June 18, 2021 | BY AAGD STAFF
United Golfers Association (UGA) announced its resurgence earlier this year and is rolling out opportunities for tour player sponsorship. In an attempt to make golf more accessible to African Americans, the public is invited to sponsor professional golfers to help alleviate the burdensome expenses they face in playing professionally. The UGA, a non-profit, has also announced plans to continue to grow their UGA Developmental Academy to help groom aspiring Black golfers with 46-year-old Andy Walker, UGA Academy & Player Development, at the helm.
The UGA was founded in 1925 and operated a national golf tour for Black players as an alternative to the PGA of America, which maintained a white-only membership policy through 1961. There are currently only three regulars on the PGA Tour who are Black (Tiger Woods, Harold Varner III, and Cameron Champ.) Today, the PGA of America consists of roughly 29,000 members, with 130 being African American.
“The Academy will train the next leaders of the golf industry. We will create a qualified pool of professionals who will help grow the game. The time is now to tackle racial disparities in golf and equip our young players with the necessary tools to be the next stars of the game,” Andy Walker, director of the UGA Developmental Academy, said in a press release.
Individuals, organizations, or corporations who are interested in sponsoring one, or several, Tour Professionals may contact UGA for more information at https://www.unitedgolfersassociation.org/sponsor-a-tour-player
