RIP Lee Elder

[MattyO1984]

Sad news today that Lee Elder has passed away. A trailblazer for African American involvement in Golf. RIP sir. 

[Hawkeye77]

Thanks for posting, sorry to see this.

[KBong]

RIP Lee.

[Christosterone]

He had a cool swing…very interesting follow thru that often helicoptered…

Fantastic striker of the ball

Lee was a gentleman who never lost his sense of humor…

He will be missed

 

Edited November 29, 2021 by Christosterone

[RobotDoctor]

RIP Lee Elder

[the bishop]

RIP.  😥

[bscinstnct]

RIP

 

This is a cool piece on him,

 

“It was a greeting from the president of the United States informing him that he had been drafted.

 

It turned out to be a lucky break. While stationed at Fort Ord, Calif., Elder coached the post commander, a golf fanatic.

Elder's tips improved the officer's score and won him over as a friend. Because of this connection, Elder was assigned to special services in Fort Lewis, Wash. He became a golf jock and was able to compete against the best college teams in the area.”

 

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1993-04-04-9302040119-story.html

 

 

[Qqq123xx]

RIP Mr. Elder

[braincramp52]

One classy man. RIP.

[TwistedSister]

Glad he got to be honorary starter at this years Masters  RIP Mr Elder.

[cardoustie]

Sad to hear indeed

[tiderider]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/lee-elder-barrier-breaking-golfer-dies-at-87/2021/11/29/7faed800-1164-11e6-93ae-50921721165d_story.html 

 

As a hustler, Mr. Elder had played courses on his knees, on one leg or wearing a raincoat on a brutally hot day (albeit with ice-cold towels concealed within) — all manner of outrageous handicaps to rake in a living wage. He made hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars at a clip.

 

 

After fulfilling Army service in 1961, Mr. Elder joined the United Golfers Association (UGA), the sport’s equivalent of baseball’s Negro Leagues. It was sometimes called “The Peanut Tour” because of its small winners’ purses, usually $500.

During one torrid stretch in the early 1960s, Mr. Elder won 21 out of 23 UGA tournaments. At one tournament in Washington in 1963, Mr. Elder met his first wife, Rose Harper, an excellent golfer who became his business manager.

 

 

Robert Lee Elder was born July 14, 1934, in Dallas, the youngest of 10 siblings. His father, a coal-truck driver, was killed during Army service in Europe during World War II. His mother died months later, and he was shuttled among various relatives, eventually winding up with family in Los Angeles.

 

He began caddying at 12 on public courses, making $1 a round while also honing his skills during the hours set aside for caddies to play. “It was something to do rather than running the streets,” he told The Post.

[Walter Sobchak]

Rest In Peace trailblazer!

[miamistomp]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/29/sports/golf/lee-elder-dead.html

[wjdpar1]

RIP Sir.

 

[iBanesto]

RIP Mr Elder.

 

What a boss.

 

[dcfas]

Trailblazer. RIP Mr. Elder.

[vbb]

It's hard to even fathom what it must have been like for him trying to make it as a pro golfer. As exclusive as this sport is and has been over its history, the stuff he had to deal with on and especially off the course in addition to just keeping his head in each round so that he could play his best is amazing.

 

RIP to a true trailblazer.

[Phreddy]

One page on Lee and as of this writing 12 pages on Tiger's news.  Without Lee there might not have been a Tiger.

 

RIP Lee.  A gentleman.  A philanthropist.  A player.

[miamistomp]

 

[puttingmatt]

Sad to hear,  he was an icon 

Condolences to the Lee Elder family

[bladehunter]

Hate to hear this.  But.  I choose to think that maybe this very night Mr Elder is on the other side with an able body , giving him the ability  to play  the game again as a young man.  If that is so , then it’s not a sad time.   But a happy one.  Play well Sir.  I have no doubt you’ve earned it.  

[pgatw]

RIP Lee Elder. One can only imagine how difficult and frustrating his life in golf must have been. Amazing what he was able to accomplish.

