Tributes pour in for golf legend Lee Elder who died aged 87

Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player were just a couple of figures from the world of sport to pay tribute to the late, great Lee Elder. 

Tributes pour in for golf legend Lee Elder who died aged 87
Tributes pour in for golf legend Lee Elder who died aged 87

The world of golf was saddened yesterday when news filtered through that Lee Elder had died at the age of 87.

Elder became the first black golfer to play at The Masters in 1975. He had 16 professional wins in his career and four of them came on the PGA Tour.

In April, Elder took part in the opening ceremony of The Masters alongside Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, which was a very significant and touching morning in the history of the event. Both players paid tribute to Elder on social media.

Tributes to the legendary figure of golf have poured in, which just shows how great a player Elder was and how his presence on the PGA Tour provided inspiration for African-Americans.

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Nicklaus, who won The Masters six times, described Elder as a pioneer: "Lee Elder was a pioneer in so many ways. Yes, he was the first black golfer to play in @TheMasters, but that simply underlined the hard work Lee put in to further the cause of everyone who has a dream to play on the @PGATOUR  and thinks there were too many barriers before them.

Two-time winner at Augusta Bubba Watson took to social media and said Elder's legacy will live on forever. Harold Varner III said that Elder made history because of his talent as well as because he was an African-American.

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After Tiger Woods won his first Masters title in 1997, he paid tribute to Elder: "Lee Elder meant a lot to me because he was the first. He was the one that I looked up to. And because of what he did, I was able to play here, which was my dream."

Figures from outside of the world of golf also had kind words for Elder, who very much touched the hearts of a lot of people in America. 

Politician Condoleeza Rice and legendary women's tennis player Bille Jean-King described Elder as a "legend" and a "trailblazer."

Take a look below at the heartfelt messages for Lee Elder who died at the age of 87.

 

NEXT PAGE: LEGENDARY GOLFER LEE ELDER, WHO MADE HISTORY AT THE 1975 MASTERS, DIES AGED 87

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