-18 and the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational from July 19-22 in Midland. The winner will get to choose a partner for the Dow tournament.
“We’re excited to see our partner Blythefield Country Club host the women’s division of THE JOHN SHIPPEN National Golf Invitational in Grand Rapids again this year,” said Cathy Cooper, Executive Director of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give. “The Meijer LPGA Classic shares this event’s commitment to diversity and inclusion aimed at empowering underrepresented groups on the golf course and in our communities across the Midwest. We’re pleased to extend the winner an exemption into the Meijer LPGA Classic and see her back on the course this June.”
Finally, the John Shippen Cognizant Cup is an 18-hole stroke play competition on May 8 at Upper Montclair Country Club, and the winner will get a spot in the LPGA Cognizant Founders Cup from May 11-14.
“This is Cognizant’s third year as a part of the THE JOHN SHIPPEN Cognizant Cup,” said Shameka Young, Global Head, Diversity and Inclusion at Cognizant. “We’re passionate about supporting this influential event and the role it plays in broadening representation in golf. We are pleased to provide an additional on-ramp to more Black female golfers qualifying for LPGA tournament play. Cognizant is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion both in technology and sports.”
Since The John Shippen Invitational launched, it has hosted 76 Black golfers and awarded nine playing opportunities on the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour. In 2022, Sadena Parks and Anita Uwadia made the cut at the Dow GLBI and Willie Mack III and Tim O'Neal earned memberships respectively on the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Champions through fall qualifying.