[bobfoster]

Just saw the news. He'll be missed. I remember seeing him be the first African American in the Masters. 1975 (the year I graduated from high school). You younger golfers might not get this, but there was major controversy. He got all manner of horrible, viscous hate mail. Even death threats for goodness sake. He handled it with dignity, integrity, and even humor. He was the Jackie Robinson of golf. He broke the color barrier, and did it with astounding grace and perpetual humility. 

 

He was a major inspiration to Tiger. In fact, to the point that without Lee there might not have been a Tiger. Tiger is 100% about visualization. Imagine what it meant to see a black guy playing Augusta. In the 70s, in America, golf was largely rich white guys (like, 95%). 

 

Almost no one (in the non-golfing world) has even heard of him, but he changed the game. 

 

I'm deeply involved in the First Tee. Kids. Black, Mexican, Asian. They all know who Lee Elder is.

 

I bow to this man, deeply, and from the waist.

 

Look at his face - there is such kindness and understanding in his eyes and smile. My goodness I so would have liked to drink a beer with him, play a round with him.

 

 

Edited December 1, 2021 by bobfoster

[deathbymuffin]

I was fortunate to have a chance meeting with Lee and his wife Sharon a few years back while waiting for a connecting flight in Atlanta.  They were seated next to me when I noticed Lee's green Masters cap.  I asked if they attended the tournament and Sharon responded that they attend every year.  I had a hunch it was Lee Elder and I sort of sheepishly said, "you're Lee Elder, aren't you?"  Lee and his wife lit up and we immediately started chatting about golf and Lee's life.  They were both such gracious people and were genuinely excited to spend time talking to golf nut like myself.  Ended up eating lunch with them and they encouraged me to take a bunch of photos with Lee and my young sons.  I was too young to see Mr. Elder play golf, but he won a big-time fan that day. 

 

R.I.P., Mr. Elder.  And prayers to your wonderful wife Sharon.

[tannyhoban]

RIP Mr. Lee Elder

 

Followed him around at the American Golf Classic in 1968, he gave Jack a good test. 

[NevinW]

I got to meet him and watch him play in Las Vegas in the late 70's.  Really nice guy and a great ball striker.  

[djcoolaid1914]

I wasn't old enough to watch Mr. Elder play but as a Dallas native, his impact on the game of golf especially to black golfers will always be felt.  

When I started getting the golf bug older gentlemen would always bring up his name amongst others (Sifford and Peete) as trailblazers prior to Tiger and learning about his history made me enjoy playing this game with his contributions. I was ecstatic that Augusta National had finally acknowledged his contribution to "growing the game" and his accomplishments. 

 

Rest well Mr. Elder

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V6jr--5aSM

Edited November 30, 2021 by djcoolaid1914

[tbowles411]

56 minutes ago, djcoolaid1914 said:

I wasn't old enough to watch Mr. Elder play but as a Dallas native, his impact on the game of golf especially to black golfers will always be felt.  

When I started getting the golf bug older gentlemen would always bring up his name amongst others (Sifford and Peete) as trailblazers prior to Tiger and learning about his history made me enjoy playing this game with his contributions. I was ecstatic that Augusta National had finally acknowledged his contribution to "growing the game" and his accomplishments. 

 

Rest well Mr. Elder

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2V6jr--5aSM

THIS.  My dad told me about him years ago, and I'm glad his accomplishments weren't lost to history.  Rest in Peace.

[bobfoster]

16 hours ago, NevinW said:

I got to meet him and watch him play in Las Vegas in the late 70's.  Really nice guy and a great ball striker.  

Envious. I have met a few pros, but never got a chance to meet him. Really would have liked to.

 

As a side note - what a beautiful, fortuitous, almost cosmic coincidence that he was the first black man to play the Masters, and this past year he was invited to be an honorary starter (with Jack and Gary) at the last Augusta he would see in his life. Somehow wonderfully fitting.