How The NBA's Biggest Star is Revolutionizing Golf – One Junior Player at a Time
In its fourth season and expanding globally, Steph Curry's all-expenses-paid junior tour is breaking down some of golf's most stubborn barriers to create new pathways for younger players.
The Underrated Basketball tour was already a success, and of course it should be, because Steph Curry is a bona fide NBA legend.
But when he launched Underrated Golf in 2022, some might have taken one glance and dismissed it as just another celebrity enhancement vehicle.
A deeper look, however, would have revealed something different: a junior tour with pathways to entry for all talented young golfers in the US and UK (or beyond), from all diverse backgrounds, and a model which removes all financial barriers that might have stood in their way.
The bandwagon has been rolling over the past three years, and picking up speed, as the basketball king’s vision — to create new pathways to help children from, let’s say, “non-traditional” golf backgrounds reach the top of the game and experience all the benefits that can come with it — races towards becoming an era-defining reality.
Back in 2022, Curry was making a deliberate attempt to solve one of golf's most persistent and uncomfortable problems: the sport's glaring lack of diversity.
Now, what began as an American initiative is spreading around the globe and fast becoming a movement that can reshape golf's future from the ground up.
Steph’s Inspiration
The statistics that inspired Curry are probably not surprising, but that doesn’t mean they’re not sobering, or even shocking.
Underrated Golf materials point out that fewer than 2% of all golfers are Black or Latino. A survey in 2022 showed that less than 1% of PGA of America’s 29,000 members were African-American. On the PGA Tour, meanwhile, there are currently only four Black golfers competing regularly – a number that hasn't significantly improved since Lee Elder broke new ground at the Masters in 1975 or since Tiger Woods revolutionized the sport in the late 1990s.
The Underrated Golf mission is clear.
It’s about changing this situation, changing it radically, and changing it forever.
Its mission statement reads (emphasis mine):
“Our passion is rooted in statistics. Today, there are only two black men in the top 100 worldwide rankings and only one black woman in the top 300.
Meanwhile, Tiger Woods, who is recognized as the most important golfer of all time, is of thai, white, black and native american descent. Although his reign on the sport is celebrated, the number of professional black golfers coming up in his shoes continues to be less and less.
…
Underrated Golf believes the game of golf is for everyone, but we know that there is significant work to be done to make it a just, fair and inspiring sport for all. We are building that foundation from the bottom up, offering young overlooked golfers special programming experiences including an ongoing speaker series and networking events with brands and corporations, allowing them to understand what it means to make connections and build a successful career.”
Coast to Coast to Across the Pond
Now entering its fourth season in the United States and second in Europe, Underrated Golf has been rapidly expanding its footprint.
The 2025 schedule includes prestigious American venues like Eisenhower Golf Club in Colorado Springs, French Lick Resort in Indiana, PGA West in Palm Springs, and — the jewel in the PGA Tour’s crown and the venue for the annual Players Championship — TPC Sawgrass in Florida.
Internationally, it look place for the first time in the UK at Walton Heath in Surrey, England in 2024, and the growth continues with two tournaments announced for summer 2024. Firstly, the English leg returns to Surrey in May, this time stopping off at Foxhills Golf Club. Then, in August, it will add a stop-off north of the border for the first time at the historic Fairmont St Andrews, bringing Curry's vision to this corner of Scotland and the spiritual home of golf.
Announcing the UK calendar dates recently, Curry said:
“I'm thrilled to see the Underrated Golf European Tour return for its second year. The goal of this tour is to offer incredible opportunities to emerging golfers, allowing them to compete and develop their skills in some of the most historic and beautiful locations in the world.”
Finally, the season culminates in September with the annual “Tour Championship” style Curry Cup at Liberty National Golf Course in New Jersey, USA.
There, the top 24 boys and girls from the US tour and the European champions will compete against the spectacular backdrop of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline – a setting that powerfully symbolizes the opportunity the program aims to provide.
Removing Every Barrier to Entry
Underrated Golf pays close attention to individuals at high school level, where it’s acknowledged that talented student-athletes typically first catch the attention of colleges and other institutions.
It does this, it says, because these high school years are a critical juncture in the young person’s life, where sports “begins to shape the kinds of opportunities they are offered, and in turn, positively impact their future on and off the course”.
That focus on underrepresented demographics, and doing it at the high school level where the impact can truly be leveraged, is all very commendable.
But what truly sets Underrated Golf apart is its comprehensive approach to eliminating the financial barriers faced by the children in their purview.
No doubt buoyed by both the star power, vision and influence of Curry, Underrated Golf has attracted a host of world-renowned corporate partners, and this has given the organization the leeway to really deliver on its social enterprise mission.
The initiative covers all expenses for participants and a parent – travel, lodging, meals, and tournament costs – truly levelling the playing field and ensuring that talent, and not money, determines who gets to compete.
This all-expenses-paid model directly addresses one of golf's most significant hurdles: access.
Elite junior golf has, in many instances, become prohibitively expensive for all but the wealthiest demographics to participate in, often running up costs in the tens of thousands of dollars annually between tournament fees, travel expenses, coaching, and equipment.
As the org’s mission statement reads (emphasis mine):
“The biggest hurdle we are up against is the lack of access underrepresented communities have to golf courses and equipment due to the high cost of green fees, as well as the private and members-only nature of many golf facilities.
