Montrele Wells was selected as the first ever winner of the APGA Tour’s Adrian Stills award presented by Cisco on Tuesday. This honor comes with more than a trophy.
The award was named after Adrian Stills, co-founder of APGA Tour. It gave Wells $25,000 to support his golf career and $10,000 to donate to a charity of his choosing. Cisco offered Wells exemptions from the APGA Cisco Invitational in Baltusrol and APGA Billy Horschel Invitational presented Cisco, which are two limited-field events on their 2023 calendar. A panel of judges determined the winner and was voted by other APGA Tour players.
“Winning the Adrian Stills Award is as important as any other golf event. It is an honor to be recognized by the APGA Tour leadership as well as my fellow competitors for how I conduct myself on and off the golf course,” Wells stated in a release. I am so grateful to Cisco for their support of APGA Tour overall and for this award. Companies like Cisco make a big difference to our Tour players and the sport’s makeup.
Wells, an APGA Tour player who has been participating in clinics organized by the APGA Foundation in low-income areas that bring in kids who wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to golf, has been an APGA Tour participant since 2012. This award will be presented annually to the APGA Tour player that best embodies the qualities character, sportsmanship and courage, as well as giving back to the community and the game.
Wells said, “Giving back and showing that golf is for everyone, regardless of where they come or what their skin color is, is what really drives my heart.” It’s very satisfying to have a young boy/girl that looks like me. To inspire them and show them that it is possible to work hard and succeed at golf, it’s amazing. It drives me more than my performance to see the smiles on their faces and hear their appreciation. My family was poor and I was one of them. I am able to show others that hard work can get you out of poverty and that you can achieve great things.
The APGA Tour was established in 2010 as an organization that is non-profit and aims to help minority golfers compete and win at professional golf’s highest levels.
Wells stated that the APGA Tour was a place of refuge since his first event. It gave me a safe place to be myself and allowed me to pursue my dreams. It is an amazing honor to be awarded an award after Adrian Stills. He is a mentor. He’s been there, to the PGA Tour. It is the place we all want to go. He has also experienced the joys and struggles of being a golfer and as a person. He was the reason why we didn’t give up. You can trust him when he speaks.
“Montrele Wells is the embodiment of the APGA Adrian Stills Award presented annually by Cisco,” stated Ken Bentley, CEO of APGA Tour. “Montrele is a respected leader in the APGA Tour, as well as players and staff, for his professionalism, attitude, and his efforts to support APGA Foundation Youth events, and promote the APGA Tour.
