Lee Elder, first Black golfer to play in Masters, dies

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Lee Elder, who broke down racial barriers as the first Black golfer to play in the Masters, has died. He was 87.

Cause of Death

The PGA Tour announced Elder’s death Monday. No cause of death was revealed.

Elder recently had been in poor health and wore an oxygen tube beneath his nose when he appeared at the opening of the Masters in April.

The tour said he died early Sunday in Escondido, California.

“Lee was a good player, but most important, a good man who was very well respected by countless people,” Jack Nicklaus wrote on his Twitter account. “The game of golf lost a hero in Lee Elder.”

Lee Elder : Golf Pioneer

The Texas native, who developed his game during segregated times while caddying, made history in 1975 at Augusta National, which had been an all-white tournament until he received an invitation after winning the Monsanto Open the previous year.

Elder missed the cut at his first Masters but stamped himself as a groundbreaking figure in a sport that had never been known for racial tolerance.

In April, Elder was honored by the Masters and he was joined by Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus as honorary starters for the Masters. He was greeted with a thunderous applause.

“For me and my family, I think it was one of the most emotional experiences that I have ever witnessed or been involved in,” Elder said at the time.

In November 2020, Augusta National recognized Elder’s enormous contributions by setting up two scholarships in his name at Paine College, a historically Black school in Augusta.

Elder was 40 when he played in his first Masters, so many of his prime years were already stolen from him due to racism.

The PGA had a Caucasian-only rule until 1961 — 14 years after Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier. It took another 14 years for the Masters to invite a Black player.

Elder told British broadcaster BBC in 2015 he received intimidating letters and death threats warning him that he would never make it to the first tee box.

Nonetheless, he said he received applause when making his rounds on the course.

“Every green I walked up on, the applause was just tremendous. I mean every one of them people shouted, ‘Go Lee! Good luck, Lee!’” he said.

His best finish at the Masters was tied for 17th in 1979. Tiger Woods would become the first African American to win the event in 1997.