March 1, 2007
SAN DIEGO -
The San Diego State men's golf team took time off from its busy schedule earlier this week when it welcomed guests from the Pro Kids Golf and Learning Academy to the Aztec Athletics Center. The visit was highlighted by a special award presentation as well as a campus tour. The ceremony also included appearances by SDSU director of athletics Jeff Schemmel, Aztec director of golf operations Dale Walker and Pro Kids ambassador Phil Ward.
Todd Smith, director of golf at Pro Kids, along with a select group of academy members presented Aztec head coach Ryan Donovan and his squad with a trophy from last May's inaugural SDSU-Pro Kids International Cup, a tournament which pitted the two programs against one another in a special format. The Aztecs came away with a victory that day at the par-3 Colina Park Golf Course. The tournament is expected to become an annual event with this year's edition planned for April 18.
The Pro Kids Golf and Learning Academy, based in the City Heights neighborhood of San Diego, was incorporated in 1994 as a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a safe environment where children can spend their leisure time playing golf. The program seeks to combat juvenile delinquency by offering students an opportunity to learn new lifetime skills and be initiated into the strong value system of honesty and integrity that is an important part of the game of golf.
San Diego State returns to the fairways next week when it travels across town to compete in the University of San Diego's Callaway Golf Invitational, March 5-6, at The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe. The Aztecs will be looking to defend their team title from a year ago when it overtook host school USD over the final 18 holes to complete a dramatic come-from-behind victory.
For more information about the Pro Kids Academy, please visit www.firstteesandiego.org.