First Black pro golfer honored
Inducted into local hall of fame
Charles Sifford, who in 1961 became the first African American to compete on the Professional Golf Association Tour, was inducted into the Southern California Golf Association Hall of Fame Tuesday.
Sifford, a Charlotte, N.C., native, scored one of his key professional wins in 1969, when he took first place in the prestigious Los Angeles Open. The 89-year-old golfer began his career at age 13, working as a caddy.
Because of the exclusion of Blacks from professional golfing, he would go to work as a personal coach to people like bandleader Billy Eckstine and play in tournaments organized by Black golfers.
He first attempted to participate in a PGA tournament in 1951 at the Phoenix Open, but was rebuffed by threats. Then in 1957, he won the Long Beach Open, which was not an official PGA Tour event but was co-sponsored by the organization and had some well-known White players in the field. That title helped pave the way for his PGA debut.
Eldrick Tont Woods, better known as Tiger Woods, is back. Sort of. Based on winning his third PGA-rated tournament of 2013 this past Monday (because of a weather delay), he is again the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world, for the 11th time.
So, the cat’s out of the bag.
Golfing great Tiger Woods confirmed a very loosely kept secret Monday: that he and six-time reigning World Cup downhill skiing champion Lindsey Vonn are an item.
VAN NUYS, Calif.—Former Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Milton Bradley was scheduled to be arraigned later this month on 13 misdemeanor charges for allegedly attacking his estranged wife on five occasions between 2011 and 2012.
Bradley, 34, was charged Thursday by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office with four counts each of spousal battery and criminal threats, two counts each of assault with a deadly weapon and vandalism and one count of dissuading a witness.
His arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 24 at the Van Nuys Courthouse.
LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Matt Barnes pleaded no contest today to misdemeanor unlicensed driver and resisting arrest charges.
The 32-year-old basketball player—who has signed with the Clippers—was immediately sentenced to two years probation, ordered to complete 30 hours of community service and attend anger management classes for three months, according to the District Attorney's Office.
Nearly 1,200 DUI arrests were made throughout Los Angeles County during 10 days of beefed-up law enforcement efforts designed to combat drunken driving in connection with the Fourth of July holiday period, authorities reported Monday.
