Howard University is bringing back its golf teams for the first time in decades — with a big assist from NBA star Stephen Curry.
Curry announced Monday that he will financially support the HBCU’s golf teams for the next six years. The Bison plan to have men’s and women’s teams in place for the 2020-21 season.
Curry, a three-time NBA champion and two-time MVP, is expected to attend a news conference at the HBCU in Washington, D.C., on Monday.
Howard previously competed in golf at the Division II level; school officials believe its teams were disbanded sometime during the 1970s. The school will begin a search for coaches, potential players and a course for practice and competitive rounds in the next few months.
Curry, who attended Davidson College, became interested in helping bring back the HBCU’s golf teams after meeting Howard senior and golfer Otis Ferguson IV during a campus visit to watch a documentary film in January.
“Golf is a sport that has changed my life in ways that are less tangible, but just as impactful,” Curry said in a release. “It’s a discipline that challenges your mental wherewithal from patience to focus, and is impossible to truly master, so when you hear about these passionate student athletes who have the talent but don’t have a fair shot at the game, it’s tough. I feel really honored to play a small role in the rich history of Howard University.”
Curry played golf on his high school team and has appeared as an amateur and celebrity golfer in tournaments during his NBA career. In 2017, he fired an opening-round 74 while playing on an exemption at the Web.com Tour’s Ellie Mae Classic. He shot 71 in the same event the next year. He missed the cut in both tournaments.
Curry is also is a co-host of the ABC mini-golf TV show, “Holey-Moley.”