Charlie Sifford, who was one of the true pioneers of professional golf, died on Wednesday, February 3, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. He was 92.
Sifford was the first African American to play on the PGA Tour in 1960 at the age of 40. Former PGA great Lee Trevino referred to Sifford as the “Jackie Robinson of Golf.” In 2004, Sifford broke another barrier as he became the first African American to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Professional golf has seen its share of African-American stars over the years: Lee Elder, Calvin Peete, Jim Thorpe, Jim Dent and the biggest star of them all, Tiger Woods. Before all of these men came to the forefront, there was Charlie Sifford, who endured all of the bigotry and racial hostility during his peak playing days while striving to become a PGA Tour member.
Tiger Woods has always pointed to Sifford as the man who paved the way for him to become a professional golfer and have the success he has enjoyed.
One year after Jackie Robinson broke professional baseball’s color barrier in 1947, Sifford made a vow to do accomplish the same feat in professional golf. He even told Robinson of his plans to follow in his footsteps as a professional sports pioneer.
Said Sifford of his encounter with Robinson, “He asked me if I was a quitter. If you’re not a quitter, go ahead and take the challenge. If you’re a quitter, there’s going to be a lot of obstacles you’re going to have to go through to be successful in what you’re trying to do.”
Sifford began his professional career in 1948, competing in all-black golf tournaments. He won the United States Golf Association’s National Negro Open six times, including a run of titles from 1952 to 1956.
Sifford was finally able to join the PGA Tour in 1960. Despite joining the tour when he was past his playing prime, he did win two PGA Tour events, including the Greater Hartford Open in 1967 and the Los Angeles Open in 1969. His best finish as a major tournament was in 1972 when he finished 21st at the U.S. Open. He was also a player on the Champions Tour, where he won eight senior tournaments, including the 1980 Suntree Classic.
In 2014, Sifford was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.
