Twelve months ago, Bethpage was the scene of Europe’s famous Ryder Cup victory. Now it was the turn of the next generation to strut their stuff on the infamous Black course…
There are few more recognizable backdrops in golf than Bethpage’s Black course. The legendary New York venue has hosted some of the biggest events in the sport, but recently it provided the stage for something very different – and just as important to the future of the game – as the next generation of golfers arrived to compete for the Curry Cup on Stephen Curry’s Underrated Tour.
The season-ending event brought together the leading boys and girls from the 2026 Tour, with the top 12 point earners in each division joined by previous champions and the leading European finishers for two days of championship golf. For the players, many of whom have ambitions of playing college golf and eventually turning professional, it was an opportunity to experience a venue and tournament environment usually reserved for the world’s best players.
For Stephen Curry, it was another milestone in a vision that began in 2022.
The four-time NBA champion and two-time MVP launched Underrated with a simple objective: to create greater equity, access and opportunity for young golfers, particularly those from communities that have traditionally been underrepresented in the sport.
Five seasons on, that vision continues to gather momentum. The Tour is now firmly established as a platform for aspiring golfers aged 12 to 18, providing competitive opportunities alongside education, networking and exposure to the people and resources that can help shape a future in golf.
Fujikura – the global leaders in composite shaft innovation – has been on site at Underrated events providing driver fittings, giving players access to the same level of equipment expertise and attention to detail that the brand provides to professionals at the highest levels of the game, starting with the season-opening event as the Tour continued its European leg at the iconic Ryder Cup venue, The Belfry.
Across the Atlantic, the Tour visited the University of Florida, Troon North Golf Club in Arizona, Seaview Golf Club in New Jersey, and Hillcrest Country Club in Los Angeles. Each event provided another chance for the players to compete against their peers, learn from those around them and experience different aspects of the game.
By the time they reached Bethpage, the stakes were higher. In the boys’ division, Evan Pena-Colon, representing Puerto Rico, emerged as the 2026 Curry Cup champion. In the girls’ division, Alexis Lamadrid completed a particularly special journey. Lamadrid has been part of Underrated since the first season, competing alongside her sister and earning her place in the field year after year. She had already enjoyed a memorable 2026 campaign, winning in Los Angeles and securing her future at the University of Texas.
Steph Curry with 2026 Curry Cup champions Evan Pena-Colon and Alexis Lamadrid at Bethpage Black. (Credit: Underrated Tour)
For both champions, the Bethpage Black experience represents more than another tournament victory. It is another step towards the bigger ambitions that brought them to Underrated in the first place.
That is ultimately what makes the Curry Cup such an appropriate finale. Five seasons in, Underrated is already providing a glimpse of what that future could look like.
And with another Curry Cup now in the history books, the next generation is already looking towards what comes next.
Fujikura Composites America is proud to have supported and partnered with the Underrated Golf Tour throughout the 2026 season. By providing on-site fitting expertise and access to Ventus shafts built to individual player specifications, Fujikura is committed to providing the next generation of golfers with the same opportunity and professionalism available to tour players.