Stephen Curry has been vocal about his love for golf all his adult life. While Curry was never a paradigm shifter in the sport, unlike in the NBA he’s making waves with his work.  The four-time NBA champ has won numerous competitions in golf almost making it to the pros.

More recently, he graced the cover of Golf Digest for the second time. This is a momentous occasion as Steph is primed to take over the Mantle of spreading golf from legend Tiger Woods himself.  Curry will receive the Charlie Sifford Award in honor of his efforts to promote diversity in golf. Although Curry never met Sifford, the trailblazer who broke the PGA Tour’s color barrier and won two of its tournaments (Sifford passed away in 2015), the mention of Sifford’s name makes Curry look skyward and then to the floor.

“He’s a man who obviously did so much for creating opportunities within this game. I’m very humbled,” Curry said. With his Underrated Golf Tour which was founded to accelerate equity, access, and opportunities for underrepresented and underrated youth in the sport of golf. Stephen Curry’s impact on the sport is felt all around the Golf world. Particularly Dr. Michael Cooper, a longtime advocate with numerous high-level positions in golf, including chairman of the Golf 20/20 Diversity Task Force.

“We need camps, academies, lessons, and equipment, all over the country. It’s a very complex system. There are people who want to be the person to make it happen, but what we need is more collaboration and less overlap of services. Who’s going to be the leader to finally pull it all together? Could it be Stephen? Maybe,” said Dr Cooper. However, other golfers make direct comparisons to Tiger Woods.

Stephen Curry to Take Mantle from Tiger Woods

Amid a surge of momentum, Curry’s aspirations in golf, both personal and for those who share his background, are materializing in a manner unparalleled even by Tiger Woods. The post-pandemic landscape has opened up golf to a wider audience, particularly through off-course driving ranges and simulator lounges in urban areas. According to the National Golf Foundation, participation in green-grass golf among people of color has risen by a million over the past decade, rebounding from a slight decline around 2018.

However, the most noteworthy development is the addition of 5.6 million new off-course golfers from diverse backgrounds since the onset of the pandemic. This sizable demographic represents a significant reservoir of potential talent that could be inspired to excel in traditional golf.

Chris Womack, a Black golfer and CEO of Southern Company, which presents the award, directly links the impact of Tiger Woods to the current state of diversity in golf. “Many of us were thrilled by all that Tiger accomplished and the barriers he broke down. We hoped it would lead to a surge of African-Americans on the tour,” said Womack.

He further added,“But that hasn’t happened as expected. I appreciate The First Tee and its core values, but if you want to prepare kids for the tour, they need competitive opportunities. Stephen Curry is providing that, and it’s deep work, not just a PR effort.”