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Stephen Curry-backed Howard golf teams win historic titles in 2026

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The women's squad secured its first-ever Northeast Conference title behind Marley Franklin on April 21, while the men completed a comeback on April 27 to claim their third straight league crown. Following these historic conference victories, Director of Golf Sam Puryear was named the 2025–2026 HBCU Coach of the Year as both teams advanced to NCAA Regional play. Beyond collegiate competition, the program trains at Argyle Country Club in Silver Spring, Maryland, utilizing the home facility to host tournaments and run junior initiatives designed to expand youth access to the sport.

Key points

  • Corporate partnerships with Under Armour and Callaway provided essential uniforms, equipm…: Corporate partnerships with Under Armour and Callaway provided essential uniforms, equipment, and resources to build the teams from scratch.
  • The dual golf championships contributed to a university-wide total of 10 conference title…: The dual golf championships contributed to a university-wide total of 10 conference titles won by Howard Athletics in 2025–2026.
  • Operating out of Argyle Country Club, the program actively connects collegiate achievemen…: Operating out of Argyle Country Club, the program actively connects collegiate achievement with local youth golf access initiatives.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

A chance meeting with a university student seven years ago led to a major change in Howard University's golf programme. The journey reached a historic moment in 2026, when both the men's and women's teams won their conference championships. The Howard Bison women's golf team won its first-ever Northeast Conference (NEC) championship in April 2026. Just days later, the men's team secured its third consecutive NEC title. The two victories marked a major achievement for a Division I golf programme that did not exist until NBA superstar Stephen Curry provided six years of financial support. The historic wins also helped Howard University Director of Golf Sam Puryear earn the 2025–2026 HBCU Coach of the Year award, as reported by Howard University's official publication, The Dig.

Chance meeting on campus

The story behind the championship teams began in early 2019, when Curry visited Howard University's campus. Otis Ferguson IV, a senior student at Howard and a keen golfer, approached the Golden State Warriors star. He told Curry about his unsuccessful efforts to convince the university to create an official golf team.…

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