Curtis Sifford went from West Charlotte High to PGA Tour

Charlotte native Curtis Sifford, who followed in the footsteps of his uncle and golf legend Charlie Sifford, died Dec. 5 in Las Vegas. He was 73.

Curtis Sifford, who moved to Los Angeles in 1963 after graduating from West Charlotte High in 1959 and serving in the U.S. Army for four years, played 13 years on the PGA Tour starting in 1969. His best season was 1972, when he won $19,973 and had four top-10 finishes. The highest finish of his career came in 1973, when he finished fourth at the Southern Open in Columbus, Ga. He also had a brief stint on what is now the Champions Tour in 1991 and ’93.

Curtis Sifford was one of several African-American players on the PGA Tour during that era, a list that included Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder, Jim Dent and George Johnson. Charlie Sifford, who also is from Charlotte, was the first black to play on the PGA Tour and recently received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Curtis Sifford is survived by his fiancée, Debbie Lancaster (Las Vegas), his mother Tilda H. Sifford (Charlotte), one brother, James Howard (Dumfries, Va.), one sister, Gardenia Sifford (Charlotte), an aunt, Elizabeth Street (Charlotte), an uncle, George Howard (Kannapolis), a stepdaughter, Sonya Sifford-Francisco (Reno, Nev.), a granddaughter, Madylynn Sifford-Jonston (Las Vegas) and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

No services are planned.

This story was originally published December 16, 2014 at 7:42 PM with the headline "Curtis Sifford went from West Charlotte High to PGA Tour."