Stephen Curry’s UNDERRATED Golf Tour is off to a strong start following a successful European launch last week at the Walton Heath Golf Course, a prestigious club near Walton-on-the-Hill, southwest of London. This stop marked the tour’s first international venture, featuring 90 junior golfers, including participants from the UK and the top three boys and top three girls from the US tour.
Gareth Bale supported the golfers on-site throughout the weekend, starting his responsibilities as a tour ambassador this season. Junior golfers from all across Europe competed in a 2-day, 36-hole tournament. Brodi Lewis from Wales (Wales Golf Club) and Isobel (Izzie) Kelly from Wales (Wales Golf Club) won the first-ever UNDERRATED Golf European Tour event. Lewis emerged victorious after defeating 2022 Curry Cup Champion, Roman Solomon, on the first playoff hole after both finished the tournament +3 overall. Kelly, the newly crowned women’s UNDERRATED Golf European Tour champion, finished the tournament even par, winning by four strokes.
UNDERRATED Golf European Tour junior golfers Brodi Lewis and Isobel Kelly will have automatic entry to play in The Curry Cup, the tour’s final stop in New York City in September.
Later this year, Brodi and Izzie will join 24 of the best boys and girls from the U.S. who will compete for the Curry Cup at the UNDERRATED Tour Championship, September 2-4, at the Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, NJ.
Looking ahead, Stephen Curry will receive the Charlie Sifford Award for his commitment to providing equity, access, and opportunity to student-athletes through his UNDERRATED tour. The award will be presented on June 10, 2024, during the 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in Pinehurst, N.C.
The U.S. leg of the UNDERRATED tour kicks off on June 21st in Aiken, S.C., with 96 underrepresented junior athletes participating. These athletes share the same drive as professional golfers to excel in the sport. Throughout the summer, they will compete at prestigious golf courses across the country, experiencing the invaluable opportunities and benefits that come with the game.
Two years ago, Curry, four-time NBA Champion and two-time MVP launched UNDERRATED Golf. Over the past two seasons, UNDERRATED Golf has hosted 10 tournaments throughout the U.S. In that time, UNDERRATED Golf in partnership with its brand partners who understand the vision, help junior athlete golfers gain access to great courses and create a special and inclusive environment.
With the expansion into Europe, UNDERRATED is continuing to provide access and opportunities to junior golfers and give them the chance to be front and center with top-tier college recruiters. Like the U.S., the current golf system for student athletes throughout Europe is exclusive and exclusionary, and UNDERRATED Golf will provide a viable pathway forward for everyone.
Henni Koyack, Ladies European Tour Professional Golfer and Gareth Bale, five-time European Cup winner both joined UNDERRATED Golf Europe as newly appointed ambassadors for the upcoming 2024 season. As ambassadors, Koyack and Bale share in Stephen and UNDERRATED’s mission to provide access and opportunities to junior golfers from every community by balancing participation in the sport to truly reflect our society. Utilizing their vast relationships in the region, Koyack and Bale helped recruit young athletes and entered them into the local tournaments, and throughout the UNDERRATED Tour they will continue to provide ongoing guidance and support.
UNDERRATED Golf is a purpose-driven business endeavor with the overarching commitment to provide equity, access and opportunity to student athletes from every community by balancing participation in the sport to truly reflect our society. Dedicated to promoting opportunities for young athletes who may not otherwise have the chance to gain access to the sport and adjacent skills, UNDERRATED Golf is working with its corporate partners and sponsors to provide training, equipment, networking events and more. Furthermore, the program is also addressing the gender equity gap within the sport by enabling female players with the same opportunities as their male counterparts.
