A CEREMONY OCCURRED Monday that was lost amidst the furor, fear and frenzy that spread across much of the nation following the news in Ferguson, Mo.
At a White House reception, former pro golfer Charlie Sifford, 92, was one of 18 Americans awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Sifford is just the third golfer after Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus to receive it and the 25th sports figure overall since the inception of the award in 1963.
At age 38, Sifford finally broke through pro golf’s color barrier in 1961, when the Caucasian-only clause was removed from the PGA of America’s constitution and he earned his tour card.
Jaime Diaz, editor-in-chief of Golf World magazine, characterized that Monday. “Charlie got his card, but he was way behind the eight-ball,” Diaz said.
Legislated racism: ugly, incomprehensible and not just a product of our political past, but of our sporting history as well.
His name may be unfamiliar to many, but Sifford’s fight to desegregate the game of golf and do away with the PGA Tour’s Caucasian-only clause, has led others to call him the Jackie Robinson of golf.
In 1947, the same year he broke into the major leagues, Robinson counseled Sifford on the golfer’s quest to make it on the PGA tour.
“He asked me if I was a quitter,” Sifford later recounted in his autobiography, Just Let Me Play.
“He said, ‘OK, if you’re not a quitter, go ahead and take the challenge. If you’re a quitter, there’s going to be a lot of obstacles you’re going to have to go through to be successful in what you’re trying to do.’ I made up my mind I was going to do it. I just did it.”
All the anger held down inside from his long fight couldn’t have helped his mental game on the course, making one of the toughest individual sports, even tougher.
Sifford learned the game caddying at a country club in Charlotte, N.C., picking up golf so well that he won six Negro Opens.
He was a bit of a plodder out on the course, described as not long but consistently straight off the tee, and a bit challenged in his putting stroke.
It’s understandable since it’s likely he didn’t have much time to practice putting when growing up.
“He always said that black golfers would go out and play, but they weren’t supposed to be there,” Diaz said.
“So by the time they’d get to the greens, they’d just rush up there and pick up their ball.”
Sifford did manage to break through and become a tournament champion, with PGA Tour victories in the Greater Hartford Open in 1967 and the L.A. Open in 1969, the 1975 PGA Seniors Championship and a senior tour win at nearly 60 years of age in 1980.
An induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame came in 2004.
In 2009, the Northern Trust Open (formerly the L.A. Open) created an annual exemption for an area player who represents the advancement of diversity in golf; it is named in honor of Sifford and is referred to as the Charlie Sifford Exemption.
On Monday, the president, quoting Sifford said, “I wasn’t just trying to do it for me. I was trying to do it for the world.”
“Everything worked out perfect, I think,” Sifford said of his life.
Thanks for making our world, and our sport a better place to play.
Post-Turkey tourney
SkyRidge Golf Course in Sequim will host a Post-Turkey Day two-person scramble and better ball tournament on Friday.
The event is set for a 9:30 a.m. shotgun start.
The front nine will be played in a scramble format, with the men teeing it up from the green tees and ladies playing from the purple tees.
A minimum of three drives per player must be used during the scramble.
When teams make their way to the back nine, the format switches to better ball, with each team required to take three gross scores from each partner.
Cost is $60 per team, with a $20 per team honey pot available.
Gross and net prizes will be offered, along with KP’s, LP’s and lunch after the round.
Carts are $15 per seat.
An optional six-hole horserace scramble will follow the tournament and lunch.
Cost is $10 for this added event.
Phone 360-683-3673 to get in on the game.
Apple Cup tourney
The next day, Apple Cup Saturday for those of the crimson and grey or purple and gold persuasion, features the annual two-person Apple Cup Best Ball at Peninsula Golf Club in Port Angeles.
Tee time is set for 8:30 a.m., which allows for plenty of merrymaking in advance of the Washington at Washington State football game, set for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
Phone the course at 360-457-6501.
PT Toys For Tots
Port Townsend Golf Club will host its next event, a Toys For Tots benefit, on Saturday, Dec. 13.
The Toys for Tots tournament is a blind draw scramble with $30 green fee per player.
The tourney will tee it up at 10 a.m. and supports a great cause, presents for youngsters at Christmas.
PT lucked out weather-wise for its annual Turkey Shoot tournament last Saturday.
“The sun decided to bestow itself upon us once again, it was a beautiful day for the PTGC Turkey Shoot,” Port Townsend director of golf Gabriel Tonan said.
Tonan said turnout for the event was great with 15 two-person teams competing across nine holes of best ball and nine holes of scramble-format play.
“It was tough conditions out there and it was a tight battle in both gross and net divisions. Thanks again to all who participated and look forward to seeing you for our next tournament on December 13,” Tonan said.
Two Terry’s teamed to win the Net competition: Terry Berge and Terry Khile came in at 52.5, edging Mark Ajax and Bob Nordberg’s 53.
On the Gross side Jim Fultz and Roy Sutherland 68 partnered to beat three teams by one stroke.
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Golf columnist Michael Carman can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or pdngolf@gmail.com.
