In a tribute to Charlie Sifford, who broke the US PGA colour barrier, former world number one Tiger Woods has made a 10,000 dollars donation to launch a scholarship fund at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Tour.
Sifford, who died last month at age 92, was an African-American golf pioneer who joined the PGA Tour in 1961 after twice playing in the US Open.
Despite facing racial insults and threats Sifford won two titles, the 1967 Greater Hartford Open and 1969 Los Angeles Open, Sport24 reported.
Woods, who has won 14 major titles, credits Sifford with paving the way for his career. His gift would launch the Sifford Fund, to create need-based scholarships to students who demonstrate a passion for the game of golf and who are from populations underrepresented in the golf industry.
Maryland Eastern Shore is the only historically black US University that offers a bachelor's degree in professional golf management accredited by the PGA of America. The program now has 44 students, more than half of them women or ethnic minorities.
University president Juliette Bell said that the University of Maryland Eastern Shore is honored to accept this generous gift from Woods to support their professional golf management program and to partner with them in acknowledging Sifford's role as a sports pioneer.
Woods called Sifford the grandpa he never had and said that without him, and the other pioneers who fought to play, he might not be playing golf. He admitted that his father might not have picked up the game and maybe he wouldn't have either.
