NEWS

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Verbena McIlwaine is a Charlotte native and is the mother of one daughter, Renek McIlwaine.  As a licensed and professional cosmetologist of 38 years, she has served women in the beauty and wedding industry with honor and pride. As the owner of Verve' Beauty,  she continues to use her gifts and talents in the hair care industry.

Verbena stumbled in the golf space and started her journey by taking lessons for a 2 year period. In 2020, she began playing consistently and her passion for the game fueled her desire to develop her skills.
In 2022, she founded the Butterfly Golf Initiative to support, especially, women on their golf journey. In 2024, she developed the Butterfly Golf Brand and released an apparel & accessory collection to add fashion and style for women golfers.


In 2024, she began the in-depth process of learning the technical side of golf to become a certified instructor to effectively support new golfers. After a two year journey of classes, homework, testing, and passing the PAT, she earned her LPGA CLASS A Teaching Certification in July 2026.

Golf changed his life. Now, he's helping change thousands more.

At 22, Preston Pinkney had never played golf. Growing up in Richmond, California, he never imagined the opportunities the game could unlock. One job, one mentor, and one unforgettable experience at the 2000 U.S. Open changed his trajectory forever.

Today, Preston is the Founder and Executive Director of The Pinkney Foundation, Director of Ace Kids Golf, and Founder of Primetime Golf. With 26 years dedicated to youth development, he has helped introduce more than 10,000 young people to golf and served six years on the Northern California Golf Association Board of Directors.

A 2023 Jefferson Award recipient, Preston brings a powerful message to the PGA Show: golf is more than a game. It's a platform for developing life skills, opening doors to education and careers, and shaping the next generation of leaders.

 The Pro-Duffers Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes the game of golf, supports academic achievement, and provides financial and mentorship resources for African American youth and minority golfers.thousands more.

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Sapp received seven Pro Bowl and four first-team All-Pro selections and was part of the team that won the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XXXVII. He compiled 96.5 career sacks by the time of his retirement, which are the third-highest career sacks for a defensive tackle and the 28th-highest overall for a defensive lineman. His career was also checkered by controversy from his hard-hitting style of play and occasional verbal outbursts. Along with Lee Roy Selmon and teammate Derrick Brooks, Sapp is one of three players to have their numbers retired by the Buccaneers. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

• Rise with LL COOL J: Growing up a few blocks away from LL COOL J in St. Albans, Queens, he joined him as his live show and television coordinator just as hip-hop broke into the mainstream in the mid-1980s. 
• Milestone Performances: He cemented his status with historic television and stage performances on shows like American Bandstand, Soul Train, and Saturday Night Live, as well as classic films like Krush Groove. 
• Accolades: Voted one of the top 25 hip-hop DJs of all time by Newsweek Magazine, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021 alongside LL COOL J. 

Currently, I am President of Golf Pride, the largest manufacturer of golf grips operating in six countries around the world.  We have been transforming the business from primarily a B2B component supplier to club manufacturers (Callaway, Titleist, etc.) into a B2C brand leader on its own that is now a top 10 golf equipment brand at retail.  

Previously, I was VP of Global Business Development at Callaway Golf Company where I led the purchase and sale of three different businesses.  Prior to Callaway, I was the Category Director of Global Consumer Products at Starbucks Coffee Company where I led a new venture in Japan, Taiwan, and S. Korea that created a completely new $250 million ready-to-drink beverage business.  

I started my career as as a strategy consultant with A.T. Kearney where I worked with a number of Fortune 500 clients across industries on developing and implementing new growth strategies.