{"id":20246,"date":"2021-05-08T04:04:52","date_gmt":"2021-05-08T09:04:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=20246"},"modified":"2021-05-08T04:04:52","modified_gmt":"2021-05-08T09:04:52","slug":"howard-university-golf-teams-gregory-odom-jr-plays-through-grief-to-win-pga-works-collegiate-golf-title-everybody-is-talking-the-world-is-watching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=20246","title":{"rendered":"Howard UNIVERSITY GOLF TEAM&#8217;S Gregory Odom Jr.,  plays through grief to win PGA Works Collegiate golf title, EVERYBODY IS TALKING, THE WORLD IS WATCHING"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"MuiBox-root jss151\">\n<div class=\"jss152 jss153\">\n<div class=\"jss154 jss155 MuiContainer-root MuiContainer-maxWidthMd\" data-cy=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"MuiBox-root jss158 jss156 jss157\">\n<h1 class=\"MuiTypography-root MuiTypography-h3 MuiTypography-gutterBottom\" data-gtm-story=\"Howard\u2019s Gregory Odom Jr. Wins One for \u2018Pops\u2019 at the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship\" data-cy=\"article-headline\">Howard\u2019s Gregory Odom Jr. Wins One for \u2018Pops\u2019 at the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship<\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<article class=\"sidearm-roster-player-view sidearm-roster-player-template-default\">\n<header class=\"sidearm-roster-player-header sidearm-roster-player-header-action\">\n<div class=\"sidearm-roster-player-header-details \">\n<div class=\"sidearm-roster-player-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/gotigersgo.com\/images\/2019\/10\/17\/Odom_Jr_Gregory_1920MGOLF_8393_TC_20190927.jpg?width=300\" alt=\"@University of Memphis, photo by Trey Clark.Odom_Jr_Gregory_1920MGOLF_8393_TC_20190927\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"medium-flex\"><strong><span class=\"sidearm-roster-player-name\"> Gregory Odom Jr. <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"sidearm-roster-player-fields flex flex-item-1\">\n<ul class=\"flex flex-item-1 row flex-wrap\">\n<li class=\"large-6 flex columns\">\n<dl class=\"flex-item-1\">\n<dt><strong>Ht.\/Wt.<\/strong><\/dt>\n<dd><strong>5-10 \/<\/strong><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"large-6 flex columns\">\n<dl class=\"flex-item-1\">\n<dt><strong>Class<\/strong><\/dt>\n<dd><strong>Junior<\/strong><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"large-6 flex columns\">\n<dl class=\"flex-item-1\">\n<dt><strong>Hometown<\/strong><\/dt>\n<dd><strong>Germantown, Tenn.<\/strong><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"large-6 flex columns\">\n<dl class=\"flex-item-1\">\n<dt><strong>Prev School<\/strong><\/dt>\n<dd><strong>Middle College High<\/strong><\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"sidearm-responsive-tabs ui-tabs ui-corner-all ui-widget ui-widget-content\">\n<section id=\"sidearm-roster-player-bio\" class=\"ui-tabs-panel ui-corner-bottom ui-widget-content\" role=\"tabpanel\" data-tab-activated=\"true\" aria-label=\"Player Biography\" aria-labelledby=\"ui-id-1\" aria-hidden=\"false\">\n<div class=\"row pad\"><strong>Academic Honors<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team 2019<\/strong><strong>2019-20 (Sophomore)<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Participated in the Men&#8217;s South Region Preview Oct. 27-29. . . . Opened by firing a 2-under 70. . . . Finished the 54-hole event at 4-over 220 and posted a Top-20 result, the first of his career. . . .\u00a0 Did not participate in the spring season.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>2018-19 (Freshman)<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Odom made his lone appearance during his freshman season at the Memphis Intercollegiate at Colonial Country Club in September. . . . He shot 19-over 235 at the Memphis Intercollegiate, including a 4-over 76 in the final round. . . . Improved his scores each round of the event. . . . Named to the American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>High School<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Odom finished his senior year at Middle College High with a second place finish at the state tournament at the WillowBrook Golf Club in Manchester, Tenn. . . . Odom was a state qualifier in three of his four high school seasons. . . . His other top finishes include winning the Memphis Publinks and Fellowship of Christian Athletes tournaments. . . . His best round outside of competition came when he set the course record for Irene Country Club in Memphis with a 61. . . . One of the highlights of his junior career was shooting a 67 in the USJGT Windyke to finish with medalist