Peri’Don Castille of Dallas fell in love with the game of golf at a very early age. Ever since then he has been working hard to achieve the goals he set for himself.
Castille was a longtime shining star of The First Tee of Greater Dallas. During his 12 years with the national youth development organization – he joined the program at age 5 – Castille blossomed into a self-assured teenager and was an inspiration to his companions and coaches alike.
In 2014, he was one of 81 junior golfers from The First Tee Chapters across the country selected to play in the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, an official PGA Tour Champions event. The next year, he was one of only 28 selected to attend the 2015 Outstanding Participant Leadership Summit.
With his strong work ethic, Castille blossomed into one of the best junior golfers in the state. In 2015, he carded rounds of 69-67 at Gentle Creek Golf Club in Prosper to win the Legends Junior Tour’s Lanny Wadkins Junior Championship. He also qualified for back-to-back Texas Amateur Championships in 2016-17.
After graduating from L.V. Berkner High School in Richardson, Castille enrolled at Oklahoma City University. The now 21 year old, who recently finished his junior year, has been a key player on the OCU Men’s Golf Team and in 2018 helped the Stars win their NAIA-leading 11th Men's Golf National Championship.
Castille has accomplished a great deal since his early days with The First Tee, but he has his sights set even higher. This summer, from June 24-25, Castille will tee it up in the Advocates Pro Golf Association Tour’s tournament at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney. This will be the second time Castille has played as an amateur on the APGA Tour.
“I played in last year’s event at TPC Craig Ranch and had a great experience with my fellow competitors and the tournament directors,†said Castille. “The staff was amazing and the course was in great condition. I can’t wait to play in this year’s event.â€
The APGA Tour is a 10-year-old non-profit organization with a mission to bring greater diversity to the game of golf. The APGA Tour accomplishes this by sponsoring professional golf tournaments, establishing player development programs, mentoring programs and by introducing the game to inner-city young people.
Castille has other tournaments on his summer schedule, including trying to qualify for the 110th Texas Amateur at Dallas Athletic Club and the 119th U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club this August.
As far his long-term golfing goals are concerned, Castille wants to continue to try and reach new heights.
“I plan on turning professional after my collegiate career,†said Castille. “I want to make a name for myself on the PGA Tour, and start my own foundation for the inner-city youth.â€
For more information on the APGA Tour, click here.