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Lee Elder

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Lee Elder
Elder in 1975
Personal information
Full nameRobert Lee Elder
Born(1934-07-14)July 14, 1934
Dallas, Texas
DiedNovember 28, 2021(2021-11-28) (aged 87)
Escondido, California
Height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight175 lb (79 kg; 12.5 st)
Sporting nationality United States
Career
Turned professional1959
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Champions Tour
Professional wins16
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour4
PGA Tour Champions8
Other4
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentT17: 1979
PGA ChampionshipT11: 1974
U.S. OpenT11: 1979
The Open ChampionshipT36: 1979
Achievements and awards
Bob Jones Award2019

Robert Lee Elder (July 14, 1934 – November 28, 2021)[1] was an American professional golfer. In 1975, he became the first black golfer to play in the Masters Tournament, where he missed the cut.[2][3] Elder was invited to the tournament after he won the 1974 Monsanto Open.

Early life

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In 1934, Elder was born in Dallas, Texas. He is the son of Charles and Almeta Elder. Elder was one of ten children. He was nine years old when his father was killed in Germany during World War II and his mother died three months later.

At the age of 12, Elder found himself moving from one ghetto to another before being sent to Los Angeles, California to live with his aunt. Elder frequently cut classes to work as a caddie and after two years at Manual Arts High School he dropped out.

Amateur career

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Elder did not play a full round of 18 holes until he was sixteen years old. He took jobs in pro shops and locker rooms; in addition, he caddied where he developed his game by watching his clients, and playing when he had the opportunity. Elder's game developed sufficiently for him to start hustling. His career took a big step after playing a match with heavyweight boxer Joe Louis, which led to Louis’s golf instructor, Ted Rhodes, taking Elder under his wing for three years. Under the tutelage of Rhodes, Elder was able to polish his game and he began playing in tournaments.

Professional career

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In 1959, Elder turned professional. That year he was also was drafted into the U.S. Army and was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington. While at Fort Lewis, Elder had the good fortune to be under the command of Colonel John Gleaster who was an avid golfer. Gleaster put Elder in a Special Services unit, which allowed him the opportunity to play golf on a steady basis.

Elder was discharged from the army in 1961, and joined the United Golf Association Tour (UGA) for black players (at the time they were excluded from the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA) which was only "for members of the Caucasian race").[4] He had a dominant stretch in which he won 18 of 22 consecutive tournaments, but this tour did not have large prizes, often in the range of $500.

The PGA lifted its color barrier in 1961, meaning non white players could become members.[4] In 1967 Elder raised enough money to attend qualifying school for the PGA Tour. At 1967 PGA Tour Qualifying School, Elder finished 9th out of a class of 122 and gained his tour card for 1968. That year, he placed 40th on the money list, bringing in approximately $38,000. The highlight of Elder's rookie season was a memorable playoff loss to Jack Nicklaus at the American Golf Classic. Elder lost to Nicklaus on the fifth hole of sudden death.

In 1971, Elder accepted a personal invitation from Gary Player to participate in the South African PGA Championship in Johannesburg, South Africa. The event marked the first integrated tournament in the country’s history. The country had apartheid policies in effect at the time but he agreed to participate after the South African government agreed not to subject him or spectators to the usual segregation requirements. Elder also played in a number of other tournaments on the Southern African Tour plus he won the 1971 Nigerian Open.

In 1974, Elder earned his first win on the PGA Tour at the Monsanto Open which gained him entry to the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia the following April. This marked the first time Augusta National Golf Club invited a specifically-black American golfer to compete in the Masters Tournament. Elder shot a 74 on day one and a 78 on day two of the 1975 Masters, missing the cut, but the impact of his presence in the field was clear. Elder went on to play in the Masters five more times from 1977 to 1981 and compiled two 'Top-20' finishes among his made cuts at Augusta. In 1979, Elder made the cut in all 4 majors between the ages of 44 and 45. The 1979 tournament was the only time Elder competed in the British Open.

In 1979, he became the first black American golfer to qualify for play in the Ryder Cup.

In 1984, at the age of 50, Elder joined the Senior PGA Tour. He won a total of eight tournaments on the senior tour between 1984 and 1988.

In April 2021, Elder took part in the traditional ceremonial start to the Masters.[5]

Personal life

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Elder met his first wife, Rose Harper, at a golf tournament in Washington, D.C. In 1966, they married and later divorced.

Elder and his then wife, Harper, set up the Lee Elder Scholarship Fund in 1974. This fund was developed to offer monetary aid to low-income young men and women seeking money for college.