honor<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"MuiContainer-root MuiContainer-maxWidthLg\">\n<div class=\"jss194 jss195\">\n<div class=\"MuiBox-root jss196\">\n<figure class=\"jss197 jss198\"><strong><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.ctfassets.net\/56u5qdsjym8c\/Fvw51i6Esn0XLwA1bdVt1\/8927eadfec1d92ffab53eb0f752088b3\/1.png?fl=progressive&amp;q=80\" \/><\/strong><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"MuiBox-root jss201\">\n<div class=\"MuiContainer-root MuiContainer-maxWidthLg\" data-cy=\"article-body\">\n<div class=\"MuiGrid-root MuiGrid-container MuiGrid-spacing-xs-6 MuiGrid-justify-xs-center\">\n<div class=\"MuiGrid-root MuiGrid-item MuiGrid-grid-xs-12 MuiGrid-grid-md-8\">\n<div class=\"MuiBox-root jss305\">\n<div class=\"jss306 jss307\">\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\"><strong>Gregory Odom Jr. had held in his emotions long enough. The wave finally crested. He signed his scorecard, bent down next to the push cart that held his navy Howard University Bison bag, put his hand over his face, and finally let some of the hurt go.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"css-1dbjc4n r-18u37iz r-1wbh5a2\">\n<div class=\"css-901oao css-bfa6kz r-m0bqgq r-18u37iz r-1qd0xha r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-rjixqe r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\" dir=\"ltr\"><strong><span class=\"css-901oao css-16my406 r-poiln3 r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0\">@imglojr<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\"><strong>His coach, Sam Puryear, rubbed Odom\u2019s back to comfort him.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\"><strong>Odom, 20, was on the grounds playing his first practice round at the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship at TPC Sawgrass on Saturday when Puryear had to tell him that his father, Greg Odom Sr., had passed away back home in Memphis, Tennessee. Odom Sr., 67, had been admitted to hospice a day earlier, his kidney failing him. The son, miles away in Florida, conferred by telephone with his mother and knew there was one thing his dad would want him to do: Play.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\"><strong>Odom not only played, but he played incredibly well on a tough test, the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. Though Howard fell shy of its first team stroke-play title on Wednesday \u2013\u00a0Prairie View A&amp;M would win that \u2013 Odom landed the first trophy of any sort for Howard, which restarted its golf program only 13 months ago. His team struggled on Wednesday, posting 332 and finishing fourth, but Odom shined. He shot 74 on the Stadium to finish 54 holes at 4-over 220. He beat Alabama State\u2019s Thacher Neal by five shots.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cI knew my dad wanted me to go out there and ball out,\u201d Odom said. \u201cNever can let down Pops.\u201d<\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\"><strong>Greg Odom Sr. loved golf, and taught his son the game in Memphis. Greg Jr. said he was about 4 when he got started. He and his dad would spend afternoons out at Irene Golf &amp; Country Club, which pitches itself as \u201caffordable championship golf.\u201d Says the son, \u201cWe played all the time until he got sick.\u201d<\/strong><\/div>\n<div><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20252\" src=\"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Howards-Gregory-Odom-Jr.-plays-through-grief-to-win-PGA-Works-Collegiate-golf-title.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"275\" height=\"183\" \/><\/strong><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\"><strong>When Puryear \u2013 who coached at Michigan State and Stanford \u2013 got the job at Howard, he wanted to build a culture. He wanted to be a program that came together as family. He heard of Odom through a fraternity brother of his from Tennessee State who happened to be the principal at a school that Odom attended in Tennessee. He told Puryear \u201cHe\u2019s a kid that\u2019s just like you. Trust me, he\u2019s your guy.\u201d Odom, who didn\u2019t play much as a freshman at Memphis, was Puryear\u2019s first recruit.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\"><strong>Puryear said after the first round at PGA WORKS that he and Odom have forged a special bond. They have \u201cvibed\u201d well together. Puryear will begin to say something to one of the Bison players, and Odom will step in, tell his coach, \u201cI got this,\u201d and say exactly the words that Puryear would say himself.