Charlie Sifford


Charles Luther Sifford was an American professional golfer. Early in his career, he won a number of All-Negro events, winning the United Golf Association's National Negro Open six times. Later in his career, he was permitted to play on the PGA Tour, winning two events, the 1967 Greater Hartford Open and the 1969 Los Angeles Open. His huge influence was later acknowledged by Tiger Woods: without Sifford, "I probably wouldn't be here. My dad would have never picked up the game. Who knows if the clause would still exist or not? But he broke it down."

Early life and amateur career

Sifford 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. He often played at Philadelphia's Cobbs Creek Golf Course, a public facility that did not restrict players based on race, gender, or ethnicity.

Professional career

In 1948, Sifford turned professional. He competed in the golf tournaments that black golfers organized for themselves as they were excluded from the Professional Golfers' Association of America. 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 at the 1959 U.S. Open for the first time and tied for 32nd place. He became a member of the tour in 1961 and became the first African-American to join the PGA Tour. He went on to win two official money events, 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 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.

Personal life

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

Death and legacy

Sifford, a resident of Brecksville, Ohio, was hospitalized for a stroke one month before he died in Cleveland, Ohio. He died on February 3, 2015, at the age of 92.
Immediately after his death, Tiger Woods, speaking to the Los Angeles Times, spoke of Sifford's significance. He referred to Sifford as "the Grandpa I never had." He stated without Sifford "I probably wouldn't be here. My dad would have never picked up the game. Who knows if the clause would still exist or not? But he broke it down."

Awards and honors

PGA Tour wins (2)

PGA Tour playoff record
No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
11969Los Angeles Open|1928

Other wins (12)

Other senior wins (7)

Tournament19701971197219731974197519761977197819791980
U.S. OpenT49T21CUT60CUTCUT
PGA ChampionshipT48CUTCUT

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
''Note: Sifford never played in the Masters Tournament or The Open Championship.''