Lee Elder facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lee Elder
Elder in 1975
Personal information
Full name	Robert Lee Elder
Born	(1934-07-14)July 14, 1934 Dallas, Texas
Died	November 28, 2021(2021-11-28) (aged 87) Escondido, California
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight	175 lb (79 kg; 12.5 st)
Nationality	United States
Career
Turned professional	1959
Former tour(s)	PGA Tour Champions Tour
Professional wins	16
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	4
Champions Tour	8
Other	4
Best results in Major Championships
The Masters Tournament	T17: 1979
U.S. Open	T11: 1979
The Open Championship	T36: 1979
PGA Championship	T11: 1974
Achievements and awards
Bob Jones Award	2019

Robert Lee Elder (born July 14, 1934 – died November 28, 2021) was an American professional golfer. He made history in 1975. That year, he became the first African-American golfer to play in the famous Masters Tournament.

Elder was invited to the Masters after winning the 1974 Monsanto Open. His participation was a very important moment in golf history. He helped open doors for many other golfers.

Lee Elder's Early Life

Lee Elder was one of ten children. He was born in Dallas, Texas. When he was nine, his father died in World War II. His mother passed away just three months later.

At age 12, Lee moved to Los Angeles, California, to live with his aunt. He often skipped school to work as a caddie. A caddie carries golf clubs and helps golfers. He learned a lot about golf by watching the players. After two years at high school, he left.

Lee met his first wife, Rose Harper, at a golf event. They married in 1966. Rose stopped her own golf career to help manage his. They later divorced. Lee Elder passed away in 2021 at 87 years old.

Becoming a Professional Golfer

Learning the Game

Lee Elder didn't play a full 18-hole golf game until he was 16. He worked in golf shops and locker rooms. He also continued to work as a caddie. This helped him improve his own golf skills. He would watch how others played and practice when he could.

His golf career took a big step forward. He played a game with famous boxer Joe Louis. This led to Louis's golf teacher, Ted Rhodes, helping Elder. Rhodes taught him for three years. This helped Elder make his game much better. He then started playing in golf tournaments.

Joining the Army and Black Golf Tours

In 1959, Elder joined the United States Army. He was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington. His commander, Colonel John Gleaster, loved golf. He put Elder in a special unit. This allowed Lee to play golf regularly.

After leaving the army in 1961, Elder joined the United Golf Association (UGA) Tour. This tour was for Black golfers. At that time, the main golf organization, the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA), did not allow Black members. Elder won 18 out of 22 tournaments on the UGA Tour. However, the prize money was very small, often around $500.

Breaking Barriers on the PGA Tour

The PGA changed its rules in 1961. This meant Black players could finally become members. In 1967, Elder earned enough money to try out for the PGA Tour. He finished 9th out of 122 players. This earned him his tour card for 1968.

In his first year, he earned about $38,000. A big moment was a playoff game against golf legend Jack Nicklaus. Elder lost on the fifth extra hole.

In 1971, Elder was invited to play in the South African PGA Championship. This was in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was the first golf tournament in South Africa that allowed both Black and white players. South Africa had unfair rules called Apartheid at the time. Elder agreed to play only if he and the fans would not be separated by race. He also won the Nigerian Open in 1971.

Making History at the Masters

In 1974, Lee Elder won his first PGA Tour event, the Monsanto Open. This win earned him an invitation to the 1975 Masters Tournament. The Masters is held in Augusta, Georgia. This was a huge moment. It was the first time a Black golfer was invited to play in the Masters. The tournament had started in 1934, the same year Elder was born.

Other Black golfers like Pete Brown and Charlie Sifford had won PGA Tour events before. But the Masters rules for entry were different back then. It wasn't until the early 1970s that the rules changed. When Elder won the Monsanto Open, he finally got the invitation.

At the 1975 Masters, Elder shot scores of 74 and 78. He did not make it to the final rounds. But his presence there was very important. He played in the Masters five more times between 1977 and 1981. In 1979, he became the first African American to play in the Ryder Cup.

When he turned 50 in 1984, Elder joined the Senior PGA Tour. He won eight tournaments on this tour between 1984 and 1988.

Fighting Against Racism

Challenges on Tour

When Elder played in the 1975 Masters, he faced many challenges. He received a lot of mean letters. Because he worried about his safety, he rented two houses in town. He moved between them during the tournament week. He also made sure to have people with him when he went out to eat.

In 1968, at the Monsanto Open in Pensacola, Florida, Elder and other Black golfers faced unfair treatment. They had to change their clothes in the parking lot. The golf club would not let African Americans inside their clubhouse. In another tournament in Memphis, Tennessee, a fan picked up Elder's golf ball and threw it away. Another golfer saw it, and Elder was allowed to drop a new ball.

Elder tried to focus on his game. But unlike most players, he was often bothered by rude fans. He frequently got hate mail and threatening phone calls.

Giving Back and Speaking Out

Lee Elder and his wife, Rose Harper, started the Lee Elder Scholarship Fund in 1974. This fund helped young men and women from low-income families pay for college.

In 1986, he spoke out against the PGA. He protested when four American golfers played in a tournament in Sun City, South Africa. This area was part of the unfair apartheid system.

In 1990, Elder spoke against golf clubs that still did not allow Black members. He actively supported programs that taught golf to young people. He also raised money for the United Negro College Fund. He served on the boards of groups like Goodwill Industries.

In April 2021, Lee Elder took part in the special opening ceremony for the Masters. This was a great honor for him.

Professional Wins

Lee Elder won a total of 16 professional golf tournaments.

• PGA Tour wins (4):
  • 1974 Monsanto Open
  • 1976 Houston Open
  • 1978 Greater Milwaukee Open
  • 1978 American Express Westchester Classic
• Other wins (2):
  • 1971 Nigerian Open
  • 1984 Jamaica Open
• Senior PGA Tour wins (8):
  • 1984 Suntree Senior Classic
  • 1984 Hilton Head Seniors International
  • 1985 Denver Post Champions of Golf
  • 1985 Merrill Lynch/Golf Digest Commemorative Pro-Am
  • 1985 Digital Seniors Classic
  • 1985 Citizens Union Senior Golf Classic
  • 1986 Merrill Lynch/Golf Digest Commemorative
  • 1988 Gus Machado Senior Classic
• Japan Senior wins (2):
  • 1984 Coca-Cola Grandslam Championship
  • 1986 Coca-Cola Grandslam Championship

Summary of Major Tournament Results

Lee Elder played in many major golf tournaments. These include the Masters, U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and PGA Championship.

U.S. National Team Appearances

Lee Elder represented the United States in one major team event:

• Ryder Cup: 1979 (The U.S. team won this year)

See also

• 1967 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates