Together, we've raised $36,933 for the Lee Elder Trust!
In our journey to make Lee Elder's name synonymous with a little tournament held out in Augusta, we’ve launched
the second edition of the "Thank You, Mr. Elder" Tee – to round out a capsule of items we hope would make the man
himself proud.
We created this capsule to commemorate Lee’s accomplishments and support his family. 100% of the proceeds from the
sale of each item and any additional donation you wish to make will go directly to the Lee Elder Trust to cover
healthcare costs for his widow, Sharon, who is battling Alzheimer’s, and sustain the Lee Elder Memorial Fund to
grow his legacy and expand the reach of golf.
Select an amount & click "donate now". 100% of direct donations go to the Lee Elder Trust.
To some, trailblazing is a burden. The weight of many others standing upon your shoulders can be heavy. Not for Lee Elder, who carried that weight with unmatched grace. It would have been easy, and quite honestly, justified, to grow angry from the repeated acts of racism he faced early in his career. He stayed optimistic.
He could have allowed the PGA’s Caucasian-Only Clause (abolished in 1961) to extinguish his flame. His passion burned brighter.
“As long as I’m alive, all the golfers will be white and all the caddies will be black.” These words were reportedly spoken by one of golf’s powerful leaders back in the day. He could have let that sentiment deter him from becoming the first black golfer to compete at Augusta in 1975. He broke barriers there and later at the Ryder Cup.
Lee’s unwavering resolution and inextinguishable smile inspired golfers from all backgrounds to love the game. He carried joy and optimism everywhere he went, a true believer in the goodness of humanity and a subtle beckon for togetherness. In his passing, embers floated from his burning spirit and set something new ablaze – an inspiration within us to keep his legacy alive.
As golfers, we stand on the shoulders of giants. Few taller than Lee Elder.
Thank you, Mr. Elder. For everything
Lee Elder is to golf what Jackie Robinson is to baseball. Elder was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1934, the same year as the inaugural Masters tournament. He would go on to break the color barrier at Augusta National in 1975 and later become the first black golfer to compete in the Ryder Cup (1979). He passed away in November of 2021 in Escondido. Elder is survived by his wife Sharon, step-sons Sean and Bret, and stepdaughter Dori, an LPGA Teaching Pro in Carlsbad, California.
It’s time to do what you do, Linksouldiers. Buy, give, share, tag and spread this around.
