Ted Rhodes

For the British television script editor, see Ted Rhodes (script editor).

Theodore Rhodes (November 9, 1913 – July 4, 1969) was an American professional golfer in the mid-twentieth century, a time when African-American golfers were a rarity. Rhodes helped break golf's color barrier. During his career, he won about 150 golf tournaments including four UGA Championships and the National Negro Open. He qualified for high-profile PGA tournaments but was denied admission because of his race. During his first Masters win speech, Tiger Woods mentioned Rhodes as one of the pioneers that paved the way for him to play golf. The Ted Rhodes Foundation was created in 1993, and his home course in Nashville is named in his honor. In 2010, Rhodes was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.

Early life

Rhodes was born in Nashville, Tennessee , the son of Frank and Della Rhodes. He was a self-taught golfer, learning the game in his teenage years while working as a caddie at Nashville's Belle Meade Country Club and Richland Country Club. There were no local courses in town open to African Americans. But being a caddie at a country club allowed him so observe how the game is played, and was a source for some discarded golf clubs. Rhodes practiced the game at a a local baseball field called Sunset Park using sticks with homemade flags as pins. He attended Pearl-Cohn High School and caddied on the weekends.

In the late 1930s, Rhodes joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a New Deal program that provided jobs for unemployed young men. He served in the United States Navy in World War II. When his tour of duty concluded, Rhodes was discharged in Chicago, where he met entertainer Billy Eckstine and heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis. He taught both men to play the game of golf, and served as Louis' personal instructor, valet and playing partner. Louis facilitated Rhodes' moving to southern California in the late 1940s, to be coached by Ray Mangrum, brother of champion golfer Lloyd Mangrum.

Golf career

While living in California, Rhodes competed in select white-run tournaments that permitted Black participants, such as the Tam O’Shanter and the L.A. Open. However, the majority of his competitive play took place on the United Golf Association sanctioned tournaments. He was immensley successful in these tournaments, winning six times in a row from 1946 to 1947. He won four UGA Championships and the National Negro Open During his career, he won about 150 tournaments. Courses he played included Rogers Park, Tampa.

In 1948, he played in the U.S. Open at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles and became recognized as the first African-American professional golfer. Rhodes and fellow African-American Bill Spiller were among the top winners in the Los Angeles Open; in fact, Spiller was in the spotlight after tying Ben Hogan with a 68 in the first round. Their low scores qualified them to play in the Richmond, California Open at Oakland; however, after a couple of practice rounds at Richmond, they were told that they were disqualified because the rules there were different.The tournament was open only to regular members of the PGA of America. They were deemed non-members because of a "Caucasians only" rule. Humiliated, they called a press conference, then contacted a sports producer at ABC who broadcast the story nationally. They initiated litigation against the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA) seeking removal of the association's "Caucasian only clause". Although they prevailed in the out-of-court settlement, the PGA circumvented the agreement by changing its tournaments to "invitationals" and invited only whites to participate.

Legacy

Rhodes returned to his native Nashville in the 1960s and mentored several black PGA players including Lee Elder and Charlie Sifford. He gave golf lessons to Althea Gibson, former U.S' and Wimbledon tennis champion. He liked stylish clothing on and off the course. “He had golf shoes to match every outfit and color of pants he wore,” said his daughter Peggy Rhodes-White. His fashion sense prompted his nickname "Rags."

He died at the age of 55. A month after his death, the Cumberland Golf Course in Nashville was renamed in his honor and is now named Ted Rhodes Golf Course. In 1998, Rhodes was inducted into the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame.

In 2009, the PGA of America granted posthumous membership to Rhodes, Spiller, and John Shippen. The PGA also has granted posthumous honorary membership to boxer Joe Louis. During his first Masters win speech, Tiger Woods mentioned Rhodes as one of the pioneers that paved the way for him to play golf. In 2010, Rhodes was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.

The Ted Rhodes Foundation was created in 1993 to keep his legacy alive and educate others about his contributions to the game of golf by hosting golf tournaments for youth and adults, as well as golf clinics. The foundation is run by Rhodes's granddaughter Tiffany White. The foundation supports HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) golf teams, such as Fisk University's in Nashville, and gives scholarships to HBCU golf team members. Lastly, the foundation supports urban junior golf programs, such as First Tee of Tennessee and First Tee of Lake County.

External links

• [tedrhodes.org Ted Rhodes Foundation]