Gay golfers
Blog
For much of golf’s extended history, the sport has been seen as a conservative and traditional game. The industry has struggled with diversity and inclusivity, both in terms of race, gender, and sexual orientation.
For instance, region clubs often have strict membership criteria. In fact, the number one ranked golf course in the United States, Pine Valley, didn’t agree to allow female members until May Absurd, right?
As a result, even today, the sport is predominantly white male-dominated and has had limited visibility from minority groups, such as those from the LGBTQ+ society. Like many other sports, golf has had its share of discrimination and barriers for Queer individuals.
Still, there are ongoing attempts within the sport to promote inclusivity, diversity, and progressive ethics. The golfing community has been working to break down barriers, increase accessibility, and create more welcoming environments for people from all backgrounds and identities.
In honor of Pride Month in June, let’s take a look at some of the historic achievements made by the LGBTQ+ co
Justin Thomas and Separating the Art from the Artist
When Rory McIlroy’s roller-coaster weekend began sputtering to a halt on Sunday afternoon, I found myself in need of a rooting interest for the ultimate stretch of the PGA Championship. Mito Pereira was hanging tough at the top of the leaderboard, but I didn’t experience comfortable pulling for someone who’d arrived at this moment a few years ahead of schedule. The same was true for Cameron Young, a luminary on the rise who might be ready to take his next Sunday back nine by the throat. Matt Fitzpatrick was holding his day together with hot glue and safety pins. I couldn’t watch another short-range putt from Will Zalatoris without peeking through my fingers like I might at a horror movie.
I start myself drawn to the guy lurking further down the board with championship pedigree, the one who survived the brutal late-early wave draw earlier in the week by carving shots around Southern Hills like a sculptor. That meant cheering for Justin Thomas, the eventual champion and the one guy in the field with whom I have a complicated history. I’m a g
The World of LGBTQ Golf
Golf has been one of the fastest growing sports internationally for the past twenty years. It is a high profile sport in the developed world, with plenty of media attention, glamour, prominent athletes, sponsors, and capital. Players include amateurs and professionals who range across all age groups and demographics. It is fascinating to watch at the participation of the LGBTQ community in this sport because there are several contradictions.
On one hand, there are no out gay professional golfers. This is disappointing because there are certain to be gay players in the professional golf circuit. What is holding assist the male lgbtq+ players from coming out?
On the other hand, woman-loving woman and transgender professional golfers are very prominent and hold made a significant mark in the sport. The winningest golfer in history is American Kathy Whitworth with 88 professional wins to her record. The two top female players in the sport's history hold been lesbian. Golfer Babe Didrikson Zaharias of the Together States was voted as the female sports person of the Twen
Sports are becoming more and more diverse and LGBTQ inclusive. As of , around 20 percent of WNBA players are openly gay. A poll conducted by Pink News establish that participants ranked tennis as the most gay-friendly sport. So in an age of inclusion, why is golf lacking, and how is the lack being addressed?
Though an estimate from New Zealand Golf Magazine states that anywhere from 10–14 percent of golfers are likely to be same-sex attracted, the number of out professional golfers is low.
In , at just 15 years old, Tadd Fujikawa became the youngest player to qualify for the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) U.S. Expose. In , Tadd once again made PGA history, becoming the first male player to openly approach out as gay. While other players have reach out since then, they are very much a minority in the sport.
Kyle Winn — a PGA member and golf course employee — spent years in the closet, fearing how being outed might impact his career.
“Every period I started a fresh position at a golf course, the first not many months were always rigid . Not only was I getting used to a new facility, I was also