(REUTERS) – PGA Tour pioneer Lee Elder, the primary black participant to compete on the Masters, has died at age 87.
The tour confirmed his loss of life on Monday (Nov 29) morning.
Elder, a four-time tour winner, made his ground-breaking look at Augusta Nationwide in 1975. He was celebrated on the Masters final April when he was named an honorary starter alongside Jack Nicklaus and Gary Participant.
“My coronary heart could be very mushy this morning, not heavy mushy, mushy due to the fantastic issues that I’ve encountered since arriving right here on Monday and having the ability to see a number of the nice pals that I’ve revamped the previous years, particularly like these two gents which can be right here,” Elder mentioned on the time of Nicklaus and Participant.
“We now have competed in opposition to one another, and we’ve got actually loved quite a lot of nice moments. I simply need to say thanks so very a lot to have me right here.
It is an amazing honour, and I cherish it very a lot, and I’ll at all times cherish it, and I need to thank the chairman for extending me this nice privilege.”
Elder went on to play in 5 extra Masters and 34 Main championships, recording seven top-25 finishes. He tied for eleventh at each the 1974 PGA Championship and the 1979 US Open.
His wins on the tour have been the 1974 Monsanto Open (which earned him entry to the 1975 Masters), 1976 Houston Open, 1978 Larger Milwaukee Open and 1978 American Specific Westchester Basic.
When Tiger Woods grew to become the primary black participant to win the Masters in 1997, he acknowledged the groundwork laid by Elder and Charlie Sifford – the primary black golfer to compete on the PGA Tour.
“I wasn’t the pioneer. Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder and Teddy Rhodes paved the way in which,” Woods mentioned on the time. “I used to be enthusiastic about them and what they’ve achieved for me as I used to be arising the 18th fairway. I mentioned a bit of prayer and a because of these guys. They’re those who did it for me.”
Elder’s story was inspirational no matter race, as he overcame private tragedy lengthy earlier than qualifying for the PGA Tour by means of the qualifying college in 1968.
Born in Dallas in 1934, Elder misplaced each mother and father earlier than he was 10. His father was killed in Germany in World Conflict II and his mom died three months later.
