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Sapphire Golf Tour launches, Pioneering Opportunity for Black Women in Professional Golf
A groundbreaking new tour is teeing off this week, aiming to reshape the landscape of professional golf and create pathways for Black women to compete at the highest levels. The inaugural season of the Sapphire Golf Tour will be held Tuesday and Wednesday at the Country Club at Woodmore in prince George’s County, Maryland.
The tour represents a notable step toward greater diversity and inclusion in a sport historically lacking representation. According to the tour commissioner, the initiative was born from a desire to actively “put Black women in and around the top levels of the” Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA).
“We developed a professional developmental tour to provide them with steps to be able to get them to that stage as quickly as possible,” the commissioner explained. The tour is designed to support golfers of all experience levels, from college players to seasoned professionals, offering networking opportunities and fundraising support for a local nonprofit. Registration remains open, with a Pro-Am match costing $500 and a charity Golf Classic priced at $250.
The Sapphire Golf Tour builds upon the legacy of the United Golfers Association, founded in 1925, and led by the same executive director. But the tour’s impact extends beyond the financial prize of $20,000. “They’re playing for history,” the commissioner stated. “They’re playing for an opportunity to be able to carry a legacy and continue a legacy.”
For manny, the tour represents a long-awaited shift in the sport. Faith McKinney, a professional golfer from Las vegas, shared her experience of previously feeling isolated in the golfing world. “There was nobody out here that looked like me, so I had to be that girl for all the other girls out there,” McKinney recalled.
Though, mckinney emphasized the transformative power of the Sapphire Golf tour, describing it as “a sisterhood.” “There’s strong, confident, Black women, and I couldn’t have a better family to surround me,” she said.The tour is fostering a supportive environment where Black women golfers can thrive, compete, and inspire future generations.
The launch of the Sapphire Golf Tour signals a new era for women’s golf, one defined by inclusivity, opportunity, and the festivity of a diverse community of athletes.
Why was the Sapphire Golf Tour created? The tour was established to address the historical lack of representation of Black women in professional golf and to actively create pathways for them to reach the LPGA. The commissioner stated the goal is to “put Black women in and around the top levels of the LPGA.”
Who is involved? The tour features a diverse group of golfers, ranging from college players to seasoned professionals. Faith McKinney, a professional golfer from las Vegas, is among the players who have expressed excitement about the tour’s potential. The tour is led by the same executive director as the United Golfers Association, founded in 1925.
What does the tour offer? The Sapphire Golf Tour provides a professional developmental platform, networking opportunities, fundraising support for a local nonprofit, and a $20,000 financial prize. Registration is open for a Pro-Am match ($500) and a Charity Golf classic ($250).
How did it begin and what is the future? Building on the legacy of the United Golfers Association, the inaugural season is underway at the Country Club at Woodmore in Maryland
