{"id":19806,"date":"2021-04-02T09:40:08","date_gmt":"2021-04-02T14:40:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=19806"},"modified":"2021-04-02T09:40:08","modified_gmt":"2021-04-02T14:40:08","slug":"the-greatest-golfer-of-all-time-the-goat-tiger-woods-the-best-black-golfers-of-all-time-the-golfers-who-had-the-resilience-to-make-it-through-the-resistance-ytd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=19806","title":{"rendered":"The GREATEST GOLFER OF ALL-TIME, “THE GOAT”, “TIGER WOODS”, THE Best Black Golfers Of All Time, THE GOLFERS WHO HAD THE RESILIENCE TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE RESISTANCE, YTD."},"content":{"rendered":"

Eldrick Tont<\/b> “Tiger<\/b>” Woods<\/b>, “IS THE GREATEST GOLFER OF ALL-TIME”, PERIOD.<\/h2>\n

Eldrick Tont “Tiger” Woods (born December 30, 1975) is an American professional golfer<\/a>. He is tied for first in PGA Tour wins<\/a>, ranks second in men’s major championships<\/a>, and holds numerous golf records<\/a>. Woods is widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all time and one of the most famous athletes of all time. He has been elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Following an outstanding junior, college, and amateur golf career, Woods turned professional in 1996 at the age of 20. By the end of April 1997, he had won three PGA Tour<\/a> events in addition to his first major, the 1997 Masters<\/a>, which he won by 12 strokes in a record-breaking performance. He reached number one<\/a> in the world rankings<\/a> for the first time in June 1997, less than a year after turning pro. Throughout the first decade of the 21st century, Woods was the dominant force in golf. He was the top-ranked golfer in the world from August 1999 to September 2004 (264 consecutive weeks) and again from June 2005 to October 2010 (281 consecutive weeks). During this time, he won 13 of golf’s major championships.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tiger Woods has held numerous golf records. He has been the number one player in the world for the most consecutive weeks and for the greatest total number of weeks of any golfer in history. He has been awarded PGA Player of the Year<\/a> a record 11 times<\/sup> and has won the Byron Nelson Award<\/a> for lowest adjusted scoring average a record eight times. Woods has the record of leading the money list<\/a> in ten different seasons. He has won 15 professional major golf championships<\/a> (trailing only Jack Nicklaus<\/a>, who leads with 18) and 82 PGA Tour<\/a> events (tied for first all time with Sam Snead<\/a>). Woods leads all active golfers in career major wins and career PGA Tour wins. He is the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam<\/a> only four men before him have won career grand slam (Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus), and the second golfer (after Nicklaus) to have achieved a career Grand Slam three times. Woods has won 18 World Golf Championships<\/a>. He was also part of the American winning team for the 1999 Ryder Cup<\/a>. In May 2019, Woods was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom<\/a>, the fourth golfer to receive the honor.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Leveling the Playing Field: Golf<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
\"\" Charlie Sifford, the first Afican-American to play on the PGA Tour, watches Tiger Woods during the second round of the NEC Invitational at the Firestone Country Club on August 19, 2005 in Akron, Ohio.
