What does it really take to reach the LPGA? For Ray Lee, it’s more than talent. It’s commitment, sacrifice, and navigating a path that looks very different from most professional sports.
In golf, there’s no guaranteed system waiting on the other side of turning pro. Early on, players are responsible for funding their own careers, covering travel, entry fees, training, and everything in between.
That reality is something Lee spoke candidly about when our founder Carita Parks sat down with her for Women in the Game, a new series from Double Take Sports focused on telling deeper stories across the sports landscape.
Lee’s journey isn’t just about the financial grind. It also reflects a broader conversation about representation in golf. Less than one percent of professional golfers are Black, and only a small number of Black women have ever earned LPGA Tour status. That context doesn’t define Ray Lee, but it does help explain the significance of the path she’s on.
From her early introduction to the game to the process of working toward the LPGA, including qualifying stages like Q School and the level of training required to compete, Lee’s story offers a clear look at what it takes to pursue golf at the highest level.
There’s the visible side of the sport: competition, performance, and opportunity. And then there’s everything behind it: the cost, the structure, and the persistence required to keep going.
Ray Lee is navigating all of it as she continues building her career, with her sights set on earning a place on the LPGA Tour.
Watch the full interview below.