Stephen Curry and Lee Elder join forces to inspire more Black golfers

Stephen Curry has long been an admirer of Lee Elder, who endured racism as the first Black man to play in the Masters Tournament in 1975. So, of course the Golden State Warriors’ all-time leading scorer made it a point to watch the golf legend make history again at the 2021 Masters, where Elder served as an honorary starter alongside Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player on April 8.

“To know that [Elder] gets his flowers while he’s still here, one, but to know what he went through at ’75, just to qualify for the Masters, to show up there with death threats and hate messages and just a very volatile kind of atmosphere,” Curry told The Undefeated in a phone interview Sunday evening. “And now he’s up there with two other legends getting a round of applause. So many amazing words, and deservedly so, of his impact and legacy in the game.”

The 86-year-old Elder teased the crowd by holding a golf ball in his hand for the tee shot, but didn’t attempt to hit it with his driver due to his physical ailments. Still, it was a special moment for Elder, who recalls his proudest moment happening at the 1975 Masters.