Wyndham Championship Tournament Director Mark Brazil was named the American Junior Golf Association’s Digger Smith Award Recipient at a special dinner in his honor at PGA National Resort & Spa on November 23. In addition to the award presented, an ACE Grant endowment in his name was presented by friends and supporters.
Presented annually since 1991, the J.R. “Digger” Smith Award is given to a supporter devoted to the AJGA mission and purpose of developing young men and women through competitive junior golf. The award is named in honor of AJGA Chairman of the Board J.R. “Digger” Smith, who has dedicated himself to the AJGA and to junior golf for more than three decades.
The ACE Grant began as a response to be more inclusive in golf – to provide talented junior golfers with the financial means to compete nationally without barriers of travel, entry fees and membership. Since 2003, ACE Grant alumni have turned $4.3 million in reimbursements into $16.3 million in college scholarships.
The Grant made it possible for juniors like Doug Ghim (now a PGA TOUR professional), Trinity King (in college at TCU) and 2019 Rolex Junior Players of the Year Maxwell Moldovan and Rose Zhang to chase their dreams of a college golf scholarship and play in top-level events.
Brazil, employed with the Greensboro-area PGA TOUR event for more than 18 years, is one of 45 former AJGA employees to graduate to a role in professional golf administration. Prior to his service, the Baylor University grad worked for the AJGA from 1993 to 2001 in tournament administration and development.
“It is very humbling, but I really look at this award, and always have, as junior golf’s highest award and biggest honor,” Brazil said. “The news really did not sink in right away and I was totally shocked. We all have a deep appreciation and respect for Digger Smith and what he has meant to the organization. To win anything with his name on it is an honor.
“I worked at the AJGA for eight years and fell in love with the purpose and mission. When I saw what the AJGA started doing by providing and creating more opportunities for kids outside of the organization as well by ramping up the ACE Grant, I knew this was going to be a charity I wanted to support for the rest of my life.”
In 2005, Brazil also joined the Board of Directors, and now works specifically on the AJGA’s charitable foundation which oversees financial aid and leadership programming for junior golfers and an unmatched internship in sports.
In his career, Brazil has impacted thousands of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf through aligning corporate support of his title sponsor with AJGA events.
“Mark deserves a lot of credit for putting incredible companies together in Wyndham and BB&T to sponsor and support our AJGA event,” said Bobby Powell, Wyndham Championship Director of Operations. “We’re fortunate he could see down the road and elevate this event to a much higher level.”