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\"><strong>Howard led the Men\u2019s Division I group at PGA WORKS through 36 holes, and somebody asked Puryear if he wanted a team victory, or to see Odom win individually. \u201cI said that\u2019s not even a question,\u201d Puryear said. \u201cI\u2019d take an individual victory for him all day, every day.\u201d<\/strong><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\"><strong>Through tears, Puryear tried to put the week\u2019s experience into words. The team didn\u2019t know the situation through the week, as Odom Jr. and Puryear kept it to themselves. At one point, they stopped eating.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cHow do you lose your dad on the day of the practice round before you tee off and you say you want to play?\u201d the coach said. \u201cNot another player in this field carried a more heavy heart than this kid. To do what he did, and hold your emotions in until the end, like he just did?<\/strong><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cI just don\u2019t know what\u2019s better than that. I\u2019ve been coaching for a long time, at a lot of places, and I\u2019ve won everything you can win in this game. National Championship, Big 10 Championship, Coach of the Year \u2026 I\u2019ve won all of that. I\u2019ve never felt like I do right now for a win for a kid after what he just went through. That kid has something different. He\u2019s tough. He\u2019s got moxie that comes from deep down inside. He\u2019s got a whole lot.\u201d<\/strong><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\"><strong>When Puryear made his initial pitch to Odom to join the new Bison program, he told him if he came, he would get better as a player, and he would win. Puryear says Odom is special. \u201cHe has the heart of a lion,\u201d he said.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\"><strong>After his round, Odom said he was headed back to school for a few days, and then will gather his things and get home to Memphis. There, he\u2019ll say his final goodbye to the man who taught him the game.<\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\"><strong>\u201cWhen I found out, I knew he wouldn\u2019t want me to sit around,\u201d Odom said of his father. \u201cHe always liked to see me on the golf course.\u201d<\/strong><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\"><strong>He would have been awfully proud to see what his son accomplished at TPC Sawgrass.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"MuiDrawer-root MuiDrawer-docked\">\n<div class=\"MuiPaper-root MuiPaper-elevation0 MuiDrawer-paper MuiDrawer-paperAnchorBottom MuiDrawer-paperAnchorDockedBottom\">\n<div class=\"jss441\" data-cy=\"gdpr-banner\">\n<div class=\"MuiContainer-root jss442 MuiContainer-maxWidthLg\">\n<div class=\"jss306 jss456\">\n<div class=\"rich-paragraph\">\n<div id=\"precontent\" data-region=\"precontent\" data-id=\"38\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:38,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;precontent&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:6}\">\n<header class=\"collection-headline-flex\" role=\"presentation\">\n<h1><strong>&#8216;Never can let down Pops&#8217;: Howard&#8217;s Greg Odom Jr. wins individual title at PGA Works days after father died<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"maincontent\">\n<div id=\"content\" class=\"content\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<article class=\"articlecontent allowvig loaded\" data-id=\"52\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:52,&quot;p&quot;:49,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;article&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:6,&quot;o&quot;:3}\" data-nativead-placements=\"singlecard1:1;singlecard2:1;singlecard3:1;singlecard4:1;singlecard5:1;singlecard6:1;singlecard7:1;singlecard8:1;singlecard9:1;singlecard10:1;singlecard11:1;\">\n<section class=\"flexarticle\" data-id=\"53\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:53,&quot;p&quot;:52,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;flexarticle&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:6,&quot;o&quot;:1}\">\n<section class=\"articlebody \" data-id=\"54\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:54,&quot;p&quot;:53,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;articlebody&quot;,&quot;y&quot;:6,&quot;o&quot;:1}\"><strong>As Greg Odom Jr. waited for the final round of the PGA Works Collegiate Championship to get underway, he danced a joyous boogie to Pooh Shiesty as if no one was watching.<span class=\"storyimage fullwidth inlineimage\" data-aop=\"image\"> <span class=\"image\" data-attrib=\"File photo\" data-caption=\"Gregory Odom Jr.