Charlie Sifford, who only wanted a chance to play and broke the colour barrier in golf as the first PGA Tour member, died Tuesday night, the PGA of America said.
Sifford, who recently had suffered a stroke, was 92. Details of his death and funeral arrangements were not immediately available.
PGA of America President Derek Sprague called Sifford "an uncommon and faithful servant."
"His love of golf, despite many barriers in his path, strengthened him as he became a beacon for diversity in our game," Sprague said.
"By his courage, Dr. Sifford inspired others to follow their dreams. Golf was fortunate to have had this exceptional American in our midst."
A proud man who endured racial taunts and threats, Sifford set modest goals and achieved more than he imagined.
Sifford challenged the Caucasian-only clause and the PGA rescinded it in 1961. He won the Greater Hartford Open in 1967 and the Los Angeles Open in 1969. He also won the 1975 Senior PGA Championship, five years before the Champions Tour was created.
His career was fully recognised in 2004 when he became the first African American inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Last November, President Barack Obama presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer are the only other golfers who received that honour.
The one goal that eluded him was a chance to play in the Masters, which did not invite its first black player until Lee Elder in 1975. Sifford remained bitter, though the pain was eased when Tiger Woods won the first of his four green jackets in 1997.
Woods often has said he would not have played golf if not for Sifford and other black pioneers.
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