With the death of Lee Elder last November, the golf world lost “a true trailblazer and gentleman,” but the man who broke the color barrier at the Masters is still giving back to the game.
During the 122nd US Open on June 16-19 at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, the USGA announced that 25 students from underrepresented groups will get on-the-job training as part of the Lee Elder Internship.
“This inspiring group of young leaders exemplifies what golf can and will become,” stated USGA CEO Mike Whan. “People from underrepresented populations hold only a small percentage of the 2 million golf jobs in our $84 billion business. It is our job to continue to progress and grow the game through programs that expose more young professionals to the abundance of opportunities available and enhance their capacity to strengthen our game.”
The group of 25 interns consists of 15 women and 10 men from 22 colleges across the globe, including the United States, Argentina, the Republic of Korea, and Nigeria. After the internship was announced in November 2021, more than 200 students from 37 states and five countries applied.
Will Fulton, general chair for the 2022 U.S. Open, said, “We are happy with the overall interest and the quality of applications for this first-of-its-kind program.” “We know that diversification is one of the biggest opportunities for the game, and this initiative exemplifies Lee Elder’s vision and hope for the future of golf.” We hope to interact with those who can help shape the future of golf as prospective leaders through this program, which would not have been possible without initiatives like the Lee Elder Internship.”
