Congratulations continue to pour in for LaRee Sugg, who recently earned her Master of Liberal Arts degree from the University of Richmond in Virginia. Sugg, who serves as the university’s Deputy Director of Athletics, Senior Woman Administrator, and Chief of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, has long been a trailblazer in sports and education. Her latest academic milestone reflects the same determination that has defined her decades-long career.
“Thank you to the SPCS faculty, administrators, family, and friends for supporting me in fulfilling my academic goals. So proud to have earned a Master of Liberal Arts at the University of Richmond,” said Sugg on her LinkedIn account, surrounded by family.
Sugg’s path to success began in her hometown of Petersburg, Virginia. Even as a young girl walking the brick sidewalks to have golf spikes installed on her buckskin saddle shoes, she had no doubt that golf would be part of her destiny. That vision took shape the first time her grandfather brought her to a local municipal course. At the time, the area country club excluded Black and Jewish members, but that didn’t stop Sugg from pursuing her passion.
“There was never a question in my mind,” Sugg reflected. “From the moment I picked up a golf club, I knew it was going to be part of my life’s purpose.”
Sugg turned professional in 1992 after a collegiate golf career at UCLA. She went on to become the third African American woman in history to play on the LPGA Tour, competing from 1995 to 1996 and again from 2000 to 2001. Her professional resume includes appearances in the U.S. Women’s Open and the Women’s British Open, as well as international stints on the LPGA Futures Tour, Ladies European Tour, and Ladies Asian Golf Tour.
Among her accomplishments, Sugg captured victory at the 1998 Aurora Health Care Futures Classic and recorded top-three finishes at the 1993 Singapore Ladies Open and 1997 Indonesian Ladies Open.
Since joining the University of Richmond in 2005, Sugg has been a leader both on and off the field, shaping policy and driving initiatives that promote equity and excellence in college athletics.
“This degree represents more than academic achievement,” Sugg said. “It’s a reminder that growth never stops, and that every chapter of life holds opportunity to keep evolving.”
Now 55, Sugg continues to inspire as she celebrates this new milestone, adding another impressive achievement to a life dedicated to sport, education, and social progress.
