Former professional golfer Lee Elder has died at the age of 87, the PGA Tour announced Monday. Elder was best known as the first Black man to compete at the Masters, which he did in 1975. He competed at Augusta six times, twice finishing inside the top 20.
The Texas native won four times on the PGA Tour, including the 1974 Monsanto Open that earned him the initial invite to the Masters Tournament.
Elder said he received threats leading up to his first appearance at the Masters, ultimately renting two houses so people wouldn’t know where he was staying.
In 2021, he was celebrated by the tournament as an honorary starter alongside Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player and received a large ovation from the crowd.
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