PGA Professional Charlie Sifford may soon join an extraordinary group of icons and others as a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, according to ongoing efforts by those who love Sifford and love golf. The award recipients are usually announced around September/October and the actual presentation normally takes place in Washington, D.C. in November.
On July 31, 2014, Congresswoman Renee Ellmers (R-NC-02) released the following statement this afternoon after leading a bipartisan letter with Congressmen James Clyburn (D-SC), Spencer Bachus (R-AL), and John Yarmuth (D-KY) to President Obama, encouraging him to award a Presidential Medal of Freedom to golfer Charlie Sifford, the first African American to play on the PGA Tour:
“The game of golf was forever improved by the courage and determination of Charlie Sifford – one man who rose to become the first African American to play on the PGA Tour. He earned the right to play the sport he loved, and by excelling at the game, he ushered professional golf into a new era”
Click here to view the letter to President Obama on behalf of Charlie Sifford.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom, established in 1963 by President John F. Kennedy, is our nation’s highest civilian honor. The medal has been presented to more than 500 individuals who have made especially “meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.
Sifford, now 92-years old (born on June 2, 1922 in Charlotte, N.C.), is consider the Jackie Robinson of golf. Sifford broke the game’s stringent color barrier in 1961 when he became the first black athlete to compete on the PGA tour. His early exposure to golf came on the courses of North Carolina, where Sifford worked as a caddie. He earned 60 cents a day on the course—nearly of all of which went into the pocket of his mom to help keep the household going. He went on to win multiple Negro Open championships and challenging the Professional Golf Association’s whites-only rule. Sifford succeeded in desegregating the organization despite harassment and death threats, and was a contender in subsequent PGA tours.
Sifford wrote his 1992 autobiography Let Me Play. In 2004, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, just the 104th athlete and first African American to receive the honor. Then, in early 2009, came the creation of the Charlie Sifford Exemption, which allows for the invitation of a player to the Northern Trust Open (formerly the Los Angeles Open) who represents the advancement of golf’s diversity.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded by the President of the United States “for especially meritorious contribution to (1) the security or national interests of the United States, or (2) world peace, or (3) cultural or other significant public or private endeavors”; it is awarded to individuals selected by the President or recommended to him by the Distinguished Civilian Service Awards Board.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is in the form of a golden star with white enamel, with a red enamel pentagon behind it; the central disc bears thirteen gold stars on a blue enamel background (taken from the Great Seal of the United States) within a golden ring. Golden American Bald Eagles with spread wings stand between the points of the star. It is worn around the neck on a blue ribbon with white edge stripes.
She returned to Miami-Dade and coached the gymnastics team for three years and eventually went back to school at the University of Florida to earn her bachelor’s degree in journalism and communications in 1981. But she didn’t discover golf until 1994, while working as a stockbroker in Atlanta. In a client meeting in Tucson, somebody put a club in her hands, gave her a few pointers and that was the beginning.
“I relate to these kids because I was one of them,” she said. “I give out lots of hugs. I plant seeds and try to put something in their minds to make them think about alternatives to bad choices. Sometimes, it breaks my heart and makes me sad, but I pray that I can make a difference in the lives of these young people.”
“These kids are junior criminals, but they have been given a second chance,” she said. “The fact that I got into golf in the first place was a life-altering thing for me. I know what it has meant in my life and I hope it can help them turn it down a few notches and be calm and patient. If you’re patient, you’re thinking and making choices.”
Cleaning is a breeze. Dishwasher safe, just pop it in or run under soapy water and you’re done. The excellent sizing will nicely fit into a backpack, large purse, and fits conveniently on a child’s lap.
Playing a year without a caddy, her dad suggested Jonathan Moore, an African American classmate and longtime friend, to serve as her caddy. They have been together since her 2013 rookie season. It was also at the University where she met her current coach and mentor, Lewis Green.
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(Photo left: a young Bakari, about 18-months old, with his maternal grandfather Somgiate “Tom” Boodparset)
Most of Bakari’s junior golf was played on the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) National Tour and on the Toyota Tour Cup which is part of the Southern California PGA (SCPGA) Junior Tour. He played in a Pro-Am at Sherwood Country Club in Westlake Village, Calif., last year and another one at Congressional Country Club, in Bethesda, Md. this year. Both, of which, were Tiger Woods events. Plus the Nature Valley Open at the famed Pebble Beach Golf Club. These events were all made possible through the First Tee of South Los Angeles.
Now Coach Chris Zambri at USC will get the chance to add his mojo to Bakari’s already well rounded game. Zambri is a former USC All-Pac-10 performer and longtime Nationwide Tour veteran who is in his eighth year as USC’s men’s golf head coach. Zambri has established himself as one of the top coaches in the U.S. and has taken his team to the NCAA Championships final for seven years. Team Trojans and Bakari should be a solid match-up.