\" data-id=\"55\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:55,&quot;p&quot;:54,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;openModal&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:&quot;articleImages&quot;,&quot;o&quot;:1}\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/BB1goT40.img?h=532&amp;w=799&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&amp;x=2170&amp;y=820\" alt=\"a group of people posing for the camera: Gregory Odom Jr.\" data-src=\"{&quot;default&quot;:{&quot;load&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;w&quot;:&quot;80&quot;,&quot;h&quot;:&quot;53&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/BB1goT40.img?h=532&amp;w=799&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&amp;x=2170&amp;y=820&quot;},&quot;size3column&quot;:{&quot;load&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;w&quot;:&quot;62&quot;,&quot;h&quot;:&quot;42&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/BB1goT40.img?h=416&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&amp;x=2170&amp;y=820&quot;},&quot;size2column&quot;:{&quot;load&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;w&quot;:&quot;62&quot;,&quot;h&quot;:&quot;42&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/BB1goT40.img?h=416&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&amp;x=2170&amp;y=820&quot;}}\" \/> <\/span> <span class=\"caption truncate\"> <span class=\"attribution\">\u00a9 <\/span>Gregory Odom Jr. <\/span> <\/span>Odom\u2019s good cheer disguised the hurt underneath.\u201cNot another player in this field carried a more heavy heart than this kid,\u201d said Howard University men\u2019s and women\u2019s golf coach Sam Puryear Jr.That\u2019s because Odom\u2019s father, Greg Sr., 67, had died on May 1, back home in Memphis. Odom played on, shooting a final-round 2-over 74 at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, finishing his week at 4-over 220 and winning medalist honors as well as his first collegiate title. It also earned the first trophy for Howard since NBA star Steph Curry breathed life into the school\u2019s golf program 13 months ago.<\/strong><strong>\u201cI knew my dad wanted me to go out there and ball out,\u201d Odom said. \u201cNever can let down pops.\u201d<\/strong><strong>It was \u2018Pops\u2019 who introduced Odom to the game at age 4 and took him to Irene Golf and Country in Memphis until kidney problems prevented him from playing. He endured a transplant and lived to see his son take to the game, but his health issues grew worse during COVID-19 and he was placed into hospice on Friday. On Saturday, Odom\u2019s mother phoned Puryear, who broke the news to his team\u2019s star.<\/strong><strong>\u201cHe wrapped his arms around me and told me everything would be OK,\u201d Odom said.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Puryear was hired last April, not long after Curry\u2019s foundation, Eat. Learn. Play., committed to support the establishment of the university\u2019s first NCAA Division I golf program for six years. Odom, a 20-year-old junior who transferred from the University of Memphis, was Puryear\u2019s first recruit. Not long after accepting the job, he called one of his Tennessee State University fraternity brothers who lived in Memphis and had been a principal at a school Odom attended and asked for the lowdown on the promising young player.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cHe said, \u2018That\u2019s your guy,\u201d Puryear said. \u201cHe said, \u2018He was you when you were in college. You might be the only man who can handle him.\u2019 \u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span class=\"storyimage fullwidth inlineimage\" data-aop=\"image\"> <span class=\"image\" data-attrib=\"Provided by Golfweek\" data-caption=\"Greg Odom Jr.\" data-id=\"56\" data-m=\"{&quot;i&quot;:56,&quot;p&quot;:54,&quot;n&quot;:&quot;openModal&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:&quot;articleImages&quot;,&quot;o&quot;:2}\"> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"loaded\" src=\"https:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/BB1gpaKq.img?h=757&amp;w=799&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f\" alt=\"a man standing on a sidewalk: Greg Odom Jr.