NBA athlete Steph Curry tees off from the fourth hole during the final round of the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe South golf course on July 11, 2020 in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
Stephen Curry is putting down the basketball and picking up the golf clubs for a good cause.
The professional basketball player is launching his own golf tour, aimed at providing access and opportunity to underrepresented student-athletes.
The tour, called Underrated, announced the launch citing its commitment to balancing participation in the sport "to truly reflect our society."
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"Our passion is rooted in statistics. Today there are only two Black men in the top 100 worldwide rankings and only one Black woman in the top 300," Underrated Golf wrote on its website, adding, "Meanwhile, Tiger Woods, who is recognized as the most important golfer of all time, is of Thai, White, Black and Native American descent. Although his reign on the sport is celebrated, the number of professional golfers coming up in his shoes continues to be less and less."
The Underrated golf tour is scheduled to kick off in June in Chicago and finish in late August in San Francisco.
"Steph Curry is launching his own golf tour, aimed at increasing opportunities for underrepresented golfers: The UNDERRATED Golf," Front Office Sports wrote on social media. "The top 24 boys and girls will compete for the Curry Cup on the all-expense-paid tour, promoting their talents on a national stage."
The company said it launched with a mission to increase the participation number among competitive golfers from diverse communities and have them play with their peers who currently represent the majority of today’s golfers.
"Our vision of golf better reflects and balances the diversity of our society and most of all provides access to the countless opportunities that the game of golf brings both on and off the course," Underrated Golf wrote. "We are dedicated to enacting real change by creating lanes for youth from underserved communities to gain access to all the opportunities the sport golf offers. We are focused on equal representation of all genders, while being a force multiplier for them to realize their potential, positively impact the sport and be true benefactors to all participants in the game — from skills on the course to competing in major tournaments and pursuing leadership roles across industries."
The tour will work to identify talented young golfers whose passion and potential deserve attention. The best 24 boys and girls on the tour will earn 24 spots to compete for the Curry Cup as part of its season-ending championship.
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"As a predominately White male sport, the system and institution of golf was designed to benefit certain groups over others. Underrated Golf believes the game of golf is for everyone, but we know that is significant work to be done to make it a just, fair and inspiring sport for all," the company continued.
The tour will offer golfers special programming experiences including ongoing speaker series and networking events with brands and corporations.
"All of this is part of the bigger picture and our collective goal to utilize golf as a means to provide equity and access to world opportunities. The game is helping us ensure that these dreams are within reach, regardless of ethnic background, gender or class," Underrated Golf concluded
You can sign up and register for consideration as part of Underrated Golf’s team here.