JULY 14, 2008-DR. CHARLIE SIFFORD

Please click the title to this Blog Entry to see a very cool video.

When I was a 14 year old youngster caddying on The Senior Tour, I always wondered why there were so few Black Dudes on The Senior Tour.

It is amazing that in 1996 Calvin Peete, Jim Dent, Walter Morgan, Bobby Strobble, Lee Elder, and Charlie Sifford were the players who competed on a weekly basis.

Now 2008, only Jim Thorpe is playing the great game on The Senior Tour and Tiger is on The PGA.

I will say, in the next ten years, we will see a significant number of diversity show up in professional golf.

I have heard in 2012, they will be making golf an olympic sport.

This is very big news.

One of the individuals responsible for taking golf to the masses and making the sport acceptable amongst African Americans is my friend, Charlie Sifford who now resides in Cleveland, Ohio. Not much going on in Cleveland except for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and some industry here and there.

But Charlie, the Sultan of Swat, has been living there and Port St. Lucie for many years.

Charlie has a heavy story and is a great warrior.

If you click the title to The Blog, DR. CHARLIE SIFFORD, you will see Charlie being inducted at The University of St Andrews Scotland for his incredible dedication and prowess to opening racial barriers in the game.

Amazing stuff I tell you.

I have caddied for Charlie about 15 rounds at The Legends Golf Tournament in Savannah.
Each and everyone of these days I spent of the Course with Charlie was an amazing day.

Joe Jiminez, Charlie's good friend and playing partner is who I caddied for and together these gents were the Dynamic Duo placing quite well at The Legends Super Senior Events.

The last time I caddied For Joe and Charlie was 2004.
Both Gents were getting older but they could still wallop the ball.

Last year, I was on a 30 day long road trip and I stopped in Cleveland on Fathers Day to say hello To Charlie.
I took the Greyhound in and caught a cab to Charlie's Home.

I called him on my way like he had told me to do the week before.
Then, when I got to his door and called him, he told me to go home.

Oh Charlie.

I couldn't believe it.

For nearly eight years I had talked to Charlie a couple times each year to check up on him during his illnesses.
He was never feeling good, but I loved calling him to cheer him up and talk with him about A round of golf his man Walter Morgan had just played.

See, it was Walter who put us in touch.
That was really kind of Walter to do this for me.

In the end, I learned a great deal from Charlie.
I have no regrets.

I haven't talked with him lately but suppose I should give him a call sometime in the near future.

Regardless of what happened, I understand.

Race Relations are a sensitive topic, especially in golf.

Thanks to Charlie Sifford for holding strong and being a huge guiding light for me and so many millions of people around the world.

Charlie Sifford will live on forever!!!