You know Stephen Curry can hoop, but the two-time NBA MVP, four-time NBA champion plays a mean game of golf too. Golf Digest has called him “the best celebrity golfer however you value skill against clout,” and Curry has publicly expressed his desire to play on the PGA Tour Champions after his basketball career is done. He has been a golfer nearly as long as a basketball player since be began hitting the links with his father as a 10-year-old. So it should come as no surprise that Curry would use the power of his celebrity and his Underrated brand to create the Underrated Golf Tour, a purpose-driven business endeavor committed to providing equity, access and opportunity to student-athletes from every community. Now in its fourth season, the Underrated Golf Tour is coming to Colorado Springs later this month at the Eisenhower Golf Course at the U.S. Air Force Academy.
“Each year, the Underrated Golf Tour continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible for young golfers who may not have traditionally had access to the game,” Curry said in a press release.
The Purpose: Make a Difference
“Steph has a heart for making a difference,” says Will Lowery, a popular golf personality and creator of the Beyond the Fairway podcast who serves as an Underrated Golf Tour ambassador. “He has been able to make a difference in basketball with his camps, and part of his passion is golf and how he can help those who come from a different clubhouse. He knows the benefits golf brings, and he understands the hurdles. He’s able to combine efforts to be a culture connector and a bridge to people.”
Lowery himself is a leading voice for Black and Brown golfers. He was instrumental in helping Curry start the Underrated Golf Tour and carry its mission forward. “My background has always been to provide visual equity to these young men and women,” he says.
According to Lowery, 17% of kids who play introductory levels of golf are Black or Latinx, often through First Tee or Boys and Girls Clubs of America. But by the time those kids reach the competitive level (equivalent to basketball’s AAU), that number drops to less than 2%. “We realize golf is not for everybody, but surely there should not be a 15% drop off,” he says.
Underrated’s goal is to bring the participation rate of young competitive Black and Latinx golfers to 26% to better reflect society as a whole.
It’s no secret that golf is an expensive and traditionally exclusive game, and Lowery cites the costs of tournament fees, equipment and travel as some of the barriers for many minority players. The Underrated Golf Tour is open to players of all ethnicities, and part of its goal is to help identify and provide access, visibility and equitable opportunity for young golfers of color. “We want to give them an opportunity to compete and a platform to be seen,” Lowery says.
Lowery points to the Southern University golf team as an example of the Underrated Tour’s impact and success. “About 80% of the Southern University golf team is from Underrated,” he says. “Coaches are using the tour as a platform to recruit. It’s amazing to see these young players as high school freshmen grow into being recruited by college coaches.”
That’s part of the reason the Underrated Golf Tour uses a multiple location format. “That’s intentional to take these kids to different courses around the country; it provides access,” Lowery says.
The Underrated Golf Tour Format
The U.S. portion of the Underrated Golf Tour’s fourth season consists of four regional stops at some of the most prestigious courses in the U.S. At each U.S. Tour stop, 96 athletes will participate in tournament style events and team building activities while simultaneously networking with college golf coaches and golf executives. The tour gives many young golfers their first opportunity to play on an established professional course. This year’s tour kicks off in Colorado Springs with these dates and locations:
● June 23-25 — Eisenhower Golf Course at the U.S. Air Force Academy; Colorado Springs
● July 2-4 — The Pete Dye Course at French Lick; French Lick, Indiana
● July 16-18 — The Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA WEST; Palm Springs, California
● August 4-6 — Dye’s Valley & THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass; Vedra Beach, Florida
● September 10-12 | Curry Cup – Liberty National Golf Club, Jersey City, New Jersey
The season will culminate with the Curry Cup, where the top 26 boys and girls from the tour will compete for the ultimate title at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey. One of the world’s most iconic golf locales, Liberty is located along the Hudson River, with striking views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the Manhattan skyline. Liberty National hosted The Presidents Cup in 2017 as well as multiple PGA TOUR FedExCup Playoff, LPGA and amateur/youth golf events. The top boy and girl winners of both London and Scotland in the Underrated Golf European Tournaments will earn the opportunity to travel to the United States to compete in the prestigious Curry Cup.
Colorado Springs, like each tour stop, consists of three days of golf and events. Things get started with a welcome dinner and guest speaker panel, including representatives from various industries who speak about college and the importance of time management and resume building. There is community engagement where a youth organization is onsite for a golf clinic and to learn more about the Underrated Golf Tour. And, of course, there is tournament-style play where the junior golfers compete head-to-head for a qualifying spot in the season finale, the Curry Cup. The tour event concludes with a community giveback initiative that allows the junior golfers to participate in a volunteer activity to show appreciation to each host city.
The golfers for this year’s tour have already had to qualify and register, and there is no cost for them to participate. But interested young golfers can learn more about the registration process at the Underrated website.
“The Curry Cup is the ultimate goal for many of these golfers, and I’m excited to see how they’ll perform when everyone comes together in September for a final showdown,” Curry said. “This is about more than just winning — it’s about bringing fresh talent to the forefront, inspiring the next generation of golfers, and showcasing the diversity of the game. We want the Underrated Golf Tour to be a stepping stone for these young players to take their game to new heights.”
Learn more about the tour and its mission at underrated.golf.
