A TUMULTUOUS 2020 HAS BROUGHT ABOUT
a reckoning with systemic racial and social
injustice in our country. Organizations across
industries are prioritizing the need for greater
diversity and inclusion (D&I). For some, this
has meant an awakening. For the PGA TOUR, it
has meant a deeper commitment to important
matters that were already top of mind—and a
decisive plan of action.
Six years ago, the PGA TOUR, led by then-
Commissioner Tim Finchem, launched a renewed,
formalized focus on diversity and inclusion, both
within the organization and in its tournaments
and host communities. The mission was to
reflect the diversity of the regions and communi-
ties where the TOUR plays, to encourage diversity
of background and thought, and to build an
inclusive, welcoming culture throughout the or-
ganization. The TOUR commissioned a workforce
diversity study of sports leagues, and the survey
results showed that while the TOUR was in line
with its peers in terms of gender representation,
it lagged in ethnic diversity. The TOUR partnered
with intern networking organization INROADS to
develop an initial D&I plan that included strate-
gies to attract top minority candidates, and it
also worked with leading global organizational
consulting firm Korn Ferry to update its diversity
mission statement.
By 2016, the entire TOUR workforce had
received D&I training. Companywide D&I
goals were established—so, too, was a multi-
cultural fan development team with a Latinx
focus. Female leadership was increased on the
Tournament Advisory Committee, and the Tourna-
ment Leadership Initiative was also launched.
Individual tournaments’ host organizations were
required to develop and implement their own
D&I plans. In 2017, Commissioner Jay Monahan
signed a pledge supporting CEO Action for Diver-
sity & Inclusion, the largest CEO-driven business
commitment of its kind, which today represents
more than 1,000 CEOs and presidents standing
up for more inclusive workplaces.In early 2020, the PGA TOUR launched its
Inclusion Leadership Council to further develop
its key inclusion goals, collaborating with each
TOUR department and building dedicated cross-
functional teams. Then came the tragic deaths
of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna
Taylor, and the massive social injustice protests
that ensued. The TOUR immediately took action.
“The first thing we saw was a letter from
Commissioner Monahan to all employees on how
we could come together to be about more than
just golf,” says Marsha Oliver, vice president of
community and inclusion. “He was candid and
said that it wasn’t going to be easy. It’s going to
require all of us to participate, and commitment
to diversity, equity, and inclusion is going to be
throughout the fabric of the entire organization.”
At May’s Charles Schwab Challenge, the
TOUR’s first event after the pandemic-related
stoppage, the 8:46 a.m. tee time was left open,
and players, caddies, and everyone else on-
site were asked to take a moment of silence
to respect the memory of George Floyd. At the
Tour Championship at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf
Club—a city and course that have long been at
the forefront of racial equity and social justice
efforts—the TOUR announced a minimum $100
million pledge to support nonprofit organizations
whose work addresses the disparities dispropor-
tionately affecting Black Americans and other
underserved populations.
These actions build on and broaden efforts
the TOUR has made since its founding, with
charitable giving surpassing $3 billion this
past January. Its new social justice campaign
promises to support a range of services—includ-
ing youth development, education, health and
human services, community/economic growth
and empowerment, and racial equity and social
justice—by tapping into longstanding relation-
ships with local nonprofits via the 130 events
that the TOUR runs across its six different tours.
“We host tournaments every week, and we
have tournament teams that live and work andCONTENT FROM PGA TOURGROWING THE GAME
The PGA TOUR’s drive to lead with diversity
and inclusion has only increased in 2020.
“THE EVENTS OF
2020 HAVE REALLY
MOTIVATED US TO
WORK WITH OUR
TOURNAMENT
TEAMS TO
DETERMINE HOW
WE CAN, THROUGH
A RACIAL EQUITY
LENS, SUPPORT
LOCAL PROGRAMS
AND DO MORE.”
MARSHA OLIVER
Vice President,
Community and
Inclusion, PGA TOUR