BLACK IN TIME: A Moment In OUR History - Charles Sifford (570 hits)
Charlie Sifford
Charlie Sifford Won The Long Beach Open On Novemeber 10, 1957 And Became The First Black American To Win A Major Professional Golf Tournament.
Sifford Was Born In Charlotte, North Carolina. He Began Work As A Caddy At Age 13. He Competed In The Golf Tournaments That Black Golfers Organized For Themselves When They Were Excluded From The PGA Of America.
He 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 The Target Of Threats And Racial Abuse There And At Other Tournaments.
He Became A Member Of The Tour In 1961 And Went On To Win Two Official Money Events. He Also Won The 1975 PGA Seniors' Championship -- Then The Leading Tournament For Golfers Over 50.
Sifford Became The First Black American Inducted Into The World Golf Hall of Fame In 2004.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Lifer Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
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