Jim Dent, who was one of many few PGA Tour black golfers – on his day or now – and who turned well-known for his big driving from the Trinity, died on Friday at his dwelling in Augusta, Ga. He was 85 years previous.
His grandson Andre Lacey II mentioned the trigger was issues of a latest stroke.
Dent Dent was a part of a small group of great black golfers who preceded Tiger Woods (who recognized himself as partial black) in skilled golf. Charlie Nigvor was the primary to play at what turned often known as the PGA TOUR after its ex -parent, PGA of America, missed his policy “only for Caucasians” In 1961
In 1964, Pete Brown It was the primary black golf to win an occasion on the tour. Eleven years later, Lee Elder It was the primary to play within the Masters match. And Calvin PeteOne other black tour member gained his first match in 1979 and one other 11 between 1982 and 1986.
Dent gained $ 564,809 revenue, however by no means gained a match on the tour and didn’t qualify to play in Masters. His finest finale got here in 1972, when he was tied to second place, 9 strokes behind Jack Niklaus, at Walt Disney World Open Invitational in Florida.
However Dent continued to win a dozen tournaments within the new senior tour chain (now referred to as the PGA Tour Champions), which he joined in 1989 on the age of fifty. He gained two tournaments in 1989 and 4 extra subsequent yr. His final victory got here in 1998. On the whole, he gained greater than $ 9 million within the championship tour.
Lori Livsi, the PGA Tour historian, mentioned Dent was not thought of a racial pioneer; He not too long ago credit score Siford, Brown and an elder with this distinction.
“However Dent was a participant like Siford, Brown and an elder who gravitated to a recreation that was not conventional so black gamers may chase,” Livsi wrote in an e mail. “He had no benefits to rising up and he was actually a self -taught participant who realized the sport by watching what he noticed by Caddying.”
Golf was a segregated sport when Dent grew up in Augustus, a metropolis often known as the Masters Home on the Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership. However he was nonetheless fascinated by it. He began taking part in in Augusta’s programs open to black golfers, and he encoded in Country Club Augusta and Augusta Municipal Golf CourseReferred to as the patch.
He additionally started to get on to the masters in 1956 and ultimately wore luggage from professionals like Bob Rosburg and Bob WolbyS Augusta Nationwide wouldn’t settle for a black member till 1990
Caddying has enabled Dent to review the crafts of one of the best gamers, together with Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson and Sam Snade.
“My objective was to observe them play.” He said The web site of the Affiliation of the US in 2012, “However I did not know what it was about golf.”
He continued to review and enhance his recreation, ending a black participant tour. After failing his try to qualify for the PGA Tour, he lastly succeeded in 1970, at 31, the superior age to hitch him.
“This was the present!” Dent instructed the USGA. “I realized once you go on the market with these guys it’s a must to produce. You simply do not wish to be blissful there.”
He added: “I improved yearly.”
Dent, which stood 6 toes and weighed round £ 225, strengthened its long-length repute by the Trinity, profitable a contest for driving in 1974, sponsored by PGA Tour and Golf Digest Journal, with an explosion that handed 324 yards and 18 inches.
After this victory, he defined his methods to The New York Instances in an article underneath the title “How to drive a golf ball further: Watch Jim Dent.”
“I do not hit onerous till I get into the ball,” he mentioned. “If you happen to begin too quick, you’re useless. You’ll soar out of your sneakers and don’t have anything to indicate about it. I take the driving force again as slowly as 9 iron. I simply crawl it again.”
The next yr, when the competitors expanded and have become often known as the nationwide lengthy driving championships, he completed first, with a driving of simply over 317 yards. The yr then completed in fourth place when driving 292 yards and 5 inches.
Dent took benefit of his lengthy -standing talent when he turned one of many first PGA Tour professionals to signal a take care of the Golf Firm Callaway to approve of their huge Bertha line by ectoping drivers. In 1992, the newspaper commercial boasted {that a} huge Bertha mannequin had elevated its common distance to 276.8 yards and one other to 286.4 yards, the longest of the senior tour and greater than every of the PGA Tour, aside from 288.9 yards of John Dali. Callaway later created Massive Bertha Jim Dint with a restricted version.
James Lacey Dent was born on Could 9, 1939 in Augusta of Tom and Carrie Dent. His mom died when Jim was 6. His father, who was driving a pulp truck and possession of agricultural land, died when Jim was 12 years previous. Jim and three of his siblings had been raised by Aunt Mary Benton, who labored as an housekeeper.
She was not a fan of his Cading.
“The primary time I received up, I acquired Whuppin ‘,” Dent instructed USA At this time in 1990. “She mentioned that if I used to be hanging round with Kady, I might learn to guess and drink.”
Dent attends Paine School, a historic Black Faculty in Augusta, the place he performed scholarship soccer, however he left a yr to chase golf. He gained cash by ready for tables at a restaurant close to Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey, and performed in tournaments organized by the United Golf Affiliation, a Black Golf Tour.
Dent left the champions tour in 2010, however even at retirement he may nonetheless hit lengthy discs.
“He was nonetheless launched there, from 230 to 250 yards till he acquired the stroke,” his grandson Andre Leisie mentioned in an interview.
Dent’s three marriages ended with a divorce. Along with his grandson Andre, the Paine School Golf Coach for Males and Ladies, Dent survived by daughter Charin Dent Wilkins, from his marriage to Evelyn Inexperienced; daughter, Radisia Dent and son James, from his marriage to Brenda Dent; Daughter Victoria Dent and two sons, Joshua and Joseph, all of whom adopted his third marriage to Willie Malvau; sister, Josephine Dent; eight different grandchildren; 10 nice -grandchildren; And two nice -grandchildren.
In 2020, the town of Augustus renamed the highway resulting in the Augusta Dent Manner Municipal Golf Course.
“He was simply actually grateful,” his grandson mentioned. “This can be a place the place he may by no means play,” the concave of the course lengthy earlier than he built-in in 1964 – “So now it is a spot that bears his title.”
