Playing the sport is expensive, but several organizations are reaching out to help smooth the way in golf — and life.
Alexis Lamadrid, a 17-year-old golfer from Phoenix, birdied the last five holes at Old Barnwell in Aiken, S.C., to win Underrated Golf’s event in June at one of the best new golf courses in the country.
“I didn’t really think about it,” Lamadrid said in an interview.
What she was thinking about was how the tour has helped her gain greater knowledge about the world. It was founded in 2019 by Stephen Curry — who led the U.S. basketball team to a gold medal in the Paris Olympics and is a star for the Golden State Warriors — with a mission to give opportunities to underrepresented young golfers.
“Golf can take me so many places,” Lamadrid said. “Golf has helped me open my eyes to things that are related to golf. If I don’t go professional — everyone has that dream — golf has so many opportunities.”
Another young female golfer, Salma Ibrahim, 18, who grew up in Los Angeles to parents who immigrated from Somalia, hit her first golf shots after her father, a distance runner, watched Tiger Woods on television.
“He hated distance running — he wanted to teach me golf,” she said. Her six siblings also learned the game.
In addition to competing around the country, she’s found other things in the sport to transport her beyond the tee.
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Source: Golf - nytimes.com