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Golf evolved largely as a country club sport in the United States, and African Americans were barred from most memberships. Early 20th century involvement among African Americans was frequently limited to serving as caddies.<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, a few notable African American golfers, including John Shippen, Althea Gibson, Lee Elder, and Charlie Sifford, found success in golf and demonstrated their mastery of the sport before Tiger Woods\u2019s emergence. John Shippen competed in the second U.S. Open in 1896. Yet integrating golf has been an ongoing battle. Through the 1980s most African Americans involved at the highest levels of the sport were caddies who earned a living working for elite professional athletes and country clubs. Even today African American access to professional and elite country clubs remains limited, and the number of successful African American golfers continues to be small.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Wedge golf club used by Ethel Funches<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Grand Niece Angela Kenion-Wynn in Memory of Ethel P. Funches<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The United Golf Association (UGA) was founded in the mid-1920s to provide African American golfers with an opportunity to compete on an organized tour. At the time they were barred from the Professional Golfers\u2019 Association (PGA) tour. The highlight of the tour was the Negro National Open, which helped spur the growth of African American golf clubs around the country. This event became one of the major African American social events during segregation. Ethel Funches, another early black golf pioneer, was an eight-time UGA national champion.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Trophy awarded to golfer Ethel Funches<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Grand Niece Angela Kenion-Wynn in Memory of Ethel P. Funches<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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After Tup Holms was denied access to the Bobby Jones course, he brought a legal suit that eventually reached the Supreme Court. Thurgood Marshall argued the case, and the Court\u2019s decision in 1955 desegregated the public golf courses in Atlanta. The ruling eventually led to the desegregation of all public places in the city. In 1975, Lee Elder became the first African American to compete at the Masters, a premiere golf tournament also held in Georgia.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A scorecard for the Bobby Jones Golf Course in Atlanta, Georgia.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Carl Seldon<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The work of these pioneers paved the way for the emergence of Tiger Woods in the 1990s. \u00a0Woods (b. 1975) has the second most major golf tournament victories in history. He has spent more time atop the sport\u2019s rankings than any other competitor, and his dominance in the sport sparked a dramatic increase in golf\u2019s appeal in the United States. Woods\u2019s work with the Tiger Woods Foundation has helped him emerge as one of sport\u2019s most generous philanthropists. Additionally, his public profile and multiracial identity have helped to redefine race in the 21st century.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Golf driver signed by Tiger Woods<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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During an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 1997, Tiger Woods characterized himself as \u201cCablinasian\u201d\u2014a combination of Caucasian, black, Indian, and Asian. Since then, Tiger has been a symbol of changing ideas about race and the growing recognition of multiracial identities in the United States. During the interview, Winfrey referred to him as “America’s son.”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Off the course, Woods has emerged as a leading philanthropist. The Tiger Woods Foundation is one of the most successful charitable organizations created by an athlete. At the Tiger Woods Learning Center, the foundation focuses on providing educational opportunities to underserved populations through science and math training and scholarships. The foundation has raised more than $80 million to support its efforts since it was established in 1996. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for teens is an important part of the work of the Tiger Woods Foundation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, and we see this every day in the work we do [at the Tiger Woods Foundation.]<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tiger Woods<\/span><\/cite><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Lee Elder’s Masters moment will remind us how far golf still has to go on race<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/header>\n
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Lee Elder\u2019s appearance next Thursday morning as an honorary starter for the 85th edition of the Masters will \u2013 metaphorically of course \u2013 see rose petals thrown at the feet of those in high office at Augusta National. Perhaps it is churlish not to commend organisations for doing the right thing but the extent to which Augusta endorsed discrimination for so long means modern-day praise is always over the top. Augusta sat in a time warp for a significant enough period for it not to be forgotten.\"Lee<\/span> \u00a9 Provided by The Guardian<\/span> Photograph: Chris Carlson\/AP <\/span><\/span>In 1975, Elder became the first African American to compete in the Masters. It took until 1990 for Augusta to admit a member from the same ethnic group. When the world\u2019s leading players line up behind Elder to joust for a Green Jacket, white faces will again dominate.Thirteen years ago, Ken Bentley had an ambition to solve professional golf\u2019s colour problem. Bentley formed the Advocates Professional Golf Association, with the simple goal of increasing diversity towards the upper level of the sport. Bentley set about achieving this by staging tournaments; but found the world wasn\u2019t overly keen to listen.