Charlie Sifford

Charlie Sifford
— Golfer —

Sifford in 1961
Personal information
Full name Charles Luther Sifford
Born (1922-06-02)June 2, 1922
Charlotte, North Carolina
Died February 3, 2015(2015-02-03) (aged 92)
Cleveland, Ohio
Nationality  United States
Residence Brecksville, Ohio[1]
Career
Turned professional 1948
Former tour(s) PGA Tour
Champions Tour
Professional wins 22
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour 2
PGA Tour Champions 1
Other 19
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament DNP
U.S. Open T21: 1972
The Open Championship DNP
PGA Championship T33: 1965
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame 2004 (member page)
Old Tom Morris Award 2007
Presidential Medal
of Freedom		 2014

Charles Luther Sifford (June 2, 1922 – February 3, 2015) was a 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.

Early life and career

Sifford was born in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1922.[2] He began work as a caddy at the age of thirteen.[3] He moved to Philadelphia when he was 17 years old, where he played against local black golfers.[4]

Sifford began golfing professionally in 1948.[5] He competed in the golf tournaments that black golfers organized for themselves as they were excluded from the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA). Sifford won the United Golf Association's National Negro Open six times,[6] including consecutive wins from 1952 through 1956.[5] 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.[7]

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.[8]

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.[9] Sifford competed in the U. S. Open in 1959 for the first time, and tied for 32nd place.[3] He became a member of the Tour in 1961, thus becoming the first African-American to join the PGA Tour.[2] He went on to win two official money events, the 1967 Greater Hartford Open and the 1969 Los Angeles Open,[10] and finished in the top 60 in overall winnings in his first nine years as a member of the PGA Tour.[11] 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.[3] He competed in the PGA Seniors' Championship, then the leading tournament for golfers over fifty, winning the event in 1975.[8]

Personal life

Sifford's wife, Rose, died in 1998. They had two sons, Charles Jr. and Craig.[2]

Sifford, a Brecksville, Ohio resident, was hospitalized for a stroke one month prior to his death in Cleveland, Ohio.[12] He died on February 3, 2015 following that stroke at the age of 92.[12]

In July 2015, Craig Sifford and his wife, Sandra, were indicted and accused of spending more than a million dollars of Charlie Sifford's money. A Cuyahoga County grand jury indicted them with three counts of theft, one count of money laundering, and one count of unauthorized use of property. Sandra Sifford is also facing an additional charge of receiving stolen property.[13]

Honors

Lee Trevino said of Sifford, "You have to put him in the Jackie Robinson category".[2] Tiger Woods referred to Sifford as "the Grandpa I never had," and that, without Sifford, "I probably wouldn't be here. My dad would have never have picked up the game. Who knows if the clause would still exist or not? But he broke it down".[14]

In 2004, Sifford became the first African American inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.[15] He chose Hall of Fame member South African Gary Player to present him for induction. On June 22, 2006, he received an honorary degree from the University of St Andrews as a Doctor of Laws.[16] He also received the 2007 Old Tom Morris Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), the GCSAA's highest honor.[17]

In 2009, the Northern Trust Open created an exemption for a player who represents the advancement of diversity in golf; it is named in honor of Sifford and is referred to as the Charlie Sifford Exemption.[18]

In 2011, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation changed the name of Revolution Park Golf Course to Dr. Charles L. Sifford Golf Course at Revolution Park.[19]

President Barack Obama awarded him the 2014 Presidential Medal of Freedom.[2][20]

Professional wins

PGA Tour wins

No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 Aug 20, 1967 Greater Hartford Open Invitational −12 (69-70-69-64=272) 1 stroke United States Steve Oppermann
2 Jan12, 1969 Los Angeles Open −8 (63-71-71-71=276) Playoff South Africa Harold Henning

PGA Tour playoff record (1–0)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 1969 Los Angeles Open South Africa Harold Henning Won with birdie on first extra hole

Other wins (12)

Senior PGA Tour wins (1)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of victoryRunner-up
1 Nov 16, 1980 Suntree Classic −9 (70-71-71-67=279) 4 strokes United States Don January

Other senior wins (7)

Results in major championships

Tournament 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
U.S. Open T32 T46 DNP T43 DNP 27 CUT DNP DNP T32 DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T33 DNP DNP T59 CUT
Tournament 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980
U.S. Open DNP T49 T21 CUT 60 CUT DNP DNP CUT DNP DNP
PGA Championship DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP T48 DNP CUT DNP DNP CUT

Note: Sifford never played in the Masters Tournament nor The Open Championship.[3]

DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10

References

  1. ↑ http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2014/11/president_obama_awards_charles.html
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Goldstein, Richard (February 4, 2015). "Charlie Sifford, Who Shattered a Barrier of Race in Golf, Dies at 92". The New York Times.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Corcoran, Tully (June 6, 2014). "Charlie Sifford stayed the course". Fox Sports. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  4. ↑ Chappell, Bill (February 4, 2015). "From Caddy To Pro: Golfer Charlie Sifford Dies At 92". NPR. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  5. 1 2 Crowl, Jonathan (November 26, 2014). "Charlie Sifford, Who Broke PGA's Color Barrier, Gets Presidential Honor". The Post Game. Yahoo Sports. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  6. ↑ Strubberg, Jay (February 4, 2015). "Charlie Sifford, first black golfer on PGA tour, dies at 92". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  7. ↑ Ginell 2015, p. 166.
  8. 1 2 Ballengee, Ryan (February 4, 2015). "Golf pioneer Charlie Sifford dead at 92". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  9. ↑ Glenn, Rhonda (February 7, 2012). "A Hard Road to Golf Glory". USGA.
  10. ↑ Almasy, Steve (February 6, 2015). "Charlie Sifford, who broke golf's color barrier, dies at 92". CNN.
  11. ↑ Dwyre, Bill (November 24, 2014). "President Obama recognizes golf pioneer Charlie Sifford". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  12. 1 2 "Golf pioneer Charlie Sifford dies". ESPN. February 4, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Family Members Indicted for Financial Exploitation of Late Golf Legend Charles Sifford". Ohio Attorney General. July 28, 2015.
  14. ↑ Dufresne, Chris (February 4, 2015). "Tiger Woods reacts to death of golf pioneer Charlie Sifford". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Sifford set to break another barrier: World Golf Hall of Fame will welcome first black member". MSNBC. Associated Press. November 13, 2004. Archived from the original on November 14, 2004.
  16. ↑ "Charlie Sifford passes away at 92". Fox News. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  17. ↑ Evans, Farrell (November 12, 2014). "Sifford's legacy honored by a nation". ESPN. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Sifford Exemption 'out of this world'". ESPN. Associated Press. February 2, 2009.
  19. ↑ "Dr. Charles L. Sifford Golf Course at Revolution Park". Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  20. ↑ "President Obama Announces the Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients". The White House. November 10, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2014.

Further reading

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