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Rory Mcllroy helps give HBCU golfers a taste of the big-time

Rory Mcllroy

Three HBCU students got a chance to get in some golf with PGA Tour star Rory Mcllroy on Wednesday, getting some tips from one of the best in the game.

Kai Dawson (North Carolina A&T State University), Ahmad Raoul (Winston-Salem State University), and Nyla Sims (University of Maryland Eastern Shore) were chosen to get some one-on-one time with Mcllroy as Wells Fargo hosted its First Tee Future Entrepreneurs program in Charlotte. The program is geared to golfers whose interests are around business or entrepreneurial field of study; providing them with an opportunity for mentorship, networking, personal and professional development.  

The students said they got a lot out of the golf part of the experience. 

“Being on this type of course, with pro players –  It’s just an incredible experience,” Sims told HBCU Gameday. “An incredible feeling being able to talk to them and get feedback about how they practice and what they work on in their mental game and how they get through things. So it’s just awesome.”

Rory McIlroy congratulates First Tee graduate and University of Maryland Eastern Shore golfer, Nyla Sims, on her tee shot during the Wells Fargo Championship Pro-Am on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 in Charlotte, N.C. Nyla was selected to play as a part of Wells Fargo’s Future Entrepreneurs program, which provided a trio of HBCU students with the first selection of a PGA TOUR Pro for the tournament before they embark on networking and professional development opportunities to close out the week. (Nell Redmond/AP Images for Wells Fargo)



Raoul said he drew inspiration from his time at Quail Hollow.

“I’m trying to get to the same stage that they’re at. Being out here at Quail Hollow in the grandstands and fans, all the media and interviews that put me in their shoes for a day and it felt amazing,” Raoul said. 

First Tee graduate and North Carolina A&T’s Kai Dawson, and Rory McIlroy walk along the fairway during the Wells Fargo Championship Pro-Am on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 in Charlotte, N.C. Dawson was selected to play as a part of Wells Fargo’s Future Entrepreneurs program, which provided a trio of HBCU students with the first selection of a PGA TOUR Pro for the tournament before they embark on networking and professional development opportunities to close out the week. (Nell Redmond/AP Images for Wells Fargo)

Dawson, a Raleigh, NC native, is a graduate of the First Tee program. Golf is a family affair for this Raleigh, NC native and First Tee has been a big part of that.

“When I was 14, in high school, my parents would take me to a golf course. I practice my shots every weekend and my dad would do the same thing, take me to golf courses to practice my shot at driving ranges and putting greens.  I would practice with my uncle Don, who is a pro. While in college, my sister received a scholarship with First Tee.”

And it wasn’t just the students who got something out of the interaction. Rory Mcllroy spoke about the opportunity to interact with the HBCU students as well. 

“It [is] really cool what First Tee does with the PGA Tour and the Wells Fargo Championship by giving these kids a great introduction to the game of golf, who wouldn’t necessarily be otherwise introduced to the game. And to be out there and hear their stories and backgrounds. It’s really cool.”

This is part of a broader effort from Wells Fargo to expand access to financial health, including investing $107 million in scholarships and programming for diverse communities as the Bank of Doing.

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