(AURN News) — On this day in 1957, 34-year-old Charlie Sifford made history as the first African American to win a major golf tournament when he captured the Long Beach Open — using a putter gifted by boxing great Joe Louis.
The 54-hole event wasn’t an official PGA Tour stop, but Sifford’s victory in a three-hole playoff reverberated across the golf world. The irony: Two days later, the PGA of America held its national meeting in the same city while still enforcing its “Caucasian-only” clause that barred Black golfers.
Known as the Jackie Robinson of golf, Sifford had already won the Negro National Open six times and had sought encouragement from Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson and Jackie Robinson. His breakthrough helped push the PGA to eliminate the racist clause in 1961.
Sifford died in 2015 at age 92.
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