ZAKIYA DARA RANDALL
Professional Golfer and Academic Student
The Youngest and The First Black Woman to Win a US Golf Open
Zakiya Randall has made history by being crowned the first African American & youngest lady to ever win first place in US Womens’ Golf Open Qualifier at the age of 17 by being the first woman in the US state of Georgia to ever win the Golf Championship level against all the amateur men who were competing against her. in 2002 when she was crowned the female Golf Player of the Year in 2006, she was to again have the entire world marveled as she was the only Atlantan to ever win a medal and the first place in Women’s Open Local qualifier in 71 years of golf history. Her career later broadened into media, music production, modeling, and public speaking, reflecting a cross-disciplinary professional path rooted in performance and creativity.
Early Life and Education
Randall was born in Arlington, Virginia, and raised primarily in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area before moving to Atlanta, Georgia during childhood. She is the only child of Donnie Randall, an engineer, and Tanya Randall, an information technology consultant. Her heritage includes African-American ancestry through her father and African-American, Native American, and Irish ancestry through her mother.
She was educated through homeschooling, where her interests in athletics, entrepreneurship, and music developed early. Randall trained in classical piano and participated in youth entrepreneurship programs. She completed high school in 2009 and later attended the University of Maryland, where she studied computer science.
Graduate degrees:
Available public biographical information does not confirm completed graduate degrees.
Athletic Career
Randall began playing golf at age ten after being introduced to the sport through a family connection. Her rapid development was evident within her first year of competition, when she won every tournament she entered and earned an Atlanta Junior Golf Association championship along with a Player of the Year distinction in her age division.
As a junior golfer, she gained national attention by winning the majority of the tournaments she entered, including a dominant stretch of victories across regional events. In 2005, she captured the overall champion title on the Georgia PGA Junior Tour while winning each tournament within her division.
At age fifteen, Randall achieved a notable milestone by earning first place and a medal in a U.S. Women’s Open local qualifier, becoming the only Atlanta-based competitor to do so that year. Her performance led to a nomination for Amateur Athlete of the Year at the Atlanta Sports Awards.
By seventeen, she made history in Georgia as the first female player to win at the championship level against an all-male amateur field on the Golf Channel Tour. In 2012, she gained broader public visibility as a contestant on the Golf Channel reality series Big Break Atlantis.
Creative and Professional Work
Beyond athletics, Randall developed a parallel career in the creative industries. Her background in classical piano contributed to her work as a music producer, while modeling and public speaking became additional professional avenues. Her speaking work has focused on performance, identity, resilience, and multidisciplinary career development.
Awards and Athletic Honors
Documented awards and recognitions from her junior and amateur career include:
- Atlanta Junior Golf Association Championship (early junior career)
- Player of the Year — Intermediate Girls (12 and under)
- Georgia PGA Junior Tour — Overall Champion (2005)
- First place and medal — U.S. Women’s Open local qualifier (2006)
- Nominee — Amateur Athlete of the Year, Atlanta Sports Awards (2006)
- Historic achievement: first female golfer in Georgia to win a championship-level event against an all-male amateur field on the Golf Channel Tour
Accolades and Distinction
- Recognized as a standout junior golfer with extensive tournament wins during early competition years
- National and international attention for dominant junior performance
- Television appearance on Big Break Atlantis, expanding public recognition
- Known for combining sport, music production, modeling, and speaking into a multi-disciplinary career identity
Summary
Zakiya Dara Randall is noted for exceptional early achievement in junior golf, including championship titles, national recognition, and historic competitive milestones. Her career later broadened into media, music production, modeling, and public speaking, reflecting a cross-disciplinary professional path rooted in performance and creativity.