ABOUT
DR. CHARLIE SIFFORD SR.
"Through his years of determination to play and succeed against tough odds in his early years...he has made himself a symbol that has inspired younger black golfers of this country and around the world."
The Legacy of Dr. Charlie Sifford Sr.
Charles Luther Sifford (June 2, 1922 – February 3, 2015) was an American professional golfer who was the first African American to play on the PGA Tour. He won the Greater Hartford Open in 1967 and the Los Angeles Open in 1969. He also won the United Golf Association's National Negro Open six times, and the PGA Seniors' Championship in 1975.
For his contributions to golf, Sifford was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004. He was awarded the Old Tom Morris Award in 2007, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014, and an honorary doctorate from the University of St Andrews. Lee Trevino referred to Sifford as the "Jackie Robinson" of golf, and Tiger Woods acknowledged that Sifford paved the way for his career.
Dr. Charlie Sifford Sr.
Civil rights trailblazer Charlie Sifford joins Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus as the only golfers ever to receive this nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
President Barack Obama bestowed Presidential Medal of Freedom on Dr. Charlie Sifford Sr. The man considered the "Jackie Robinson of golf" was the only sports personage on the star-studded roster of recipients.
"On tour, Charlie was sometimes banned form clubhouse restaurants. folks threatened him, shouted slurs from the gallery, kicked his ball into the rough," Obama recounted, breaking away from his prepared remarks when he heard Sifford chuckling.
"Charlie’s laughing about that," a smiling Obama said to guffaws in the White House East Room. "My ball’s always in the rough."
THE LEGEND'S EARLY CAREER
Dr. Charlie Sifford Sr. was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1922. He began work as a caddy at the age of thirteen. He moved to Philadelphia when he was 17 years old, where he played against local black golfers.
Sifford began golfing professionally in 1948. He competed in the golf tournaments that black golfers organized for themselves as they were excluded from the Professional Golfers' Association America (PGA).
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Sifford won the United Golf Association's National Negro Open six times, including consecutive wins from 1952 through 1956.
Sifford later worked as a valet and golf instructor to the singer Billy Eckstine, who also financially supported his career when he was unable to find sponsorship.
Sifford first attempted to qualify for a PGA Tour event at the 1952 Phoenix Open, using an invitation obtained by former World heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis. Sifford was subjected to threats and racial abuse there and at other tournaments.
In 1957, Sifford won the Long Beach Open, which was not an official PGA Tour event, but was co-sponsored by the PGA and had some well-known white players in the field. Sifford competed in the U. S. Open in 1959 for the first time, and tied for 32nd place. He became a member of the Tour in 1961, thus becoming the first African-American to join the PGA Tour.
He went on to win two official money events in the, 1967 Greater Hartford Open and the 1969 Los Angeles Open, and finished in the top 60 in overall winnings in his first nine years as a member of the PGA Tour.
He also won the 1963 Puerto Rico Open and at the 1971 Sea Pines. He tied for 21st place at the 1972 U.S. Open, his best finish in a major tournament. He competed in the PGA Seniors' Championship, then the leading tournament for golfers over fifty, winning the event in 1975.
