SAN JOSE, Calif. – Officials with the APGA Tour – a non-profit organization committed to bringing greater diversity to the game of golf – today announced the 18-player field for the Cisco Invitational at Baltusrol to be held on August 16-17 featuring top minority golfers including Aaron Beverly, Willie Mack III, Tim O’Neal, Kamaiu Johnson and recent APGA Tour winner Toks Pedro.
The tournament offers a robust $125,000 purse, matching the Billy Horschel Invitational Presented by Cisco for the largest on the APGA Tour this season, as well as the largest in APGA Tour history. The event will provide the players with a championship caliber test as Baltusrol has hosted multiple major and top-level golf events in its illustrious history, including nine U.S. Open Championships (seven men’s, two women’s), six U.S. Amateurs (four men’s, two women’s), two men’s PGA Championships and more.
The field includes a mix of young up-and-coming minority players such as Aaron Beverly, Marcus Byrd, Troy Taylor II, Michael Herrera, Kamaiu Johnson, Everett Whiten and Toks Pedro as well as veteran standouts Tim O’Neal, Kevin Hall, Wyatt Worthington and Willie Mack III. Beverly, Herrera, Johnson, Hall, O’Neal, Mack and Pedro have all won APGA Tour events within the last year, while Witten and Taylor are standout college players at Howard and Michigan State, respectively. O’Neal leads the current APGA Tour Lexus Cup standings. Mack won the most recent Cisco sponsored event when he defended his title earlier this season at the Billy Horschel APGA Tour Invitational presented by Cisco at TPC Sawgrass. Worthington qualified and played in his second major championship at the PGA Championship earlier this year.
APGA Tour Cisco Invitational at Baltusrol field:
Olajuwon Ajanaku
Daniel Augustus
Aaron Beverly
Marcus Byrd
Jarred Garcia
Kevin Hall
Michael Herrera
Joe Hooks
Kamaiu Johnson
Willie Mack III
Tim O’Neal
Toks Pedro
Troy Taylor II
Trey Valentine
Andrew Walker
Davin White
Everett Whiten
Wyatt Worthington II
“Our players and staff have looked forward to this event since it was announced earlier this year. Baltusrol Golf Club is one of the most historic courses in the world and our players look forward to experiencing the history and challenge that it will provide,” said APGA Tour CEO Ken Bentley. “Cisco has been all-in in their support of the APGA Tour and our players helping to create playing opportunities, earning potential and supporting several players as Cisco ambassadors. Their vision, support and partnership truly makes a different to our Tour and in creating more diversity in the sport as a whole.”
Held at two of the most prestigious golf courses in the country, both Cisco-sponsored events on the APGA Tour in 2022 feature not only significant prize money, but also offer participants enrichment and development opportunities off the course, with professional and personal development sessions, mentoring opportunities and networking events with business and golf industry leaders.
“The first-ever Cisco Invitational at Baltusrol is an exciting next step in our relationship with the APGA Tour,” said Mark Patterson, SVP and Chief of Staff to the Chair and CEO at Cisco. “We are committed to making this event one of the marquee tournaments on the APGA Tour as we work together to further our shared mission to accelerate diversity, increase equitable access to opportunity, and power a more inclusive future for the sport of golf.”
Additionally, Cisco and the APGA have created the Adrian Stills Award in honor of the Tour’s co-founder and current Board Member. Stills was one of the last African American golfers to reach the PGA TOUR through PGA TOUR Qualifying School before the Q-School process changed several years ago. The first annual Adrian Stills Award will be given at this year’s Tour’s year-end event to the player who best exemplifies character and sportsmanship, as determined by a panel of judges and voted on by fellow players.
Cisco’s support of the APGA Tour builds on the brand’s ongoing investment in the game of golf, as seen through partnerships with leading organizations, such as the United States Golf Association; events, including the AT&T Pro-Am and the Billy Horschel APGA Tour Invitational presented by Cisco; and the individuals on Team Cisco across the PGA, LPGA and APGA Tours. Together with the APGA, Cisco’s goal is to drive inspiration to participation in the sport by fostering greater inclusion and making it accessible for more people.
