GOLF Charlie Sifford celebrated in hall of fame ceremony

Sifford, 82, broke the color barrier on the PGA Tour.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (AP) -- Charlie Sifford waved his crystal trophy before the crowd gathered in front of the World Golf Hall of Fame, unable to contain his smile.
Moments later, when he looked out at Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and other Hall of Famers who celebrated his historic induction Monday night, Sifford bowed his head and softly tapped the podium with his fist, squeezing his eyes as he choked back tears.
"This makes me feel like I'm a worthwhile professional golfer," Sifford said.
A man whose autobiography defined his career -- "Just Let Me Play" -- took his place among golf's greatest figures when Sifford became the first black inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Others
Joining Sifford in a most diverse class of inductees was Canadian amateur Marlene Stewart Streit; Japanese star Isao Aoki; and former U.S. Open champion Tom Kite.
Sifford paid his dues like no other.
He risked ridicule and threats breaking through the Caucasian-only clause on the PGA, finally rescinded in 1961 after Sifford became the first black on tour.
Someone left feces in the cup at the Phoenix Open. Fans kicked his ball in the rough. Telephone calls in the middle of the night warned him not to show up at the golf course. Sifford played on, winning twice on the PGA Tour and later capturing the 1975 Senior PGA Championship.
"Tonight we honor a man not only for his accomplishments on the course, but the course he took in life," Player said in his introduction of the 82-year-old Sifford. "Persistence is an ingredient that is essential to success, and Charlie had that persistence."
The induction brought membership in the hall to 104, and a plea from Sifford that he not be the last black.
He paid tribute to Teddy Rhodes and Bill Spiller, who paved the way for him in the blacks-only United Golf Association; to Lee Elder, who became the first black to play in the Masters in 1975; and to Calvin Peete, Jim Dent and Jim Thorpe, blacks who later succeeded on the PGA Tour.
"Charlie's induction reminds us how far we have come as a country and a game," PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said. "But it also reminds us how far we have to go."