Tiger Woods, golf world mourn the passing of civil rights pioneer Charlie Sifford

Charlie Sifford, considered by many the “Jackie Robinson of golf” for breaking the game’s color barrier, passed away Tuesday night at the age of 92.

The man credited with eliminating the PGA of America’s “Caucasian-only” clause, Sifford was the first person of color to compete in a PGA-sanctioned event and was honored for his pioneering efforts with the received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This country’s highest civilian honor, President Barack Obama bestowed it upon Sifford and 18 other Americans in November.

Were it not for Sifford, Tiger Woods may never have swung a club, let alone achieved the status as one of the greatest ever to play the game. Woods often referred to Sifford as the grandfather he never had.

“It’s not an exaggeration to say that without Charlie, and the other pioneers who fought to play, I may not be playing golf,” Woods said in an e-mail to the Associated Press last year. “My pop likely wouldn’t have picked up the sport, and maybe I wouldn’t have either.”

Sifford, who had recently suffered a stroke, was born in Charlotte, N.C., June 2, 1922. He worked his way from caddying to six-time United Golf Association National Negro Open champion and, though his best playing days were behind him when he forced the PGA to desegregate in 1961, won two PGA titles.

Photo via Stephen Dunn /Allsport

Despite playing before hostile crowds shouting racist slurs, being banned from clubhouse restaurants, and receiving death threats, Sifford won the 1967 Greater Hartford Open and 1969 Los Angeles Open.

“I started out in this game I wanted to do five things. I wanted to win a golf tournament, I wanted to play in the National Open, I wanted to play in the U.S. Open, I wanted to play in the Masters, and I wanted to get in the Hall of Fame,” Sifford, who was never invited to Augusta, said before he received the Medal of Freedom. “I got four out of five.”

He told Golf Channel, “I just wanted to play golf.”

Sifford was earlier honored when he received an honorary doctorate from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, in 2006, but he was proudest of the White House accolade.

“No major compares to this,” he said. “This felt different than anything else. They say what I did helped African Americans, but it went further.”