Elder died on November 28, 2021, in Escondido, California at the age of 87.[6][7][8]

Professional wins (16)

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PGA Tour wins (4)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 Apr 21, 1974 Monsanto Open −10 (67-69-71-67=274) Playoff England Peter Oosterhuis
2 May 2, 1976 Houston Open −10 (70-72-67-69=278) 1 stroke United States Forrest Fezler
3 Jul 9, 1978 Greater Milwaukee Open −13 (66-70-70-69=275) Playoff United States Lee Trevino
4 Aug 20, 1978 American Express Westchester Classic −10 (71-68-68-67=274) 1 stroke United States Mark Hayes

PGA Tour playoff record (2–2)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 1968 American Golf Classic United States Frank Beard, United States Jack Nicklaus Nicklaus won with birdie on fifth extra hole
Beard eliminated by birdie on first hole
2 1972 Greater Hartford Open United States Lee Trevino Lost to birdie on first extra hole
3 1974 Monsanto Open England Peter Oosterhuis Won with birdie on fourth extra hole
4 1978 Greater Milwaukee Open United States Lee Trevino Won with par on eighth extra hole

Other wins (2)

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Senior PGA Tour wins (8)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory 		Runner(s)-up
1 Aug 28, 1984 Suntree Senior Classic −16 (64-66-70=200) 6 strokes United States Miller Barber, United States Gay Brewer
2 Sep 19, 1984 Hilton Head Seniors International −13 (68-69-66=203) 3 strokes Australia Peter Thomson
3 Jun 2, 1985 Denver Post Champions of Golf −3 (68-69-76=213) 1 stroke Australia Peter Thomson
4 Jul 28, 1985 Merrill Lynch/Golf Digest Commemorative Pro-Am −11 (61-72=133)* Playoff Australia Peter Thomson
5 Aug 4, 1985 Digital Seniors Classic −8 (73-67-68=208) Playoff United States Jerry Barber, United States Don January
6 Sep 1, 1985 Citizens Union Senior Golf Classic −7 (67-68=135)* Playoff United States Orville Moody, United States Dan Sikes,
United States Walt Zembriski
7 Aug 3, 1986 Merrill Lynch/Golf Digest Commemorative (2) −11 (67-64-68=199) 2 strokes United States Chi-Chi Rodríguez
8 Nov 20, 1988 Gus Machado Senior Classic −11 (67-70-65=202) 5 strokes United States Al Geiberger

*Note: Tournament shortened to 36 holes due to rain.

Senior PGA Tour playoff record (3–0)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 1985 Merrill Lynch/Golf Digest Commemorative Pro-Am Australia Peter Thomson Won with eagle on first extra hole
2 1985 Digital Seniors Classic United States Jerry Barber, United States Don January Elder won with birdie on first extra hole
3 1985 Citizens Union Senior Golf Classic United States Orville Moody, United States Dan Sikes,
United States Walt Zembriski 		Elder won with birdie on third extra hole
Moody eliminated by birdie on second hole

Japan Senior wins (2)

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  • 1984 Coca-Cola Grandslam Championship
  • 1986 Coca-Cola Grandslam Championship

Results in major championships

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Tournament 1966 1967 1968 1969
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open T57 CUT CUT 67
The Open Championship
PGA Championship CUT
Tournament 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
Masters Tournament CUT T19 T42 T17
U.S. Open CUT T29 T45 CUT T35 CUT T30 T11
The Open Championship T36
PGA Championship CUT T24 T24 T11 T15 CUT T42 T35
Tournament 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984
Masters Tournament CUT CUT
U.S. Open CUT T33
The Open Championship
PGA Championship T26 T49 T80 CUT
  Did not play

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Summary

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Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Masters Tournament 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 3
U.S. Open 0 0 0 0 0 1 14 8
The Open Championship 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
PGA Championship 0 0 0 0 0 4 13 9
Totals 0 0 0 0 0 7 34 21
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 7 (1978 Masters – 1979 PGA)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 0

U.S. national team appearances

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Professional

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Mason, Peter (November 30, 2021). "Lee Elder obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  2. ^ McDaniel, Pete (April 2000). "The trailblazer – Twenty-five years ago, Lee Elder became the first black golfer in the Masters". Golf Digest. Archived from the original on February 7, 2008. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
  3. ^ "The Courage of Lee Elder". Sports Illustrated. April 7, 2008. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  4. ^ a b "The man who defied death threats to play at the Masters". BBC News. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  5. ^ "Lee Elder: First black golfer to compete in the Masters returns for honorary start". BBC Sport. April 8, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2021.
  6. ^ Newberry, Paul (November 29, 2021). "Lee Elder, first Black golfer to play Masters, dies at age 87". WAFF48.
  7. ^ Fields, Bill (November 29, 2021). "Lee Elder, a trailblazer and four-time Tour winner, passes away at 87". PGA Tour.
  8. ^ "Lee Elder, first Black golfer to play in Masters, dies at age 87". ESPN. Associated Press. November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
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