\u201cIn the beginning people didn\u2019t see the need for it,\u201d he recalls. \u201cWe had trouble raising money, we had trouble getting people to play. People didn\u2019t take us seriously. It was hard to get support; we basically had that from two companies I was already involved in.\u201dIn 2010, the APGA staged three tournaments on inner-city municipal courses with a total prize fund of $40,000. Bentley drew inspiration from watching \u201chis\u201d players on the driving range, where commitment to the sport and dreams of reaching the PGA Tour were abundantly clear. That the PGA Tour stepped forward to assist the APGA in 2012 reaffirmed Bentley\u2019s confidence. This year Bentley and his non-profit organisation\u2019s board will oversee 13 tournaments with a prize fund of $350,000 staged at venues such as Valhalla and Torrey Pines, which have held major championships. \u201cIt has grown dramatically,\u201d Bentley says. \u201cWe have to turn people away and limit our membership. We have people wanting to join from all over the world.\"Lee<\/span> Lee Elder will be the honorary starter at next week\u2019s Masters 45 years after he became the first African American to compete in the tournament. <\/span><\/span>\u201cGolf realised that if it was going to survive, it had to expand and be more accessible. Golf had to look like America. Before, golf was dominated by older white men. Participation was going down. They took a look at what was going on and realised it had to expand. Everybody is talking about diversity in golf whereas when we started in 2010 nobody was. We were just in a position to take advantage of that.\u201d Or as Bentley bluntly puts it: \u201cPeople return our calls now.\u201d<\/strong>Something else happened. The social awakening triggered by the death of George Floyd last summer fed into what the APGA was trying to achieve. Peaceful Black Lives Matter protesters walked along Washington Road, just yards from Augusta\u2019s sacred turf. The PGA Tour\u2019s earlier commitment was admirable but Jay Monahan, the current commissioner, did seem genuinely impacted by events in Minneapolis. It seems no coincidence the Tour duly increased involvement with the APGA; exemptions have been issued for tournaments, financial assistance has been offered and facilities have been provided free of charge.<\/strong>\u201cEverything last summer increased the level of conversation,\u201d Bentley says. \u201cI think people opened their eyes and became more receptive to a tour like ours. Our profile has been raised and the tour has been given added credibility.\u201d But isn\u2019t it sad that such a horrific situation was \u201cnecessary\u201d to change perspectives in the first place?<\/strong>\u201cThat\u2019s kind of the way of the world,\u201d says Bentley. \u201cLook back to the civil rights movement. It takes an incident to really change hearts and minds. I remember George Floyd\u2019s daughter saying \u2018My daddy is going to change the world\u2019 and that incident has.<\/strong>\u201cThe big barriers now are financial. Golf is still such an expensive sport. Clubs, top-level coaching, travel, access to top courses; it all adds up. Tennis has taken cost out of the equation if you show great promise. At some point golf has to do the same.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Little things happen throughout a tournament year. People would assume because I\u2019m black that I was a caddie.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tim O\u2019Neal<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In just a few weeks, the hugely promising Mulbe Dillard, from inner city Chicago, will graduate from Florida A&M University and continue what he hopes is a path towards the PGA Tour. The APGA has prepared him. \u201cI started playing on there in the summer of my freshman year and being exposed to that competition has been invaluable,\u201d he says. \u201cThere are a lot of people in my position and a lot of others who can offer tips after maybe missing their opportunity to make it to the big time.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

At 48, Tim O\u2019Neal has encountered professional golf pre and post APGA. A journeyman tour player from Savannah, just 130 miles from the gates of Augusta National, he has never played at the Masters venue. He readily admits its dubious relationship with race makes him uneasy. So, too, the situation at clubs across the United States. \u201cNot one time have I ever seen a black director of golf or head pro at a really nice golf course. Never,\u201d says O\u2019Neal. \u201cSo there have been a lot of improvements but there is a long way to go. I don\u2019t think I could be in the golf business when I stop playing because of what I have seen. All the black head professionals I have seen are at public golf courses.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

O\u2019Neal credits the APGA with \u201copening doors\u201d for fellow black players. For years, he was the only player of colour competing at levels underneath the PGA Tour. \u201cYou get looks,\u201d he adds. \u201cIt was never in my face as in blatant racism. Little things happen throughout a tournament year; people trying to kick you out of the locker room or player dining because they assume I\u2019m not supposed to be there. People would assume because I\u2019m black that I was a caddie. I would go up to get my credentials and be asked if I was a caddie. People don\u2019t know any better, it\u2019s just how they think.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Dillard points out: \u201cYour skin colour isn\u2019t on your scorecard.\u201d This is true; but the upcoming swing of Elder will conjure memories of a troubled past and leave us to ponder what further progress is required. The APGA\u2019s excellent work can only do so much.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2018You just can\u2019t make that up\u2019: How an idea to lift up minority golf became something much bigger<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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