Now, the time is right. The year was 1975. That's when Elder became the first black golfer to meet the Masters qualifying standards and play in the tournament. There was talk a few years earlier by several congressmen of seeking a special exemption for Elder to get him into the field. Augusta National never came through with the exemption and Elder said he never would have accepted it if the club had.
Golf is one of the ultimate meritocracies, and always has been.
There's some irony there. A sport that was rooted in money and privilege, a sport whose pro ranks were officially limited to Caucasians by a written rule until the early '60s, had so many closed doors - and still has some. But at the same time, everyone has always accepted that once the doors are open, your game is the only thing that matters. That has always been Woods's frame of reference. A worldwide celebrity.