Native collegiate golfer pursues dream of competing on PGA tour
By Sunnie Redhouse
His mother is from the Navajo reservation, near the Tuba City-Flagstaff area. And his father is Oneida/Ojibwe from Wisconsin. He is one of four children and he and his brothers were born and raised in San Bernardino where his parents have worked for over 25 years. But Webster calls the Navajo reservation his home.
Although he and his brothers spent most of their lives in their San Bernardino community they were always reminded of where they came from as they danced in powwows and visited the reservation on many occasions.
"I told myself, you know what if I was to be able to be a success, I want to come back and I want to help my people all over Navajo land," Webster said. "I want to start something, I want to start something like Tiger has. I want to help out young Navajo kids, not just Navajo kids, Sioux kids, Oneida kids and other Native kids."
Below: "Cal State San Bernardino senior Gene Webster Jr. tees off at the 2009 NCAA national men's golf championships in Blaine, Washington at the Loomis Trails Golf Club. Webster, who is Dine and Oneida/Ojibwe, finished third in the playoffs and earned All-America honors."
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SAN JACINTO: Tribe picks San Bernardino golfer for tournament
Gene Webster Jr., a Native American and professional golfer from San Bernardino, was chosen by the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians to play in April’s PGA-Nationwide Tour Soboba Golf Classic.
As title sponsor of the Soboba Golf Classic, the tribe is given four exemptions into the tournament. Two must be given to a golfer who has PGA Tour status of some kind, whether it be on the Nationwide Tour or the PGA Tour, and the other two can be given to any golfer the tribe would like to see compete in the event. Webster, 23, received one of the unrestricted exemptions.
“It is … very exciting to find such a talented golfer who is Native American, which is important to our event,” said Bryan Addis, general manager of The Country Club at Soboba Springs in San Jacinto, where the fourth annual Soboba Golf Classic will be played April 2-8.