Hello readers, today in this article, we will discuss the Net Worth of Lee Elder. He was an American professional golfer.
In this article, apart from his net worth, we will also discuss Lee’s early life, career, personal life, and much more. So read this article till the end.
Also, before bouncing off this article, don’t forget to watch Lee Elder’s life story video at the end of this article.
Lee Elder Net Worth | Biography
Lee’s full name is Robert Lee Elder. He was the first African-American to play in the Master’s Tournament.
Lee got a chance to play in the Master’s Tournament after winning the 1974 Monsanto Open. Furthermore, in the other section of this article, we have discussed Lee Elder’s career in detail.
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Lee Elder Early Life
He was born on 14 July 1934 in Dallas, Texas. When he was nine years old, his father, Charles Elder, was killed in Germany during World War II.
After three months, his mother, Almeta Elder, also died. By the age of 12, Lee found himself alone, moving from one ghetto to another.
Later on, he was finally sent to live with his aunt in Los Angeles, California. He attended the Manual Arts High School. But he usually misses his classes to work as a caddie. Moreover, after two years, he even dropped out of school.
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Lee Elder Career
Early Career
By the age of 16, Lee started doing jobs at the pro shops and locker rooms. But at the same time, he continued his work as a caddie and improved his game by watching his client.
Also, he instantly grabbed every opportunity when he got a chance to play. Moreover, he soon realized that his game had been developed enough, and now it was his time to start hustling.
Lee’s golfing career took a big step forward when he played a match with heavyweight boxer Joe Louis. During the game, he was noticed by golf instructor Ted Rhodes.
Ted trained him for three years, and after the training, Lee’s game improved very much, and he started participating in tournaments.
However, in 1959 Lee was drafted into the U.S. Army and sent to Fort Lewis, Washington. But he was lucky enough to be commanded under Colonel John Gleaster, who was himself an avid golfer.
The commander puter Lee under Special Services, due to which he got an opportunity to play golf on a steady basis. In 1961, he was discharged from the army.
So, later on, he joined the UGA (United Golf Association) Tour for black players. At that time, black people are not allowed to play in the PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association of America). PGA was reserved only for members of the Caucasian race.
During the tour, he won 18 tournaments out of 22 consecutive tournaments. However, at the time, this tour doesn’t have large prizes.
Later Career
In 1961, PGA removed its color barrier due to which all non-white players could also become members. In 1967, Lee gathered enough money to attend qualifying school for the PGA Tour.
Moreover, he was ranked 9th out of a class of 122 students. In the next year, he even got his PGA Tour card. During that year, Lee was ranked 40th on the money list for bringing in around $38,000.
In 1971, he got a chance to participate in the South African PGA Championship. After this, he even played in some other tournaments in Southern Africa. Moreover, in that year, Lee also won the Nigerian Open.
Later on, in 1974, he got his first win on the PGA Tour at the Monsanto Open, due to which he got entry to the Master’s Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.
Furthermore, it was the first time Augusta provided the opportunity for a black golfer to compete in the Master’s Tournament.
In 1979, Lee became the first African American to qualify for play in the Ryder Cup. Later on, in the next year, he joined the Senior PGA Tour, in which he won a total of eight tournaments.
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Lee Elder Personal Life
Lee got married to Rose Harper in 1997. He met Rose during a golf tournament in Washington, D.C. After the marriage, Rose quit his golfing career and became Lee’s manager.
However, after several years of marriage, the couple divorced for unknown reasons. Later on, after the divorce, Lee got married to Sharon.
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Lee Elder Death
On 28 November 2021, Lee died in Escondido, California. Moreover, at the time of his death, he was 87 years old.
What is the Net Worth of Lee Elder?
Lee Elder was an American professional golfer. When he was alive, his primary source of income was his earnings from his successful golf career.
The Net Worth of Lee Elder was around $7 Million when he was alive. Moreover, after his death, most of Lee’s wealth was given to his wife.
| Name | Lee Elder |
| Profession | Golfer |
| Net Worth | $7 Million |
| Source of Income | Golf Career |
| Last Updated | 2023 |
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