Fred Perpall was elected president of the USGA on Saturday, becoming the first Black man to hold the position in the 128-year history of the organisation.
Perpall, 47, of Dallas, was nominated in December and most recently served on the USGA Executive Committee as the president elect. His election to the three-year term was made official at the USGA’s Annual Meeting in Napa, California.
“We talk too much about what separates us, and not enough about what unites us. In golf, we’re a community,” Perpall said as he spoke to the USGA’s Member Clubs, Allied Golf Associations and invited guests on Saturday. “When we lean in together, when we include more people in the game, not only will the game get better, but our lives will get better, too.”
A native of the Bahamas who played basketball and ran track at the University of Texas at Arlington and was a member of the 1994 Bahamian national basketball team, Perpall replaces outgoing president Stu Francis, whose term expired at the end of 2023. He has worked on the Executive Committee since 2019, most recently chairing the Championship Committee and helping launch the inaugural US Adaptive Open this past summer.
“The USGA is stronger with global business leaders like Fred on our board,” said Mike Whan, USGA CEO. “Beyond his work with golf in the last three years, Fred clearly loves the game and wants to leave it better than he found it. We couldn’t ask for better energy to propel our strategy and mission, and we’re rolling up our sleeves with that inspiration and drive to guide us.”
