Charlie Sifford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Charlie Sifford
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
Career
Turned professional	1948
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour Champions Tour
Professional wins	22
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	2
Champions Tour	1
Other	19
Best results in Major Championships
The 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
Old Tom Morris Award	2007
Presidential Medal of Freedom	2014

Charles Luther Sifford (June 2, 1922 – February 3, 2015) was an American professional golfer who was the first African American to play on the PGA Tour.

For his contributions to golf, Sifford was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004. 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

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.

Career

Sifford began golfing professionally in 1948. 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, 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 in the U. S. Open in 1959 for the first time, and tied for 32nd place. He became a member of the Tour in 1961, thus becoming 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 at 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.

Sifford, a resident of Brecksville, Ohio, was hospitalized for a stroke one month before his death in Cleveland, Ohio. He died on February 3, 2015, at the age of 92.

Interesting Facts about Charlie Sifford

• Sifford won the Greater Hartford Open in 1967 and the Los Angeles Open in 1969.
• He won the United Golf Association's National Negro Open six times, and the PGA Seniors' Championship in 1975.
• 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.
• In 1961, Sifford become the first African-American to join the PGA Tour.
• Tiger Woods named his son Charlie after him and referred to Sifford as "the Grandpa I never had."

Quotes

• "I was made for a tough life because I'm a tough man. And in the end, I won: I got a lot of black people playing golf."
• "Every time I go into a tournament, I'm strictly on my own. I know I'm playing for my bread and butter."
• "Golf is such a wonderful game. I love it to death."

Honors

• In 2004, Sifford became the first African American inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. 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.
• Sifford received the 2007 Old Tom Morris Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), the GCSAA's highest honor.
• 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.
• 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.
• President Barack Obama awarded him the 2014 Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Professional wins (22)

PGA Tour wins (2)

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	Steve Oppermann
2	Jan 12, 1969	Los Angeles Open	−8 (63-71-71-71=276)	Playoff	Harold Henning

PGA Tour playoff record (1–0)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	1969	Los Angeles Open	Harold Henning	Won with birdie on first extra hole

Other wins (12)

• 1952 UGA National Negro Open
• 1953 UGA National Negro Open
• 1954 UGA National Negro Open
• 1955 UGA National Negro Open
• 1956 UGA National Negro Open, Rhode Island Open
• 1957 Long Beach Open
• 1960 UGA National Negro Open, Almaden Open (unofficial win – one year prior to becoming a PGA Tour event)
• 1963 Puerto Rico Open
• 1971 Sea Pines
• 1975 Northern Ohio PGA Championship

Senior PGA Tour wins (1)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	Nov 16, 1980	Suntree Classic	−9 (70-71-71-67=279)	4 strokes	Don January

Other senior wins (7)

• 1975 PGA Seniors' Championship – (5 years prior to becoming a Champions Tour event; event is now a Champions Tour major)
• 1988 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Legendary Division (with Roberto De Vicenzo)
• 1989 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Legendary Division (with Roberto De Vicenzo)
• 1991 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Legendary Division (with Roberto De Vicenzo)
• 1998 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Demaret Division (with Joe Jimenez)
• 1999 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Demaret Division (with Joe Jimenez)
• 2000 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Demaret Division (with Joe Jimenez)

Results in major championships

     Did not play 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.

See also

In Spanish: Charlie Sifford para niños