Sifford, Charlie (1922-2015), was an African American golfer who helped break the color barrier in professional golf in the United States. In 1961, after a Caucasians-only rule was lifted, Sifford became the first African American to compete in events sanctioned by the previously all-white Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA). In 1967, Sifford won the Greater Hartford Open, his first victory in a PGA event. He won a second PGA tournament, the Los Angeles Open, in 1969.
Charles Luther Sifford was born on June 2, 1922, in Charlotte, North Carolina. He began working as a golf caddie before the age of 13 and started playing professionally in 1948. For several years, he played in tournaments organized by black golfers, winning the National Negro Open six times, five times from 1952 to 1956. He won the PGA Senior Championship in 1975.
Sifford wrote an autobiography, Just Let Me Play (1992). In 2004, he became the first African American inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Sifford received the Presidential Medal of Freedom , one of the country’s highest civilian awards, in 2014. He died on Feb. 3, 2015.
