Goodbye Charlie Sifford , the first African American in golf

Charlie Sifford , the first African-American golfer to join the professional circuit , has died aged 92 in Cleveland , Ohio , a month after suffering a stroke . He was responsible for the end of racial segregation in professional golf . Born in 1922 in Charlotte , North Carolina , began working as a caddy at age 13 . Then , he started to participate in tournaments for players of color , who were excluded from the PGA of America , the association of professional players . Defied the ban for the first time in 1952 , when he participated in the Phoenix Open at the invitation obtained by former world champion heavyweight boxing , Joe Louis , despite threats and insults racist