GOLF DIGEST: Bahamian Fred Perpall could become first Black president of USGA

GOLF DIGEST: Bahamian Fred Perpall could become first Black president of USGA
Fred Perpall, a member of the USGA executive committee and chairman of the Championship Committee, speaks at a press conference in August announcing the USGA's long-term relationship with Oakmont Country Club and Merion Golf Club. (JOHN MUMMERT)

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — With its latest slate of nominees for the executive committee, the USGA is set to have its first Black president in the association’s 128-year history.

For 2022, Fred Perpall has been nominated as president-elect, a position the USGA created in 2019 to help with the transition of leadership on the executive committee. He would then be in line to take over as president in 2023 after current President Stu Francis finishes the third year of his three-year term.

A native of The Bahamas who lives in Dallas, Perpall is CEO of the Beck Group, where he oversees the company’s architectural design, planning, real estate consultancy and construction businesses.

He has served on the USGA Executive Committee since 2019 and currently chairs the Championship Committee as well as working on the Amateur Status Committee. He also is a member of the board of trustees that helped build Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas.

Perpall, 47, played basketball and ran track at the University of Texas at Arlington and was a member of the 1994 Bahamian national basketball team.

Sinclair Eaddy Jr, of Baltimore, Maryland, and Kevin Hammer of Boyton Beach, Florida, also have been nominated to serve three-year terms on the executive committee, replacing the outgoing Mike Bailey and Stephen Beebe.

The association’s candidates will be voted on at the upcoming USGA Annual Meeting in February.

In a press release, USGA CEO Mike Whan said: “I’m excited to work with Stu, Fred and all the members of the USGA Executive Committee. I’m grateful for their support of the organization and our mission and their commitment to and passion for the future of the game.”

In addition to Francis remaining as president, the other returning members of the executive committee for 2022 are: Perpall, Tony Anderson of Chicago and Deborah Platt Majoras of Cincinnati, Ohio — all three of whom will be voted on for a second three-year term in February; Thomas Barkin of Richmond, Virginia; Paul Brown of Brookeville, Maryland; Chuck Brymer of Rancho Santa Fe, California; Cathy Engelbert of Berkeley Heights, New Jersey; Kendra Graham of Winter Park, Florida; Courtney Myhrum of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Tony Petitti of Irvington, New York; Nick Price of Hobe Sound, Florida; and Sharon Ritchey of Longboat Key, Florida.

See the full Golf Digest article at https://www.golfdigest.com/story/usga-2022-executive-committee-fred-perpall-nominated-president-elect.