The Dreamer
• Lee Elder, 74, brings more African-Americans to the game — and hopefully, one day, to the PGA Tour

"It's been 33 years since I broke the color barrier at
the Masters and 11 years since Tiger won the green
jacket. But today Tiger's the only African-American
on Tour. That's a shame, and I want to change that. I
still teach about 20 clinics a year for minority kids, but
I have a new mission: We need to give college-age kids
with real talent and desire a place to play to see how
good they can be. Tiger's foundation and The First
Tee help younger kids, but not the 18- to 24-year-olds
who don't have access to country clubs and financial
backers the way Caucasians do. It's night and day. So
I'm lobbying agencies and CEOs to help me open a
large facility that will let young men and women of
color with real talent develop their games — a 36-hole
layout with video equipment, a great range, teachers.
It's affirmative action for golf. It's funny, I meet CEOs
who give me their cards and say, 'Let me know what
I can do.' Then I call, and they're too busy to talk. But
that's OK. I'm used to obstacles. We've already opened
a clinic in Bermuda, and I know we'll open one here. It
will take time, but can you imagine Tiger at Augusta,
in his forties, slipping a green jacket onto the shoulders
of a young African-American? That would be a thrill!
That would be going to the mountaintop."