Woods Filling a Void for Sifford

Charlie Sifford never played in the Masters, but the 74-year-old said he is doing the next best thing this week watching Tiger Woods on television.

“I am watching my grandson,” Sifford said Saturday from his home in Kingwood, Texas. “That’s my grandson. I sent him a fax the first part of the week. I told him to just play the golf course. Don’t try to force anything.”

The first African American golfer to play the Masters was Lee Elder in 1975. Jim Thorpe and Calvin Peete followed and Woods is the fourth.

Sifford was a two-time winner on the PGA Tour after he turned pro in 1954 at age 32, including the 1969 Los Angeles Open, but the Masters invitation rules were different then and neither victory enabled him to play the Masters.

“I tried so hard to get the opportunity to play there,” he said. “I am not angry about it. The people at Augusta had their rules and I can respect that.”

Sifford said he will be watching the last round today.

“This is a kid who’s doing what I wanted to do but never could. It makes me feel like a newborn baby.

“It’s a wonderful thing for the game, period, never mind the racial thing.”

Woods said he expects such African American golfers as Sifford, Thorpe and Peete to experience some strong emotions if he holds on to win today.

“I’m sure they wish it could have been them,” Woods said.