Pro golfer Charlie Sifford hailed for fighting racist policies; will receive Pres. Medal of Freedom

[Auggie]

(AP) CLEVELAND – Tiger Woods might not be a world famous athlete were it not for Charlie Sifford and other black golfers who took a stand in the 1950s against the racist policies that denied them their chance to compete in the sport they loved.

Sifford, 92, will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Nov. 24 at the White House, the nation's highest civilian honor. He's previously been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame and has received an honorary doctorate from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, for being the first black golfer to receive a PGA Tour card.

While Sifford is an obscure figure outside of golf, those familiar with the game's history compare him to Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball's color barrier in 1947. Sifford, in his 1992 autobiography, "Just Let Me Play," wrote that he believed his struggle even mightier than Robinson's.

SNIP

Sifford won the UGA's (tournament circuit established in the mid-1920s by black golfers) biggest event, the National Negro Open, six times, including five successive years from 1952 to 1956. He still counts those championships as his most significant victories despite having won PGA Tour events in 1967 and 1969 and the 1975 PGA Seniors' Championship.

MORE: http://www.pga.com/news/pga/charlie-sifford-hailed-tiger-woods-and-others-breaking-golf-barriers



Makes me happy and sad at the same time. It's about time he was recognized.

[ProfessorGAC]

1. He Was A Cool Dude

Should have been one of the all time great teachers of the short game. Guy was a magician around and on the greens. And we didn't see him at his best because when he was young the only place for him was the caddyshack or on a mower.

Saw some old films of him doing a show and tell. Guy was hitting an 8 iron chip that would go 30 feet, then stop within 20 inches. Then hit what looked like the same shot and it would roll 40 feet. I couldn't even tell what he was doing differently.

I could only do that once in a while and that would be by accident.
GAC