First Tee alumna wants to inspire the next generation of Native American golfers

When Taylor Harvey volunteered at a Nike N7 golf camp before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was an emotional experience for the First Tee – Phoenix alumna, she said.

“Honestly, seeing all these Native kids, it really touched me because I’d never seen a golf course packed with so many people of color. That’s the future of golf,” she said.

Nike has been serving tribal communities through community investments and N7 golf sport camps in the area for over 10 years. The latest edition of the event took place in advance of the WM Phoenix Open and saw about 200 Native American kids experience golf – many for the first time. The Nike N7 Sports Camp, supported by The Notah Begay III Foundation, First Tee – Phoenix and US Sports Camps, and PGA Tour partner Mayo Clinic, was designed to empower Indigenous youth in these communities through the power of sport, because kids who play are healthier, happier and more successful in school and in life.

And the momentum continues beyond this week. Nike N7 will present two more Sports Camps for tribal community youth – football on Feb. 10 and softball/baseball on Feb. 18. Additionally, Mayo Clinic announced during the event it is also providing funding to bring First Tee programming to three tribal schools in the Phoenix area as part of its ongoing commitment to serve the state’sNative communities through efforts including clinical support for the Phoenix Indian Medical Center.

“I think diversity and representation is so important, especially in a game that hasn’t always looked like me,” said Harvey, who is Black, German and Native American. She’s currently a member of the golf team at Prairie View A&M, an HBCU near Houston. “To see such talented and amazing teammates like mine, it’s grown my perspective,” she explained. “It’s not just about us but future generations and making sure there’s more people of color and women playing golf.”

It was the WM Phoenix Open that first brought Harvey to the sport. She was just eight when her dad won tickets to the event through work. They saw a First Tee tent at the tournament, and the rest is history. “I became close with all my mentors and coaches,” she said. “It’s just such a family atmosphere.”

Harvey is still involved with First Tee as an intern with the Houston chapter, where she worked with PGA TOUR Superstore to create a new Friday afternoon clinic for junior players who want to take their game to the next level. “I was really excited that my idea was meaningful,” she said.

She took her own game to new heights at the 2022 Cadence Bank Houston Open, where she joined two other Prairie View A&M golfers and PGA TOUR players Stewart Cink and Matt NeSmith for a round during the pro-am. It wasn’t her first time playing alongside elite company. Harvey was partnered with PGA TOUR Champions player John Cook at the 2018 PURE Insurance Championship Impacting First Tee.

Now she’s passionate about helping other Native students earn opportunities through golf, she said. She recently met Native American golf legend Notah Begay at a tournament in North Carolina, where she introduced herself and discussed partnering with his foundation to make golf more accessible in tribal areas. She blogs about Native Christian golf, and ultimately, she’d love to bring a First Tee chapter to a reservation community. “I feel like Native people have just been so underprivileged, even today. We need to make them feel important and comfortable if we want to bring them into the fold,” she said.