On Sunday, January 30, 2022 the Advocates Professional Golf Tour (APGA) will both reach a milestone and pass a mile marker on the road toward realizing their vision. The final round of the APGA Tour’s At the Farmer’s Insurance Open tournament will be broadcast live on The Golf Channel. This live coverage will be a first for the unique mini-tour.
“Our guys are fired up, this will give us great exposure,” said Ken Bentley, CEO of the APGA Tour when discussing the announcement. The final round will be played in front of the cameras on the storied Torrey Pines South Course the day after the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open concludes.
The APGA Tour’s “guys” are a collection of talented players, often, but not exclusively, from humble backgrounds who believe in the organization’s mission of bringing greater diversity to the game. About two thirds of APGA Tour players are African-American along with 20% who are white and 15% of Latinio background. Many grew up playing local muni courses.
Even if not always willfully exclusionary, the upper levels of competitive golf and the business of the game remain out of reach for many people. Recognizing the lack of opportunity for inner-city, often African-American, golfers to thrive in the game, Bentley and former PGA Tour player Adrian Stills chose to build the capacity to force change.
Established in 2008, the APGA holds professional tournaments, guides potential stars through a player development program and cultivates relationships in the industry. The association seeks to make both tournament trophies and professional positions available to a wider pool of golfers.
For several years the APGA struggled to be recognized as a viable tour. In 2010, only 3 events were contested and players often kept quiet about playing the events.
Now, that script has been flipped. In 2021, APGA Tour Player of the Year Willie Mack played in 3 PGA Tour events and made 2 cuts. Mack, who was once homeless, outplayed K.J. Choi and Bill Haas, among others at the John Deere Classic to finish T64.
“Willie Mack making the cut was a huge moment for us. He showed the golf community our guys can play with anybody.” said Bentley.
As APGA Tour Player of the Year, Mack gained entrance to the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying Tournament where he advanced to the second stage before finishing two shots behind final stage qualifiers.
While Mack’s achievements in 2021 significantly elevated the profile of the tour, the truly special work lies in the broad expansion of opportunities in golf being achieved by the organization. A decade ago, APGA tournament participation did not mean much to high level players. “Now, playing in APGA events is a source of pride for our guys,” shared Bentley.
Golf Channel’s decision to televise a tournament, played mostly by minority professional players, shows the wider impact the APGA is having on the professional game.
More than a source of pride, players are now starting to see APGA tournaments as a source of prize money and a possible path to higher levels. “Our guys can now make $100,000 a year playing out here,” reported Bentley as he explained the growth in prize money and sponsorship. Prize money is being coupled with sponsorship opportunities and the increased willingness of PGA Tour events to offer sponsor’s exemptions to APGA Tour players.
Less than two years ago, Bentley led the development of a 5 year plan for the tour which “now needs to be torn up,” because of tremendous success in sponsorships and fundraising. The significant money available along with targeted mentoring and coaching fostered by the APGA can give players a real chance to succeed.
A far cry from a decade ago, in 2022, the APGA Tour will contest eighteen separate events. All 2022 APGA events will be played on courses which have held either PGA Tour events or major championships. Holding their tournaments at facilities such as Torrey Pines, TPC Sawgrass, and Baltusrol shows the organization may be able to literally and figuratively change the face of golf.
A snapshot of the APGA vision could be seen at the conclusion of the 2021 event at Torrey Pines which was sponsored by Farmers Insurance. Champion Landon Lyons is white, runner-up Tim O’Neal is African American, and third place finisher Keven Hall is both African American and hearing impaired. “That is what we are trying to make golf look like,” said Bentley.
While the APGA seems to be gaining momentum on its path toward changing the game, it has not come without frustration. The PGA Tour readily supports the APGA’s mission. At the same time, neither the USGA nor any significant equipment manufacturers currently have given the APGA significant support.
Bentley views access to high quality equipment as critical to helping level the playing field. In the early days, APGA players “were playing with clubs off the rack” he said. Now, despite not having a significant partnership with an equipment manufacturer, the APGA is able to fund the purchase of fitted equipment for many players.
Playing on live broadcasted television will not be the only first for the APGA in 2022. As an organization that works to diversify the game, the APGA has never contested a women’s tournament. Bentley acknowleged this gap saying “we can’t really claim we want to diversify the game and not have any women’s events.” Recognizing this, multiple women’s tournaments are likely to be contested in 2022, with more in 2023.
As 2022 approaches, the APGA looks to continue on their path to making the face of golf reflect the faces of society, both on television and behind the scenes. Bentley recognizes such a significant shift, especially at the game’s most elite levels, may take time. “Our first major champion may only be in junior-high school right now,” he surmised as he looked toward the future.
Now, anybody who has broken 80 knows that even for the most privileged and well funded players, making it to the top of professional golf is extremely difficult. Still, if all goes to plan for the APGA, when a minority player from the inner-city hoists a major trophy they won’t have to navigate way around nearly impossible obstacles related to race or access. They will just need to make more birdies.