Ginger Howard
Personal information
Full nameGinger Howard
Born (1994-03-15) March 15, 1994
Sporting nationality United States
Career
Turned professional2012

Ginger Howard (born March 15, 1994)[1] is an American professional golfer. At the age of 17, she was the youngest African American golfer to turn professional.[2] In 2010, she was the first-ever Black golfer to play on a Junior Ryder Cup team, helping Team USA to win the title in Scotland.[2] She later became one of four African American golfers playing in the 2016 LPGA Tour.[3]

Early life and education

Howard grew up in West Philadelphia,[4] and was introduced to golf at the age of 6 by her father, Robert, who worked as a retail manager; her mother, Gianna, worked as a nurse. In 2003, the family moved from Maryland to Florida to be closer to better golf courses.[2]

In Florida, Howard was home-schooled in the mornings with her younger sister Robbi,[4] and then coached at the IMG Academy in the afternoons.[2] She later turned down offers from Duke University and Florida State University to focus on her professional golf career.[5][6]

Amateur career

In May 2007, at the age of 13, Howard advanced through the first stage of qualifying for the U.S. Women's Open, shooting 75 in a USGA local event at Imperial Golf Club in Naples, Florida.[7] She qualified for a total of four U.S. Girls' Juniors.[5] In 2010, Howard was the runner-up at the Junior PGA Championship, losing in a three-hole play-off,[8][9] to earn her a spot on Team USA's Junior Ryder Cup squad.[10][11] She was the first African American junior golfer named to a Ryder Cup team.[2] In September 2010, Team USA retained the Junior Ryder Cup title by beating Europe at Gleneagles, Scotland,[12] the first time the U.S. team had won on foreign soil.[13]

Professional career

Howard turned professional in 2012.[14] During her rookie year, Howard won five Suncoast Series Pro titles,[15] and finished first on the money list at the end of the season.[5] She also played on the LPGA's development circuit, the Symetra Tour,[16] where she was one of the youngest players on the circuit.[6]

In December 2015, Howard earned conditional status on the LPGA Tour through qualifying school,[17][18] becoming one of four African American women on the tour in 2016,[19] and one of eight black members of the LPGA since 1964.[3]

At the end of 2018, Howard's seventh year on the Symetra Tour,[20] she stopped playing competitive golf to focus on rehabilitation from chronic shoulder and knee injuries.[21]

Having returned to competitive golf, in April 2021, Howard won the Mackie Construction Ladies Professional Championship on the Women’s All Pro Tour.[22]

References

  1. ↑ "Previewing the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup – The U.S. Team" (PDF). PGA Links. 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Aitcheson, Connie (March 2014). "Culture Club". Essence. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via EBSCOHost.
  3. 1 2 "History Made as LPGA Gains More African American Golfers". African American Golfer's Digest. Winter 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via EBSCOHost.
  4. 1 2 Jensen, Mike (August 3, 2011). "At 17, a rising talent in golf: Already a pro, she's shooting for the LPGA Tour". Philadelphia Inquirer. Pennsylvania. pp. A1, A4. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. 1 2 3 Bell, Daryl (August 11, 2013). "Ginger Howard has chance at LPGA history". The Philadelphia Tribune. Archived from the original on September 6, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  6. 1 2 "For June 25, 2013". CBS This Morning. June 25, 2013. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Gale OneFile.
  7. ↑ Henry, Mike (May 17, 2007). "One for the Ages". The Bradenton Herald. Bradenton, Florida. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Faces in the Crowd". Sports Illustrated. Vol. 113, no. 8. September 6, 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2010 – via EBSCOHost.
  9. ↑ Miller, Ann (August 6, 2010). "Isagawa Does It". The Honolulu Advertiser. p. C5. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Dill, Jason (August 19, 2010). "Bradenton duo will stick together at Junior Ryder Cup". The Bradenton Herald. pp. C1, C3. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Stutzman, Randy (August 7, 2010). "U.S. Junior Ryder Cup team unveiled, features 12 top boys and girls". PGA of America. Archived from the original on May 5, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Young Europeans do us proud, but it's first blood to Americans". Belfast Telegraph. September 29, 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Gale OneFile.
  13. ↑ "U.S. Wins Junior Ryder Cup For First Time On Foreign Soil". Golf World. Vol. 64, no. 12. 2010. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via EBSCOHost.
  14. ↑ "Ginger Howard". Epson Tour. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  15. ↑ Dill, Jason (January 28, 2016). "Professional attitude". The Bradenton Herald. Bradenton, Florida. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Mickey, Lisa D. (December 8, 2012). "Seeking to Qualify but Also to Inspire". The New York Times. p. SP9. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Philly native gets LPGA tour card". The Philadelphia Inquirer. December 7, 2015. p. D10. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ↑ Kern, Mike (June 2, 2016). "LPGA dream comes true for Howard". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 46. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ↑ Cook, Debert (August 25, 2016). "Four Black Women Now Permeate the LPGA Tour". African American Golfer's Digest. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  20. ↑ Juliano, Joe (May 24, 2018). "A course fit for the pros". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. C5. Retrieved September 6, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ "Ginger Howard: Woman with a Mission". Womens All Pro Tour. May 7, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
  22. ↑ "Howard finishes strong, wins Abilene women's pro golf event by two strokes". Abilene Reporter News. April 9, 2021. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
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