\" data-src=\"{&quot;default&quot;:{&quot;load&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;w&quot;:&quot;80&quot;,&quot;h&quot;:&quot;76&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/BB1gpaKq.img?h=757&amp;w=799&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&quot;},&quot;size3column&quot;:{&quot;load&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;w&quot;:&quot;62&quot;,&quot;h&quot;:&quot;59&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/BB1gpaKq.img?h=591&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&quot;},&quot;size2column&quot;:{&quot;load&quot;:&quot;default&quot;,&quot;w&quot;:&quot;62&quot;,&quot;h&quot;:&quot;59&quot;,&quot;src&quot;:&quot;\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/BB1gpaKq.img?h=591&amp;w=624&amp;m=6&amp;q=60&amp;o=f&amp;l=f&quot;}}\" \/>\u00a0<\/span> <\/span>Men\u2019s Division I Medalist Greg Odom Jr. of Howard University holds the trophy at the PGA Works Collegiate Championship at TPC Sawgrass on May 5, 2021. (Photo: Adam Schupak\/Golfweek)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Puryear sold Odom on his track record, telling him to look at his resume, that everywhere he\u2019d coaches he\u2019d helped students improve and become winners.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cHe trusted me,\u201d Puryear said. \u201cOnce I had him on the hook to come, I knew I would be able to do something special. He was my lion. You\u2019ve got to have a king of the jungle.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>But Pete Dye\u2019s house of horrors is no place to play when the mind is fragile, especially on a day when the winds were whipping more than 20 miles per hour. Odom impressed his coach with his inner strength, but it came as no surprise.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cI saw this coming to fruition. I knew this was going to happen. He walked out of this room after his father passed and said, I\u2019m going to win this event.\u2019 That\u2019s what he said. How many people can do that?\u201d Puryear said, wiping fresh tears from his eyes after the round. \u201cI\u2019ve coached for a long time and I\u2019ve never felt what I feel right now for a win for a kid after what he just went through.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<article id=\"howards-greg-odom-jr-plays-through-his-grief-to-win-pga-works-hbcu-collegiate-golf-title\" class=\"story slug-howards-greg-odom-jr-plays-through-his-grief-to-win-pga-works-hbcu-collegiate-golf-title post-219493 tu_feature type-tu_feature status-publish has-post-thumbnail hentry tag-stephen-curry tag-howard-bison tag-hbcu-golf tag-gregory-odom-jr tag-pga-works-collegiate-championship espn_verticals-hbcu vertical-hbcu topic-slug-hbcu-golf\" data-page-url=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/features\/howards-greg-odom-jr-plays-through-his-grief-to-win-pga-works-hbcu-collegiate-golf-title\/\" data-page-title=\"Howard\u2019s Gregory Odom Jr. plays through grief to win PGA Works Collegiate golf title\" data-short-byline=\"By Farrell Evans\" data-post-id=\"219493\" data-omniture=\"{&quot;omniture&quot;:{&quot;premium&quot;:&quot;n&quot;,&quot;lang&quot;:&quot;en_us&quot;,&quot;countryRegion&quot;:&quot;en-us&quot;,&quot;userKey&quot;:&quot;unknown:unknown:anonymous:insider-no:premium-no&quot;,&quot;insiderStatus&quot;:&quot;anonymous:premium-no&quot;,&quot;eVar1&quot;:&quot;DoNotSet&quot;,&quot;birthAge&quot;:&quot;unknown&quot;,&quot;gender&quot;:&quot;unknown&quot;,&quot;loginStatus&quot;:&quot;anonymous&quot;,&quot;regType&quot;:&quot;unknown&quot;,&quot;fantasyPersonalize&quot;:&quot;has favorites:no-fantasy:no-notifications:no-docking:no-autostart:no&quot;,&quot;site&quot;:&quot;theundefeated&quot;,&quot;pageName&quot;:&quot;hbcu:story&quot;,&quot;sections&quot;:&quot;hbcu&quot;,&quot;section&quot;:&quot;hbcu&quot;,&quot;account&quot;:&quot;wdgespundefeated&quot;,&quot;contentType&quot;:&quot;story&quot;,&quot;events&quot;:&quot;event3&quot;,&quot;srchKwd&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;srchTerm&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;srchNumResults&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;storyId&quot;:&quot;219493:Howard\\u0027s Gregory Odom Jr. plays through grief to win PGA Works Collegiate golf title&quot;,&quot;assetInfo&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;columnist&quot;:&quot;farrell_evans&quot;,&quot;espn3ContentType&quot;:&quot;howards-greg-odom-jr-plays-through-his-grief-to-win-pga-works-hbcu-collegiate-golf-title:theundefeated:hbcu&quot;,&quot;prop35&quot;:&quot;2021-05-06&quot;},&quot;chartbeat&quot;:{&quot;domain&quot;:&quot;theundefeated.com&quot;,&quot;path&quot;:&quot;\/features\/howards-greg-odom-jr-plays-through-his-grief-to-win-pga-works-hbcu-collegiate-golf-title\/&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;loadPubJS&quot;:false,&quot;loadVidJS&quot;:true,&quot;sections&quot;:&quot;hbcu,features&quot;,&quot;authors&quot;:&quot;Farrell Evans&quot;}}\" data-ad-path=\"\/21783347309\/espn.theundefeated.us.com\/hbcu\/article\" data-ad-targeting=\"{&quot;sp&quot;:&quot;theundefeated&quot;,&quot;objid&quot;:&quot;219493&quot;,&quot;lang&quot;:&quot;en&quot;,&quot;devType&quot;:&quot;desktop&quot;,&quot;tag&quot;:[&quot;stephen-curry&quot;,&quot;howard-bison&quot;,&quot;hbcu-golf&quot;,&quot;gregory-odom-jr&quot;,&quot;pga-works-collegiate-championship&quot;]}\" data-post-tags=\"[&quot;Stephen Curry&quot;,&quot;Howard Bison&quot;,&quot;HBCU Golf&quot;,&quot;Gregory Odom Jr.