Historic golfer Lee Elder has passed away at the age of 87 years old. Elder was the first African American to compete in the Masters at Augusta National in Georgia, and he was recently honored this past April at the legendary tournament.

The PGA Tour announced Elder's death on Monday morning:

Lee Elder's historic moment at the Masters came in 1975. He struggled for years to break barriers in the discriminatory world of professional golf before he finally got to compete against White players.

The Washington Post has more on Elder's upbringing:

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Mr. Elder’s much-heralded triumphs on the green followed a turbulent start in life. He was orphaned at 9, dropped out of high school in Los Angeles in 10th grade and supported himself as a caddie and a golf hustler, often in cahoots with the noted gambler and golfer Alvin Thomas, better known under the pseudonym Titanic Thompson.

He sometimes posed as a caddie for Thompson, who was White, or as his liveried chauffeur. Thompson would take wagers that he and his chauffeur could defeat the two best players on the course. At the end of the day, they often walked away with a handsome profit.

Lee Elder caught the attention of another Black golfer, Ted Rhodes, during an exhibition match with Joe Louis. Rhodes helped Elder improve his game, and Elder went on to dominate the United Golfers Association (similar to baseball's Negro Leagues).

The PGA of America eliminated its “Caucasians-only” rule in 1961, paving the way for Elder to play in the Masters years later. He faced a lot of backlash from racists leading up to the tournament, but he did his best not to let it bother him and he participated. While he didn't make the cut in that first Masters, he qualified for five more in his career and had his best finish in 1979 (tied for 17th).

Lee Elder won four tournaments on the PGA Tour and was the first African American to qualify for the United States Ryder Cup in 1979. He left the PGA Tour in 1984 and competed on the senior Champions Tour.

Elder was in attendance when Tiger Woods became the first African American to win the Masters in 1997. Elder and Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry teamed up earlier this year on a golf project.