The inaugural Sapphire Golf Tour for Black women is making waves in Prince George’s County, Maryland, this week. Set at the Country Club at Woodmore, this landmark event aims to enhance visibility and opportunities for female golfers of color in the sport.
The tour was envisioned by Tarek DeLavallade, who serves as the tour commissioner and is also the executive director of the United Golfers Association, an organization established in 1925. DeLavallade expressed that the tour’s main objective is to create pathways for Black women aspiring to compete at the highest 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,” stated DeLavallade in an interview with WTOP. The event spans two days, with activities designed to foster networking among attendees while also supporting local nonprofit initiatives.
Golfers, whether they are college students or seasoned professionals, are invited to participate. Registration fees are set at $500 for the Pro-Am portion and $250 for the Charity Golf Classic, with proceeds benefiting community causes.
While the financial purse for the event amounts to $20,000, DeLavallade highlighted the deeper significance of participation: “They’re playing for history. They’re playing for an opportunity to be able to carry a legacy and continue a legacy.”
Among the participants is Faith McKinney, a professional golfer whose journey into the sport was inspired by her pediatrician. “My mom was like, ‘Golf? We don’t know anything about golf,’” McKinney recalled, laughing as she reflected on her early experiences. Today, she emphasizes the importance of representation and support among Black women in golf.
“There was nobody out here that looked like me, so I had to be that girl for all the other girls out there,” she shared, celebrating the sense of community fostered by the Sapphire Golf Tour. “It is a sisterhood out here. There are strong, confident Black women, and I couldn’t have a better family to surround me.”