&quot;,&quot;PGA Works Collegiate Championship&quot;]\" data-omniture-scroll-type=\"everscroll\" data-content-loaded=\"loaded\">\n<div class=\"story-body\">\n<div class=\"sidebar\">\n<div class=\"reading-list loaded\">\n<h2 class=\"reading-list-title\"><strong>Howard\u2019s Gregory Odom Jr. plays through grief to win PGA Works Collegiate golf title<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"content\">\n<figure class=\"featured-image pull-out\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/PGA-Works-Collegiate-Championship_56074817-e1620300740612.jpg?w=700\" sizes=\"100vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/PGA-Works-Collegiate-Championship_56074817-e1620300740612.jpg?w=700 1x, https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/PGA-Works-Collegiate-Championship_56074817-e1620300740612.jpg?w=1400 2x\" alt=\"2021 PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship\" width=\"700\" height=\"394\" \/><\/strong><figcaption class=\"featured-image__figcaption\"><strong><span class=\"featured-image__caption\">Howard University\u2019s Gregory Odom Jr. hits his tee shot on the ninth hole during the first round of the 2021 PGA Works Collegiate Championship held at TPC Sawgrass on May 3 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. <\/span> <span class=\"featured-image__credit\">Montana Pritchard\/PGA of America <\/span><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div id=\"story-content\" class=\"story-content entry-content\">\n<p data-paragraph=\"main\"><strong>Gregory Odom Jr., a 20-year-old junior on the Howard University golf team, loves the rap music of his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. On Wednesday night, after winning the men\u2019s Division I individual title at the PGA Works Collegiate Championship on the famed Stadium Course at the TPC Sawgrass, the economics major \u201cturned it up\u201d with his teammates to the catchy lyrics and beats of Pooh Shiesty and Key Glock.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-paragraph=\"main\"><strong>With rounds of 71-75-74 for a 4-over 220 total, Odom led Howard to a fourth-place finish in the team competition in the university\u2019s first appearance in the championship that began in 1987 to feature golf programs from historically Black colleges and universities.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-paragraph=\"main\"><strong>Odom\u2019s win comes in the first season of golf\u2019s resurgence at Howard with the help of Golden State Warriors guard <a href=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/features\/stephen-curry-provides-six-years-of-funding-for-howard-universitys-first-division-i-golf-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Steph Curry, who single-handedly resurrected the program in 2019 by pledging to fund Howard\u2019s men\u2019s and women\u2019s golf teams for six years.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-paragraph=\"main\"><strong>A transfer from the University of Memphis, Odom began the tournament week on a more somber note with the death of his father, Gregory Sr., who had battled chronic kidney failure for most of his son\u2019s life. Introduced to the game as a 4-year-old by his father, Odom saw his dad go through years of dialysis before receiving a kidney transplant. In recent years, Gregory Sr. suffered from dementia. After another kidney failure, he was in the hospital last week and in hospice care when he died on May 1 at the age of 67.<\/strong><\/p>\n<aside class=\"wp-block-espn-block-espn-recirc single-recirc\">\n<h5 class=\"single-recirc-hed\"><strong><a class=\"single-recirc-link\" href=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/videos\/a-dream-realized-how-golf-returned-to-howard-university\/?source=single-recirc\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"single-recirc-image\" src=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Otis-and-Steph-final-thumbnail.jpg?w=700\" data-src=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Otis-and-Steph-final-thumbnail.jpg?w=700\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/aside>\n<p data-paragraph=\"main\"><strong>On Wednesday as Odom battled the tough Pete Dye-designed stadium course, memories of his father crept into his mind, helping him embrace the magnitude of the moment. While his coach and Howard administrators knew, his teammates wouldn\u2019t know about his father\u2019s death until after the round. He didn\u2019t want to be a distraction. On some putts, he told himself to make it for his dad. He remembered how his dad, a good player in his own right, had taken him to play golf at his Irene Golf and Country Club in Memphis.