US Black Heritage tees it up for the Masters

Question

The first major golf championship of the year, the Masters, kicks off Thursday with the winner donning the traditional green jacket on Sunday. Tiger Woods is perhaps the best known African-American golfer, but did you know that the modern golf tee is credited to the invention of Dr. George F Grant, a dentist in Boston who patented his tee in 1899? Or that the first African-American to play in the U.S. Open in 1896 was 16-year old John Shippen Jr? (He tied for 5th in a field of many Scottish and English professionals.)  The U.S. Black Heritage Project invites you to check out their profiles and those of some other golfing-related notables:

• Charlie Sifford, first African-American to qualify and play on PGA Tour
• Joseph Bartholomew, golf course designer in New Orleans
• Lee Elder, first African-American to play at the Masters
• Calvin Peete, most successful African-American PGA Tour player prior to Tiger Woods

All WikiTreers are invited to help improve these Notable profiles and expand their family. Some are still unconnected.  If you add a family member that is African-American, please add the {{African-American Sticker}} right below the ==Biography== line. If you add photos, please make sure there are no copyright restrictions on any you upload.  

Answer 1

I love this post. Golfers don't always get as much recognition as other sports. These are all new names to me.

Answer 2

How about a woman, [https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Gibson-9957 Althea Gibson]? She broke the color line for women in golf and in tennis.

Comments

Yes, Althea was amazing!  I'm hoping to do a feature on African-American women in golf too, I've already got several in mind,maybe for the LPGA Championship in June.