Masters of exclusion : Augusta still wrestling with image despite Lee Elder moment
Golf’s marquee major starts this Thursday in Augusta. Lee Elder, the first Black player to play the US Masters, is the honorary starter – but his invitation does little to conceal Augusta’s past or advance golf’s image.
Lee Elder, right, alongside Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National
Lee Elder s legacy as a golfing pioneer will be cemented on Thursday when he takes his place alongside Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player to raise the curtain for this year s US Masters.
Elder has been invited to hit the ceremonial first shot of a tournament where he made history in 1975, becoming the first Black player to receive an invite to Augusta following his victory at the Monsanto Open in Florida a year earlier.