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Challenges Faced by African American Golfers Pursuing Professional Careers

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to give voice to a small group of African American male and female aspiring professional golfers in efforts to illuminate the challenges they face in pursuing professional playing careers in the United States (U.S.). Utilizing a basic interpretive qualitative research design (Merriam 2002), semi-structured interviews with eight African American male and one African American female golfers who were pursuing professional playing careers on the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) and Ladies Professional Golfers Association (LPGA) Tours, respectively, were conducted. Findings from our analysis of their narratives suggest the following major challenges made their pursuit of a professional playing career difficult: (a) these golfers lacked the social networks/connections and financial resources, and (b) they were not taken seriously or viewed by powerful stakeholders in golf as legitimate golfers. Contributions to the literature and practical implications are discussed.

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Notes

  1. In order to abide by the ethical standards placed by the Institutional Review Board (IRB), a proposal of the research was sent for approval and was subsequently approved by the IRB.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health and Human Performance, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, TX, 75429-3011, USA

    Anthony Rosselli

  2. Center for Sport Management Research and Education, Department of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

    John N. Singer

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  1. Anthony Rosselli
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  2. John N. Singer
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Correspondence to Anthony Rosselli.

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Rosselli, A., Singer, J.N. Challenges Faced by African American Golfers Pursuing Professional Careers. J Afr Am St 21, 605–620 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12111-017-9386-0

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