He could have picked anyone. Or he could have done it on his own. NBA star Steph Curry has the kind of superstar pull that makes growing a venture easier than it might be for most. And he has the kind of servant’s heart that shows in everything he does, on and off the court. So, when it came to advancing a golf-related program designed to serve minorities and at-risk communities, Steph could have picked up the phone and called Tiger, Rory, Tony Finau, or any other big-name star.
Instead, he called Mariah Stackhouse.
On Friday, March 31, Curry and KPMG announced a partnership in Curry’s Underrated Golf Tour with Stackhouse as the tour’s golf ambassador. The tour provides competitive outlets and leadership development opportunities to minorities and underserved youth nationwide.
A press release announcing the venture described it this way. “Underrated Golf is a purpose-driven business endeavor with the overarching commitment to provide equity, access and opportunity to student-athletes from every community by balancing participation in the sport to truly reflect our society. With a mission to increase the participation numbers amongst competitive golfers from diverse communities, Underrated Golf’s vision of the sport better reflects and balances the diversity of our society and provides access to the opportunities the game brings both on and off the course.”
The tour will begin in June with a stop at The Park West Palm in West Palm Beach, Florida. Then there are events scheduled at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, Paiute Golf Resort in Las Vegas, and Chambers Bay in Seattle.
“Underrated Golf launched with a mission to provide equity, access and opportunity to student-athletes from underrepresented communities,” Curry said. “As we enter our second year, we are driven to open more doors for diverse players and balance participation in the sport to truly reflect our society. Through our partnership with KPMG and Mariah Stackhouse as a brand ambassador, this program is reinforcing what a role model looks like and empowering young girls interested in Golf, by letting them know the game has a place for them. It’s inspiring to see everyone coming together to support this message and work towards creating positive change in the sport.”
Curry launched the Underrated brand seven years ago as an homage to his status in high school, where she was not highly recruited – too short, many thought – or coming out of Davidson, where he was considered to lack the size or speed needed for the NBA. But, boy, did he prove everyone wrong.
However, the All-Star and future Hall of Famer will almost certainly be known as much for his good works off the court as his exploits on it. Underrated Golf is just the latest in those efforts.
“After attending the inaugural Curry Cup last summer and seeing that Underrated Golf’s mission aligned perfectly with two of my passions – increasing the representation of diverse talent in the sport of golf and empowering young athletes as leaders off the course – I knew that I wanted to get involved,” Stackhouse said. “I also recognized that, after working with KPMG for almost 7 years, they too shared the same authentic commitment to this mission, so I facilitated an introduction. I am thrilled that these two best-in-class organizations have come together. And I am honored to serve as Underrated Golf’s ambassador alongside Stephen Curry.”
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