RALEIGH, N.C. (June 9) – The Saint Augustine's University Department of Athletics Golf Tournament set for June 18 at Hedingham Golf Course will be renamed the Lawrence Coleman Memorial Golf Tournament in honor of the legendary golf coach.
On-site tournament registration is 12 p.m. followed by a 1 p.m. shotgun start.
Coleman, nicknamed "Peaches", was head golf coach at then-Saint Augustine's College for 37 years before his retirement in 2009. Under his guidance, the Falcons won five HBCU Division II national titles, one HBCU overall national crown, and seven CIAA conference championships. President Clinton invited the golf team to the White House after winning the HBCU overall national title in 1993.
A 1971 Saint Augustine's graduate, Coleman passed away last week. He is in the National Black Golf and CIAA Hall of Fames.
The Coleman Family is ecstatic about the renaming of the tournament.
"Thank you so much for paying tribute to the patriarch and rock of our family by naming this golf tournament in his honor. While his passing is a tremendous loss for our family, we are comforted in knowing that his legacy will live on in the many lives he touched. Peaches loved his family and loved Saint Augustine's University equally as much; he bled blue and white! While he supported the entire university, his true love and passion rested in the athletics department. Through the years, he has impacted many student-athletes. Many of the life lessons that he taught his students happened while on the golf course. It is our hope that the memories he leaves and the lessons he taught continue to impact the entire Saint Augustine's family!
Funds raised from the golf tournament will help SAU Athletics in its mission to provide student-athletes with a first-class experience during their time at Saint Augustine's University.
"Coach Coleman built a golf legacy here at SAU," Interim Athletic Director David Bowser said. "What better way to honor Coach Coleman than to name the tournament after him."
The tournament is a Captain's Choice format, and registration is $75 per person and $300 per four-person team. Individuals will be assigned to a team.
The registration fee includes cart/green tees, range balls, lunch, and a polo shirt. Mulligan packs of two mulligans and one red tee or three mulligans can be purchased at $20.
Contests for the longest drive, 60-foot putt, and closest to the pin will be held. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place, and all participants will receive a souvenir.
Hedingham Golf Club is home to an 18-hole championship golf course that meanders through the Hedingham Community and Neuse River area.
To register for the golf tournament online and read more about Coach Coleman's accomplishments, go to saintaugfalcons.com, the university's official athletic website.
