Steph Curry Funds First Golf Program At Howard University

Even though it doesn’t seem like they get enough credit for it, PGA TOUR pros are some of the most charitable in helping golf programs get off the ground. And now even players from other sports are looking to spread the game of golf across the country.

Howard University is one of America’s historically black colleges and has not even considered having a golf program since their Division II program was discontinued in the 1970s. But some students are interested in the idea. And when Stephen Curry visited the campus in January, he connected with junior student Otis Fergusen, who told Curry of his interest in starting a club team. That’s when Curry started thinking.

After seeing the progress that Fergusen was having in the next few months, Curry reached out to the Howard administration about the possibility of creating a Division I program that he would give a sizeable donation too. After the discussion, Howard agreed to begin a program that will be funded by Curry’s seven-figure donation that will be dispersed over six years in hopes of creating a sustainable program.

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Curry is very happy and proud to donate to potentially major impact program. “Golf is a sport that has changed my life in ways that are less tangible, but just as impactful,” Curry said. “It’s a discipline that challenges your mental wherewithal from patience to focus, and is impossible to truly master, so when you hear about these passionate student-athletes who have the talent but don’t have a fair shot at the game, it’s tough.”

The aim will likely be to get young people of color more interested in golf, which continues to be seen as a rich, white man’s game. The stats seem to back that up, as only 6% of college golfers last year were people of color. On top of that, only three of the 250 PGA TOUR players right now are African-American and there are only four on the LPGA TOUR. Investing in this program will hopefully help increase those numbers.

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Howard is expected to introduce its golf program in the 2020-21 academic year with one scholarship for a men’s team and two for a women’s team. This will certainly not fix the problem of minority participation in golf in the United States but it is certainly a big step and Curry should be praised for his work to get it up and running. Only time will tell how successful and sustainable the program will be.

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