Lee Elder’s Legacy

Lee Elder was born in Dallas, Texas in 1934. While still a teenager, he worked as a caddie and around golf courses, quickly developing a passion for the game. After playing a match with Joe Louis and Ted Rhodes, Rhodes took Elder under his wing and helped improve his game. Following a stint in the US Army from 1959-1961, Elder joined the United Golf Association Tour and was dominant. At one point, he won 18 of 22 tournaments he entered. In 1966, he played in his first major championship, finishing in a tie for 57th at the US Open.

By 1967, having raised enough money to attend the PGA Tour’s qualifying school (and also six years after the tour lifted its color barrier), Elder successfully earned his PGA Tour card for the 1968 season.

In 1974, Elder won his first PGA Tour event, the Monsanto Open, which eventually earned him an invitation to the Masters Tournament. On April 10, 1975, Elder became the first Black golfer to play in the Masters Tournament. Though he missed the cut that year, he would go on to log a top 20 finish in the tournament in 1977 and would appear in the tournament six times in total. In 1979, Elder became the first Black golfer to qualify for the Ryder Cup.

In addition to his tremendous professional success, ending his career with four PGA Tour wins, eight Senior PGA Tour wins, and seven top-25 finishes in major championship, Elder managed the historic Langston Golf Course in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Many of the old-timers at Langston still recount Elder’s days at the course and pass stories of his golfing prowess down to the younger generations.

In 2021, Elder took place in the traditional opening tee shot ceremony at the Masters Tournament and the city Washington, DC declared April 10, 2021 as ‘Lee Elder Day’ in recognition of his immense impact on golf, sports, and society. While he would pass later that year, his legacy lives on. National Links Trust will continue to honor and celebrate that legacy at Langston Golf Course.