If the keys to the course are never shared, then the inspiring and impactful opportunities that come with the game are never within reach for so many.”
The Model Behind the Mission
As mentioned above, the ambitious vision is supported by an impressive roster of corporate partners.
KPMG serves as the presenting sponsor and United Airlines handles the transportation logistics that enable the tour's global reach.
Other major sponsors include Callaway (equipment), Subway (food), and Cisco (technology), among many others.
Posting on LinkedIn recently, Cisco’s SVP and Chief Social Impact and Inclusion Officer Brian Tippens highlighted the alignment between corporate goals and partner mission:
“Cisco's mission is to power an inclusive future for all, and our support of the Dell Curry Sponsorship is a shining example of how we are opening opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds to have a fair shot in the game of golf.”
Let’s face it, the world of billion-dollar businesses’ attitudes to corporate social responsibility, sustainable and governance has become a little clouded, even murky, in recent times.
But this is surely a venture everyone can get behind and remain immune to any negative judgment.
In this instance, diversity and inclusion is not just a buzzword. It’s something tangibly delivered through substantive action, every time the kids get together and tee it up.
Success Stories Emerging
In just three seasons, Underrated Golf has already begun producing success stories.
Many alumni have secured college scholarships, and the tour's partnerships with the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) have earned winners exemptions into elite events like the Annika Invitational and Junior PGA Championship.
Players like Julia Vollmer (2023 Firestone winner), Jaden Soong (2024 Curry Cup champion), and Maleah Clark have received recognition not just for their golfing abilities but for embodying the program's values.
As Tippens wrote in his congratulatory post:
"You are the perfect encapsulation of what Underrated Golf is all about.”
The program also focuses on developing skills beyond the golf course, including leadership, networking, and personal branding through workshops led by KPMG and other partners.
And even the most skeptical amongst us must surely recognize that this represents a valuable contribution for all concerned, a game of 3D win-win-win where the ripple effects could be felt — no joke! — for centuries.
A Star-Studded Support System
Curry, a +1.3 handicap golfer himself, is far from just a figurehead in this movement.
He actively participates in events, mentors participants, and has pledged a lifetime commitment to the initiative.
A four-time NBA champion and iconic star of the USA’s Olympic gold medal-winning dream team of 2024, he adds a special ingredient beyond his star power, extensive connections and relentless drive.
Having been overlooked by major college programs before becoming one of basketball's greatest ever players, he also brings a personal understanding of what it means to be “underrated”.
The backroom team includes people like LPGA pro Mariah Stackhouse, who has played in 17 Women’s Major Championships and serves as a mentor and host for Underrated Golf leadership days, and Will Lowery, the initiative’s co-founder who initially pitched the idea to Curry and helps curate the competitive aspects of the tour.
In Europe, meanwhile, the ambassador team includes former Ladies European Tour pro and Sky Sports Golf broadcaster Henni Zuël and former Tottenham and Real Madrid soccer star Gareth Bale.
Curry vs. The Establishment: Who’s Really Doing More to "Grow the Game"?
The contrast between Curry's grassroots approach to broadening the appeal of the game, and that of the traditional golf establishment, is worth noting.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and his team have navigated billion-dollar deals with media rights buyers, the Strategic Sports Group and the Saudi Public Investment Fund alike — but it could be argued that in recent years the top tier of pro golf has arguably became less diverse, not more.
“Growing the game” has long been a calling card for power-brokers in the PGA Tour, but it’s become something of a hollow sound bite for many. Speaking to Golf.com this week, Bubba Watson spoke candidly about that:
“The PGA of America — the head pros around the world — they’re the hands and feet. They know the junior golfers, they know the wives that are learning the game, they know the couples that are in the club, they’re the ones truly growing the game and showing how fun it can be. But we still have to take it around the world. LIV is taking it around the world. The PGA Tour has played in many places. But if you’re not really putting the effort in at junior clinics, at a tournament — if you’re just playing golf, then going home — how is that growing the game?”
If the PGA of America is the “hands and feet”, Curry and Underrated might be the heart.
Because it’s likely that broader initiatives designed to “grow the game" often miss culturally relevant and personally invested approaches that truly connect with communities that have historically felt excluded from the sport.
And after all, if you really want to grow the game, you have to break down those boundaries, right?
That’s what Steph Curry and all at Underrated Golf are doing, week after week and month after month, and it would appear there are many, many years of that to come.
Looking Forward: The Long Game
Curry has said he would "lose his mind" if an Underrated alum eventually wins a professional tournament and credits the tour – a sign of the long-term vision behind the initiative. While that milestone may be years away, the infrastructure being built now makes it increasingly possible.
The 2025 season represents the next step in this mission – extending the program's impact by deepening the foundations at home in the US while at the same time expanding geographically.
For golf industry leaders looking on from the sidelines, Underrated Golf might offer a compelling challenge – how can you also meaningfully address the industry’s diversity challenges by creating genuine pathways to this magical game, and all it has to offer, for people who might have all the talent but none of the opportunity?
You can follow Underrated Golf on X here, Instagram here and TikTok here, or check out the full website and 2025 schedule here.
Thanks for reading.
Shane