‘The Jackie Robinson of golf’: the forgotten story of Black pioneer Ted Rhodes

The man mentioned by Tiger Woods after his first Masters win paved the way for generations of Black golfers, reintegrating the US Open and challenging the PGA How good a golfer was Ted Rhodes? At the 1948 US Open, he finished the first round just three shots behind the leader – and eventual winner – Ben Hogan. But there’s more to the story: Rhodes was the first Black competitor in the tournament in its modern era, during a time of widespread segregation in American sport. Rhodes is the subject of a new book by sports historian Dan Taylor, Out of the Rough: Ted Rhodes and His Fight against Golf’s Color Barrier. The author aims to change what he sees as mainstream unfamiliarity with Rhodes, even among golf enthusiasts. Continue reading...

Rich Tenorio · Thu, Sep 10, 2026, 2:00 AM
US news | The Guardian

‘The Jackie Robinson of golf’: the forgotten story of Black pioneer Ted Rhodes

The man mentioned by Tiger Woods after his first Masters win paved the way for generations of Black golfers, reintegrating the US Open and challenging the PGA

How good a golfer was Ted Rhodes? At the 1948 US Open, he finished the first round just three shots behind the leader – and eventual winner – Ben Hogan. But there’s more to the story: Rhodes was the first Black competitor in the tournament in its modern era, during a time of widespread segregation in American sport.

Rhodes is the subject of a new book by sports historian Dan Taylor, Out of the Rough: Ted Rhodes and His Fight against Golf’s Color Barrier. The author aims to change what he sees as mainstream unfamiliarity with Rhodes, even among golf enthusiasts.

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