We’ve featured a handful of Veterans from professional sports on this podcast including an NFL player, an NCAA coach, and an NWSL goalie. This week we add a golfer to that list. Navy Veteran Billy Hurley is the only military Veteran currently listed on the PGA tour.
Hurley is a 2004 graduate of the United States Naval Academy, where he earned a bachelor’s
degree in Quantitative Economics. He also was named Academic All-American.
He was commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy in 2004, rising to the rank of Lieutenant. After his graduation from the academy, he was assigned to the USS Gettysburg, a guided-missile cruiser based in Mayport, Florida, where he was a combat electronic division officer and on the USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
He had an extended deployment in the Persian Gulf, where he held the position of guided missile destroyer’s force protection assistant.
He left the Navy to pursue a career in golf and has successfully made it onto the PGA tour. Billy will talk to us about his military service, pursuing golf, and how his military career has contributed to his success as a golfer.
The #VApodcast is now available in iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play, and Spotify. Search “Borne the Battle” in your podcast app of choice to subscribe.
Topics in this story
More Stories
How much do you know about VA care, benefits and services? Don’t miss out on what you've earned—check out the "2025 VA Federal Benefits Guide for Veterans, Dependents, Survivors, and Caregivers" handbook to learn more.
VA has updated its process for awarding G.I. Bill benefits. This means that many Veterans who served multiple periods of military service (for example, Veterans who reenlisted) may be eligible for additional benefits for themselves or their beneficiaries.
Summer Sports Clinic is a rehabilitative and educational sporting event for eligible Veterans with a range of disabilities.