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-paragraph=\"main\"><strong>\u201cDad was the strength that turned me on hole by hole,\u201d Odom said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t feel down. I was just lifting up in his spirit. My dad\u2019s been hurting for a long time and I\u2019m glad that he\u2019s now resting in peace.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-paragraph=\"main\"><strong>Samuel Puryear, Howard\u2019s golf coach, was the one to give Odom the news of his father\u2019s death. On April 30, shortly after landing in Jacksonville, Florida, from Washington, Puryear had sat down for a meal with the team when he got a call from Odom\u2019s mother, Shirley, who told him that her husband had been placed in hospice. A day later, before their first practice round, he got another call from her telling him that Gregory had died. After receiving the news from Puryear in the coach\u2019s hotel room, Odom told his coach that he was going to win the tournament.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-paragraph=\"main\"><strong>Since taking the job at Howard in March 2020 after stints as the golf coach at Michigan State and Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina, the 50-year-old Puryear is poised to resurrect a program that had been dormant for nearly 50 years. Odom, who was his first recruit, is the type of elite-level player that he hoped to attract to build a strong foundation for the program.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-219487\" src=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/PGA-Works-Collegiate-Championship_56074813.jpg?w=700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/PGA-Works-Collegiate-Championship_56074813.jpg?w=700 1x, https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/PGA-Works-Collegiate-Championship_56074813.jpg?w=1400 2x\" alt=\"\" width=\"3816\" height=\"2544\" data-src=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/PGA-Works-Collegiate-Championship_56074813.jpg?w=700\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/PGA-Works-Collegiate-Championship_56074813.jpg?w=700 1x, https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/PGA-Works-Collegiate-Championship_56074813.jpg?w=1400 2x\" \/><\/strong><figcaption><strong>Howard University\u2019s Gregory Odom Jr. watches his tee shot on the 16th hole during the third round of the 2021 PGA Works Collegiate Championship held at TPC Sawgrass on May 5 in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p data-paragraph=\"main\"><strong>\u201cWhen I was asked if I could pick between a team championship and an individual championship, I said that I would take an individual championship for Greg all day long,\u201d Puryear said. \u201cTo come out here and play three inspired rounds of golf in the midst of losing his father is remarkable. I\u2019ve won a lot in my career, but I don\u2019t know of a story that can match this one.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-paragraph=\"main\"><strong>That the Howard University golf team even made it to the PGA Works Collegiate Championship is a remarkable story. With COVID-19 restrictions, Puryear didn\u2019t expect his team to play this season, but in late fall it was given the go-ahead to play this spring. This week at TPC Sawgrass marks only their 10<sup>th<\/sup> week together as a team. Yet after two rounds at PGA Works, they held the lead before stumbling in the last round with a 44-over par total of 332 to finish 25 shots behind the winner, Prairie View A&amp;M, which learned on the same day that it had earned an at-large berth into the NCAA Division I regionals.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-paragraph=\"main\"><strong>\u201cExperience plays a big part,\u201d Puryear said. \u201cI think sometimes before you can win you have to learn how to win. Outside of Greg, none of my kids had ever won.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<aside class=\"wp-block-espn-block-espn-recirc single-recirc\">\n<h5 class=\"single-recirc-hed\"><strong><a class=\"single-recirc-link\" href=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/features\/samuel-puryear-howards-new-golf-coach-knows-how-to-win\/?source=single-recirc\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"single-recirc-image\" src=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Puryear-Sam-2008-Big-Ten-Championship-e1586895792542.