Stet News
Cardinal Newman High School graduate and professional golfer Jeffrey Cunningham is part of the future of golf.
Cunningham was a standout player at Drexel University in Philadelphia.
He is the son of the pioneering Black doctor Pamela Jeffrey Cunningham, who died in 2021, and West Palm Beach attorney F. Malcolm Cunningham Jr.
Jeffrey’s grandfather, F. Malcolm Cunningham Sr., represented plaintiffs in the discrimination case that opened the West Palm Beach city course to all.
Cunningham, 24, broke a barrier of his own last year as the first African-American finalist in the BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship.
Stet reached Cunningham yesterday between rounds of a tournament this week at Park Ridge, Okeeheelee and Osprey Point courses.
Why pursue golf? “It has a translation to life. The hardships that you can go through in a round of golf. It’s not about what’s thrown at you, but the way you accept it and turn it into something positive.”
“I actually am just walking in from playing the Palm Beach County Open. I missed out on some opportunities. That’s why there are two more days to a tournament.”
What is your favorite course in Palm Beach County? “Park Ridge. We don’t get elevation in South Florida at all. They’ve moved some serious land around and have some pretty cool native shrubs and a different-styled layout. It’s six Par 3s, six Par 4s and six Par 5s.”
“I’ve played all three of these courses in the open, and there’s no doubt that the Palm Beach County public courses are some of the coolest things you’ll see in the world, really.”
“It’s not very common that you can find public courses this well-kept. Adding The Park that’s coming, that’s really going to add to what we’ve got down here in South Florida.”
What’s next? “I’m aspiring to be a professional golfer on the PGA Tour. I want to use the platform that I can create for myself by my ability to play this game to create more opportunities for everybody to play golf.”
