CULTURETECHLENSCharlie Sifford
VERIFIED evidence grade — build store (JSON graph)
Combined Graph record U-07760 · provenance: build store (JSON graph), record CTL-E-6888.
Charles Luther "Charlie" Sifford (June 2, 1922 – February 3, 2015) was an American professional golfer from Charlotte, North Carolina, who broke professional golf's color barrier. After winning the United Golf Association's National Negro Open six times, he received an approved-player card at the end of the 1960 season and became the first African American to play on the PGA Tour; the PGA of America struck down its Caucasian-only clause in 1961, and Sifford was a full tour member by 1964. He won twice on tour, at the Greater Hartford Open in 1967 and the Los Angeles Open in 1969, and won the 1975 Senior PGA Championship. In 2004 he became the first Black golfer inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, and in 2014 President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Answer summary · this record in brief, from its own record text
Charles Luther "Charlie" Sifford (June 2, 1922 – February 3, 2015) was an American professional golfer from Charlotte, North Carolina, who broke professional golf's color barrier. After winning the United Golf Association's National Negro Open six times, he received an approved-player card at the end of the 1960 season and became the first African American to play on the PGA Tour; the PGA of America struck down its Caucasian-only clause in 1961, and Sifford was a full tour member by
The record
- Also known as: Charles Luther Sifford, Dr. Charlie Sifford
Notes
Sports Encyclopedia roster CTL-SPE-0172. Firsts disposition: ASSERTED — 'first African American to play on the PGA Tour after the Caucasian-only clause fell (approved-player card, end of 1960 season; clause struck down 1961),' supported by the PGA Tour and BlackPast/USGA accounts in this record; 'first Black golfer inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame (2004)' likewise two-sourced (PGA Tour, USGA). The six National Negro Open titles are stated from the PGA Tour account. Curator's Judgment (DRAFT): Sifford did the unglamorous, dangerous work of integration one tee time at a time, and his two tour wins under that pressure understate his competitive level. Golf's debt to him is structural: every Black tour player since has walked through a door he forced. Photo: CLEARED — Charlie Sifford 1961.JPG, Public domain.
Relationships
- Charlotte — from
Sifford was born on June 2, 1922, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Referenced by
- Tiger Woods — related to → this record
Sources
- PGA Tour. "Remembering legendary Charlie Sifford." February 20, 2024. Accessed 2026-11-03. (primary source · build store)
- BlackPast. "Charles Luther Sifford (1922-2015)." Accessed 2026-11-03. (build store)
- U.S. Golf Association via Northern California Golf Association. "USGA Museum and Library Receives Dr. Charlie Sifford Memorabilia." February 29, 2024. Accessed 2026-11-03. (build store)
Photograph · rights-cleared record, CultureTechLens Photo Rights Log
Charlie Sifford in 1961
Charlie Sifford in 1961 — Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Source: CultureTechLens · view at source
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Record CTL-E-6888 · Combined Graph record U-07760 · CultureTechLens Knowledge Graph · 3 sources · 2 mapped relationships.
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Researched and maintained by the CultureTechLens research program · CultureTechLens Combined Graph, Release 2026-11-04. Corrections are public: the corrections log.
Cite this record
Chicago: CultureTechLens. “Charlie Sifford (CTL-E-6888).” CultureTechLens Combined Graph. Chicago, IL: CultureTechLens, 2026. https://culturetechlens.com/graph/entities/ctl-e-6888/
APA: CultureTechLens. (2026). Charlie Sifford (CTL-E-6888) [Entity record]. CultureTechLens Combined Graph. https://culturetechlens.com/graph/entities/ctl-e-6888/
MLA: CultureTechLens. “Charlie Sifford (CTL-E-6888).” CultureTechLens Combined Graph, 2026, https://culturetechlens.com/graph/entities/ctl-e-6888/
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