{"id":19321,"date":"2021-04-13T15:20:33","date_gmt":"2021-04-13T15:20:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theoklahomaeagle.net\/?p=19321"},"modified":"2021-04-13T15:20:33","modified_gmt":"2021-04-13T15:20:33","slug":"stephen-curry-and-lee-elder-join-forces-to-inspire-more-black-golfers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.willoughbyavenue.com\/eagle\/2021\/04\/13\/stephen-curry-and-lee-elder-join-forces-to-inspire-more-black-golfers\/","title":{"rendered":"Stephen Curry And Lee Elder Join Forces To Inspire More Black Golfers"},"content":{"rendered":"

www.theundefeated.co
\nBy Marc J. Spears<\/a>
\n <\/p>\n

Stephen Curry<\/a> has long been an admirer of Lee Elder, who endured racism as the first Black man to play in the Masters Tournament in 1975. So, of course the Golden State Warriors\u2019 all-time leading scorer made it a point to watch the golf legend make history again at the 2021 Masters, where Elder served as an honorary starter alongside Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player on April 8.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo know that [Elder] gets his flowers while he\u2019s still here, one, but to know what he went through at \u201975, just to qualify for the Masters, to show up there with death threats and hate messages and just a very volatile kind of atmosphere,\u201d Curry told The Undefeated in a phone interview Sunday evening. \u201cAnd now he\u2019s up there with two other legends getting a round of applause. So many amazing words, and deservedly so, of his impact and legacy in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 86-year-old Elder teased the crowd by holding a golf ball in his hand for the tee shot, but didn\u2019t attempt to hit it with his driver due to his physical ailments. Still, it was a special moment for Elder, who recalls his proudest moment happening at the 1975 Masters.<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n
Lee Elder (left) and Stephen Curry (right) on Zoom discussing the future of golf.<\/figure>\n

 \n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cJust thinking about the death threats that had been sent to me, the phone calls that had been made to me, was certainly the thing that was really something that I was really frightened about,\u201d Elder told The Undefeated in a Zoom call on Sunday. \u201cMy proudest moment was certainly when I walked to the first tee because I had been pretty nervous, no doubt about that. But when I walked out of the clubhouse and headed towards the first tee, I seemed to relax a little bit. And I think the reason why was because of the fact that I was about to now perform in one thing that I had been waiting so long to perform in.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first tee was the only thing that was on my mind and really hoping and praying that I wouldn\u2019t hit one of my worst shots and hit somebody. But fortunately enough, I hit the ball down the middle of the fairway.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, Elder and Curry are focused on the future of golf. Both would like to see more participation in the sport by African Americans.<\/p>\n

In the 2021 Masters, Hideki Matsuyama of Japan became the first Asian-born man to win the tournament. But only one of the 88 participants was of African American heritage (Cameron Champ). Five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods did not participate as he is recovering from major injuries from a car crash.<\/p>\n

Despite the doors that Elder, Woods, Charlie Sifford and Calvin Peete opened for African Americans in golf, to have only one Black man participating in the Masters disappointed Elder.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought there would be many more [Black golfers] than what was there at this time,\u201d Elder said. \u201cIn the late 1970s, we had 12 Black golfers playing on the PGA Tour. But the disappointment was the fact that they did not play up to the standard and were unable to keep their [PGA member] cards, so that was very disappointing. \u2026 But those things happen and come about and I just hope that we can accumulate more now out of the wonderful programs that we have around the country and get some of these young people interested in the game of golf. \u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a dying breed on the PGA Tour, and I\u2019m speaking of the minorities. The minority race, as far as them coming on the tour and playing, it\u2019s just not happening.\u201d<\/p>\n