(POWERED BY PRO DUFFERS NATIONAL FOUNDATION & PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE)
The inaugural Sifford Academy is set to bring together a select group of talented young golfers for an intensive week of instruction, leadership development and mentorship, continuing a collaborative effort to expand opportunities for the next generation while honoring the legacy of golf pioneer Dr. Charles L. Sifford.
The academy will take place August 4-8, 2026, at the Game Above Golf Performance Center at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The program is designed to identify, develop and inspire talented junior golfers from diverse backgrounds while providing them with access to high-level coaching and performance resources. Eight junior golfers between the ages of 12 and 17 have been selected for the inaugural academy.
Andy Walker, head coach of the Eastern Michigan University men’s golf team, will lead the instruction with members of his coaching staff. The academy represents an important step in turning conversations about collaboration and player development into a national development initiative.
From Cedar Crest to a National Academy
The roots of the Sifford Academy can be traced to a player development symposium held at Cedar Crest Golf Course in Dallas during the Southwest Showcase in November 2024.
The Southwest Showcase at Cedar Crest brought together 42 of the country’s leading college-aged golfers from diverse and historically underrepresented backgrounds, with 21 men and 21 women competing in the event. The showcase was created as more than a golf tournament, emphasizing opportunity, representation and the development of future leaders in the sport.
Cedar Crest also carries special significance to the Sifford legacy. In 1954, Sifford won the United Golf Association National Negro Open at the Dallas course, years before he became the first Black golfer to earn a PGA TOUR card in 1961.
Following the symposium, participants and supporters continued conversations focused on collaboration, unity and alignment in efforts to strengthen player-development opportunities for young golfers. One of the concepts discussed at Cedar Crest was the creation of a national academy.
That vision has now become the Sifford Academy.
Honoring Dr. Charles L. Sifford
The academy carries the name of one of the most consequential figures in golf history.
Dr. Charles “Charlie” Sifford spent much of his career challenging racial barriers in professional golf. He won six United Golf Association National Opens before breaking the PGA’s color barrier and receiving his PGA TOUR card in 1961. He later won the 1967 Greater Hartford Open and the 1969 Los Angeles Open, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2014, President Barack Obama awarded Sifford the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Sifford died in 2015 at age 92.
His legacy extends beyond his accomplishments on the course. Sifford’s life demonstrated how access, perseverance and opportunity can change the trajectory of an individual and, ultimately, an entire sport.
The Sifford Foundation and Sifford Scholars programs seek to carry that philosophy forward by creating educational and developmental opportunities for underserved young people.
Sifford Foundation Focuses on Opportunity
The Sifford Foundation’s work includes the Dr. Charles L. Sifford Scholarship, which helps students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities and students pursuing education through accredited golf-management programs.
The scholarship fund was established in 2022 during Sifford’s centennial year. The Cobbs Creek Foundation serves as its fiscal sponsor. The scholarship program has continued to expand, with the 2026 cohort consisting of 12 HBCU students selected from a competitive group of applicants.
The foundation’s broader vision also includes grants to community organizations that expose young people to golf while emphasizing financial literacy—two areas that were important to Sifford during his lifetime.
The connection to Cobbs Creek is particularly meaningful. The historic Philadelphia golf course was Sifford’s home course during his years in the city and has long been associated with access and inclusion in golf.
A Collaborative Effort
The Sifford Academy is being funded primarily by the Pro Duffers USA Foundation, with additional support from PGA TOUR Superstore.
Jerry Woodard and John Haigler have helped lead the advocacy effort, working with Pro Duffers chapters around the country to generate support for the initiative. Organizers hope that the model will continue to attract support from golfers, community organizations and other partners committed to developing young talent.
Michael Cooper, one of those involved in the effort, credited the organizations and individuals who helped bring the academy to life.
“Shout out to the Pro Duffers National Foundation and PGA TOUR Superstore for funding this endeavor,” Cooper said, while also recognizing those who attended the event and helped identify prospective participants.
Cooper specifically acknowledged Mark Lowry, Kenyatta Ramsey, Jenny Bethune, Will Lowery and Ro Thompson for helping identify talented candidates.
The effort also received strong support from Charles Sifford Jr. and Russ Crockett, who have played important roles in preserving and advancing the legacy of Dr. Charlie Sifford.
Developing More Than Golfers
While golf instruction will be central to the Sifford Academy, the larger objective is to provide young players with experiences that can help prepare them for life beyond the golf course.
Access to college coaches, performance facilities, mentors and other accomplished professionals can expose young golfers to opportunities they might not otherwise encounter. The academy’s organizers envision a model in which talented players receive not only technical instruction but also guidance, encouragement and connections that can help them pursue collegiate and professional pathways.
The initiative also reflects a growing recognition that developing the next generation of diverse golfers requires cooperation among families, coaches, foundations, corporations, community organizations and golf-industry leaders.
The Sifford Academy is therefore more than a weeklong golf program. It represents an effort to transform the ideas discussed at Cedar Crest into a sustainable player-development pipeline.
As the inaugural class prepares to gather at Eastern Michigan University, organizers are also seeking additional partners. Support is welcome in the form of gift-bag items, media exposure and personal visits to the academy.
For information about supporting the Sifford Academy, Russ Crockett of Sifford Scholars can be reached at 713-252-0859 or [email protected]. Additional inquiries can be directed to Michael Cooper at 813-495-3962 or [email protected].
The academy’s launch provides another opportunity to extend Charlie Sifford’s extraordinary legacy—not simply by remembering the barriers he broke, but by helping ensure that talented young golfers have greater opportunities to build their own futures in the game.
