UTA alum delivers nation’s top junior golf event
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The country’s premier junior golf championship is coming to Dallas next week—thanks in part to a University of Texas at Arlington alumnus.
Fred Perpall, president of the United States Golf Association (USGA), earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from UT Arlington. As he closes out his three-year term as USGA president, he’s helping bring the 2025 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship to Trinity Forest Golf Club. Perpall is a founding member of the club, and The Beck Group—the architecture and construction firm he leads as CEO—built its clubhouse. That connection helped pave the way for his involvement with the USGA.
“It does feel like it’s coming full circle,” said Perpall, the first African American and the first Texan to lead the USGA in its 131-year history. “It’ll be an honor to host one of my last championships at Trinity Forest, but I’m not getting sentimental. I don’t believe in endings. My time as USGA president is ending, but my time in golf is just getting started.”
Before becoming CEO of The Beck Group in 2013, Perpall rose through the firm after joining in 1999—just one year after earning his master’s degree at UTA. A native of Nassau, Bahamas, Perpall played on the 1994 Bahamian National basketball team before earning his bachelor’s degree at UTA in 1996.
He credits his UTA education with laying the foundation for his business and leadership success.
“At UTA, I learned to work hard. I learned to collaborate. I learned to work along with people. I learned to channel my creativity,” he said. “All of those things helped me in my career and leadership journey. I entered UTA as an 18-year-old kid and left as a 22-year-old young man. You can’t separate the success I’ve had—both in business and in golf—from my time at UTA.”
One of his final acts as USGA president will come next weekend: crowning the champion of the 77th U.S. Junior Amateur, which features 264 of the world’s top players under age 19. Past winners include Tiger Woods (1991-93), and North Texas residents Jordan Spieth (2009, 2011) and Scottie Scheffler (2013), now the world’s top-ranked golfer.
This year’s field includes Woods’ son, Charlie, and defending champion Trevor Gutschewski. One of the top rewards for the champion is earning an exemption into the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Country Club in New York.
“The USGA is deeply invested in junior golf because it’s the future of the game,” Perpall said. “Our championships inspire all golfers to want to golf and to want to play better golf. It’s not only about the elite golfers—many of whom will become professional golfers—but it’s about the everyday golfers, giving them the opportunity to witness golf at its best.”
Perpall said USGA championship courses are designed to challenge players both mentally and physically, requiring them to use all 14 clubs in their bags.
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“Players have to hit all the shots—and they have to use the 15th club, which is the one between their ears,” he said. “The history of USGA championships has always been to set up a very tough test—not to embarrass the best players, but to identify them.”
During his presidency, Perpall helped crown U.S. Open champions Wyndham Clark (2023), Bryson DeChambeau (2024) and J.J. Spaun (2025). But he’s most proud of how the sport has grown in recent years.
According to the National Golf Foundation, 47.2 million Americans age 6 and older played golf in some form last year, a 38% increase since 2019. During that time, the game has gained 2.3 million female golfers and 2.1 million more golfers of color.
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“The very people who’ve long been asking for access to the game are now arriving,” Perpall said. “At the USGA, we’ve embraced this shift by investing in public golf, elite player development and leadership pathways—especially for underserved communities. I’m proud of what we’ve built. I’ll keep working to make golf more accessible to all.”
The U.S. Junior Amateur at Trinity Forest is free and open to the public to attend.
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
Celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2025, The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. With a student body of over 41,000, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation’s top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.