Abstract
The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) has a long history of racial exclusion (Rosselli and Singer, 2017b; Prosser, Mamo, Heimdal, and Hoffer, 2021) and has significant barriers for African American women in the golfing community (Rosselli and Singer, 2017a). This research aims to explore the experiences and barriers faced by African American women who are PGA Members. According to the PGA’s diversity webpage women PGA members makeup five percent of Membership and only 9 of the 31,670 are African American women (PGA, 2024). Through a standard open-ended qualitative interview approach (Patton, 2002), this research highlights the intersectionality of race and gender, offering insights into how these barriers affect both career trajectories and overall experiences within the PGA. The interviews allow the voices and experiences of African American women in the PGA to contribute toward the ongoing discourse on diversity and inclusion in professional sports, advocating for a more equitable and supportive environment for future generations of women and minorities in golf.
Presenters
Christopher ProsserAssistant Professor, Kinesiology, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Maryland, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Sporting Cultures and Identities
KEYWORDS
African American Women, PGA, Professional Golf, Diversity, Inclusion, Sport Management
