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The Northern Trust Open Charlie Sifford Exemption
The Charlie Sifford Legacy
- Charlie Sifford played a pivotal role in breaking the color barrier in U.S. professional golf.
- In 1961 at age 38, Sifford became the first African-American golfer to join the PGA TOUR, playing the Greensboro Greater Open as a full time member.
- Sifford played on the PGA TOUR for 15 years winning two championships: the Greater Hartford Open in 1967 where he was the first African-American golfer to win a TOUR sanctioned event, and two years later winning what is now known as the Northern Trust Open.
- At age 52, Sifford won the 1975 PGA Seniors Championship in a field that included other major-tournament winners.
- In 2004, Sifford became the first African-American to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. He was honored in the lifetime achievement category.
- Born in 1922, Sifford learned to play golf as a teenage caddy at the Carolina Country Club in his hometown of Charlotte, N.C. Before gaining entry into the PGA TOUR, Sifford dominated the all-black United Golfers Association, winning the UGA's Negro Open for five consecutive years.
- Sifford's legacy has paved the way for other professional black golfers, including Lee Elder who was the first to play the Masters, Calvin Peete a 12-time PGA TOUR champion and winner of The Players Championship, and Tiger Woods, who has said he might not be in the game if it wasn't for Charlie's "diligence and dedication."
Read the Press Releases:
February 2, 2009
Vincent Johnson Named Recipient of Charlie Sifford Exemption at Northern Trust Open
View the Press Release
January 16, 2009
Northern Trust Open Announces Charlie Sifford Honor
View the Press Release
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