Golfing with a legend of the game

Last Sunday Mark was thrilled to play golf with PGA Legend Lee Elder. Lee is a patient of Mark's golf buddy, Dr. Paul Tornambe. Lee was the first black golfer to play in the Master's Tournament, on the US Ryder Cup Team, and in professional golf tournaments in South Africa (through the efforts of his good friend Gary Player). Lee won four times on the PGA Tour, once beating Lee Trevino in a playoff. He also lost a five hole playoff to Jack Nicklaus. He won another eight times on the Senior Tour. Wow!

Lee is a wonderful gentleman who regaled them with unbelievable stories of his time on tour and the racism he faced even in the mid-seventies. He shared stories about his first Master's (he played in seven), the Ryder Cup, Jack, Arnie, Gary, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Tiger, President Gerald Ford, who is a very close friend, and playing the Bob Hope Desert Classic with Mr. Hope, President Ford, and Jackie Gleason. He also shared conversations he had with Jackie Robinson, who felt Lee had a much tougher time breaking the color barrier in golf than Jackie did in baseball because he had a team to blend into and to protect him somewhat. It was truly an honor and a privilege to play with this legend.

Mark with Lee and Al Dean.