After capturing his historic first Masters title in 1997, Tiger Woods took a moment to honor three African American pioneers who helped pave the way for his success. Among them was Ted Rhodes, one of the most gifted and influential players in golf history.
Long before Woods transformed the sport, Rhodes dominated Black professional golf during the 1940s and 1950s, establishing himself as a formidable competitor at a time when racial barriers kept him from the mainstream professional tour. His extraordinary talent and determination are the focus of Out of the Rough: Ted Rhodes and His Fight Against Golf’s Color Barrier by Dan Taylor.
The book chronicles Rhodes’s journey from humble beginnings in the segregated South, where Jim Crow laws barred him from playing on many local courses, to becoming one of the most accomplished golfers of his era. Excluded from the PGA Tour because of its discriminatory “Caucasians Only” membership policy, Rhodes competed on the all-Black United Golfers Association circuit, where he consistently shattered records and built a legendary reputation.
With the support and friendship of heavyweight champion Joe Louis, Rhodes broke new ground for African American golfers. He became the first Black golfer in more than half a century to compete in the U.S. Open, challenged the PGA’s exclusionary practices through legal action, and became the first African American professional golfer to compete in a PGA-sanctioned tournament and on the tour circuit.
Ted Rhodes was far more than a pioneering athlete. He was an exceptional talent whose perseverance, dignity, and excellence helped dismantle golf’s color barrier. His achievements, earned in the face of systemic discrimination, opened doors for future generations and secured his place among the game’s true trailblazers.
Out of the Rough serves as a long-overdue tribute to a man whose legacy continues to inspire and whose impact on the game remains immeasurable. Hardcover, Kendle, 240 pages, available on Amazon.com