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Puryear-Sam-2008-Big-Ten-Championship-e1586895792542.jpeg?w=700 1x, https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Puryear-Sam-2008-Big-Ten-Championship-e1586895792542.jpeg?w=1400 2x\" data-src=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Puryear-Sam-2008-Big-Ten-Championship-e1586895792542.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Puryear-Sam-2008-Big-Ten-Championship-e1586895792542.jpeg?w=700 1x, https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Puryear-Sam-2008-Big-Ten-Championship-e1586895792542.jpeg?w=1400 2x\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/aside>\n<p data-paragraph=\"main\"><strong>For Puryear, who played golf at Tennessee State, the opportunity to build a winning tradition at Howard is very different from his stints at predominantly white institutions. \u201cFor one, all the players here are Black like me,\u201d he said.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-paragraph=\"main\"><strong>\u201cHere I have to do a lot more teaching. Most of my players are not polished. Much of what I have to tell my players now during the tournaments I didn\u2019t have to tell my players at Michigan State. But that golf IQ comes with playing in top-tier events. My goal is to recruit some good players and come back to the PGA Works and win the team championship. Once I can get a couple of cycles of recruiting, I think I can build some depth to build a consistently competitive program.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-paragraph=\"main\"><strong>One person who is hoping that Puryear can succeed is Curry. On Wednesday evening, the NBA star FaceTimed the team after the tournament, offering congratulations and encouragement for a good finish in their first national championship competition.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-paragraph=\"main\"><strong>\u201cIt\u2019s great to have one of the best athletes on the planet in your corner because he understands how champions are built,\u201d Puryear said. \u201cSo he understands what I\u2019m trying to build at Howard.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-paragraph=\"main\"><strong>For Odom, the future is bright. After a couple of weeks to unwind in the Washington area, he plans to head home to Memphis to be with his family and celebrate his father\u2019s life before the start of a busy summer schedule of golf tournaments. \u201cI\u2019m full of confidence,\u201d said Odom, who plans to turn pro after graduation next year. \u201cI\u2019m just going to continue to try to keep the positive vibes going and make the best of some of the opportunities that I have to play with this win.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-paragraph=\"main\"><strong>During the flight home Wednesday night with a layover in Charlotte, Odom could mellow out and reflect on these past several days \u2013 his future in golf and the peace and understanding that he has about his father\u2019s death. The beat of Pooh Shiesty\u2019s \u201cShiesty Summer\u201d helped him pass the time as his father looked over him from high above.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"promoted-stories-list\">\n<div id=\"taboola-219493\" class=\"taboola-recommendations taboola\" data-src=\"https:\/\/theundefeated.com\/features\/howards-greg-odom-jr-plays-through-his-grief-to-win-pga-works-hbcu-collegiate-golf-title\/\" data-mode=\"thumbnails-3x1-a\" data-placement=\"Below Article Thumbnails\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Howard\u2019s Gregory Odom Jr. Wins One for \u2018Pops\u2019 at the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship &nbsp; Gregory Odom Jr. Ht.\/Wt. 5-10 \/ Class Junior Hometown Germantown, Tenn. Prev School Middle College High Academic Honors American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team 20192019-20 (Sophomore) Participated in the Men&#8217;s South Region Preview Oct. 27-29. . . . Opened by firing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20251,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2405,11,8,1314,1456,1156,110,13,2404,2406,14,1,12,7,9,10],"tags":[4040,4039],"class_list":["post-20246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-business","category-entertainment","category-global-business-entrepreneurs","category-global-news-updates-and-more","category-global-sports","category-golf-sports-news","category-health","category-high-school-sports","category-mbs-hss","category-most-commented","category-news","category-scitech","category-sports","category-us","category-world","tag-imglojr","tag-gregory-odom-jr","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20246"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20246\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}