Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas will join with the Advocates Pro Tour in honoring golf legend Charlie Sifford by renaming the road that goes into Chester Washington Golf Course “Charlie Sifford Drive.” The ceremony will take place Sunday, August 16 at 3:30pm at Western Avenue and 120th Street and is open to the public.
Sifford was the Jackie Robinson of golf. In 1961 he became the first African American to be given full status on the PGA Tour and when he won the Los Angeles Open in 1969 he became the first and only African American to win this prestigious event. Sifford’s pioneering efforts paved the way for Tiger Woods and other African American professional golfers to play the game they love.
Advocates Pro Tour is a six-year-old nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring greater diversity to the game of golf. The APT sponsors five professional tournaments across the United States. The organizations Tour Championships will be held August 15-16 at Chester Washington Golf Course where many of the nations top African American professional golfers will compete for a $10,000 first prize.
“We are honored to join with Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas to honor Charlie Sifford,” said Kenneth Bentley, executive director of the Advocates Pro Tour. “It’s only fitting that the road going into Chester Washington will be named after Charlie. Charlie played a lot of golf there and Chester Washington has played such a huge role in the history of African American golf.”
