7th Annual Original Tee Golf Classic - Celebrities pay hommage to African American inventor and patent holder of the golf tee

    /24-7PressRelease/ - NEW YORK, NY, June 25, 2006 - 7th Annual Amateur Golf Classic Pays Homage to African American Golf Tee Inventor, Wins Support of 8 Big Business Icons and Distinguished List of Celebrity Golf Enthusiasts

Hamburg, NJ: June 25, 2006
Original Tee, Inc. - The 7th Annual Original Tee Golf Classic

The Original Tee Golf Classic (OTGC), teeing off on June 25 at Hamburg, New Jersey's Wild Turkey Golf Club, has sought and obtained big name sponsors for its 7th Annual Golf Classic. The tournament, brainchild of fashion and entertainment entrepreneur, Wendell J. Haskins, pays homage to inventor George F. Grant, original golf tee patent holder and respected African-American dentist. Sponsorship support for this year's Classic enthusiastically came from business giants American Express, Diageo Spirits, INC. Magazine, Microsoft, NBA, Pepsi, Reuters and Verizon, confirming the corporations' commitment to diversity and African-American entrepreneurship.

The increasing popularity of this culturally-diverse event has attracted the attention of an impressive array of celebrity golf enthusiasts that include NBA legends Julius "Dr. J" Irving, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, George "Ice Man" Gervin, director Spike Lee, actors Rueben Santiago Hudson, Rosie Perez, Malik Yoba, Knicks' Assistant Coach Herb Williams, NBA stars Jason Kidd, Chris Webber, FOX News correspondent Julian Phillips, and FUBU founder Daymond John. They'll all be at the 7th Annual event, this Sunday pursuing the elusive "hole-in-one" on the sumptuous fairway of the Wild Turkey Golf Club.

Original Tee, Inc. is also donating a portion of the tournament proceeds to the Bill Dickey Scholarship Association, formerly known as the National Minority Junior Golf Scholarship Association. Company President, Haskins, is passionate about showing interest in youth and shares his views about chosen aid organization, "An important part of the OTGC that I don't want to overlook is giving back to the community. We give a portion of the proceeds from the Classic to Bill's Association because I support all of his efforts in helping to advance the lives of young people."

About the Company:
The Original Tee Inc. concept reflects the unprecedented convergence of the worlds of golf, fashion entertainment and business through its multi-channel approach. Company founder, Wendell J. Haskins' research about the game of golf uncovered that an African-American, George F. Grant, invented and patented the first golf tee in 1899. Mr. Grant, who also happened to be the second Black to graduate from Harvard Dental School, invented the instrument that revolutionized the game of golf. But at the time he invented it, no one with the means to market his product was interested in hearing about anything a Black man invented. He couldn't get anyone to use the tee, let alone manufacture and endorse it. The company name and first product, the "Original Tee-Shirt" was inspired by George F. Grant. "This bit of history was what inspired me to name my company Original Tee and to create our signature annual event, the Original Tee Golf Classic," Haskins declares. "We can appreciate what he did, what he endured and how far we've come as a people since his time." Find out more at www.originaltee.com.

The Original Tee Inc. concept reflects the unprecedented convergence of the worlds of golf, fashion entertainment and business through its multi-channel approach. Company founder, Wendell J. Haskins' research about the game of golf uncovered that an African-American, George F. Grant, invented and patented the first golf tee in 1899. Mr. Grant, who also happened to be the second Black to graduate from Harvard Dental School, invented the instrument that revolutionized the game of golf. But at the time he invented it, no one with the means to market his product was interested in hearing about anything a Black man invented. He couldn't get anyone to use the tee, let alone manufacture and endorse it. The company name and first product, the "Original Tee-Shirt" was inspired by George F. Grant. "This bit of history was what inspired me to name my company Original Tee and to create our signature annual event, the Original Tee Golf Classic," Haskins declares. "We can appreciate what he did, what he endured and how far we've come as a people since his time." Find out more at www.originaltee.com.

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