Lee Elder, Who Broke a Golf Color Barrier, Dies at 87
The New York Times
In his prime he played in a league for Black players, but in 1975, at 40, he became the first African- American to take part in the Masters tournament.
Lee Elder, who became the first African-American golfer to play in the Masters tournament, a signature moment in the breaking of racial barriers on the pro golf tour, has died. He was 87.
The death was announced by the PGA Tour. It did not specify when or where he died or give the cause.
When Elder teed off at Augusta National Golf Club in April 1975, he was 40 years old. Years earlier, in his prime, he played in the United Golfers Association tour, the sport’s version of baseball’s Negro leagues. The PGA of America, the national association of pro golfers, accepted only “members of the Caucasian race,” as its rules had spelled out, until 1961.
