Lee Elder, 65, won the 1974 Monsanto Open to qualify for the 1975 Masters, where he missed the cut. He plans to play in 12 to 15 Senior PGA Tour events this year. Augusta Chronicle Staff

Posted Tuesday, February 1, 2000

By Ward Clayton
Augusta Chronicle

Lee Elder, who broke the color barrier at the Masters Tournament, and the late Payne Stewart will be honored Masters Week in Augusta during a star-studded Golf Writers Association of America banquet.

The GWAA, an organization which consists of 870 golf writers, broadcasters and others in the golf industry, will announce today that Elder will be honored on the 25th anniversary of breaking the color barrier at the Masters. He was the first black to play in the Masters in 1975.

``It's wonderful, just wonderful,'' Elder said Monday from his home in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. ``I am just elated to be honored.

``I remember playing there in 1975 just like it was yesterday. A lot of friends went with me there. And I made a lot of friends on that occasion.''

Elder, 65, won the 1974 Monsanto Open to qualify for the 1975 Masters, where he missed the cut. He plans to play in 12 to 15 Senior PGA Tour events this year.

The GWAA announced Monday that Stewart will be honored as the recipient of the Charles Bartlett Award, named for the first secretary of the GWAA and given to Stewart for his unselfish contributions to the betterment of society.

Stewart was involved in Christian youth programs and charitable causes in the Orlando community throughout his career. He and wife Tracey founded the Stewart Family Foundation, whose purpose is to assist children and youth in Christian activities in the Orlando area. Stewart donated $500,000 to the First Baptist Church of Orlando the week be fore his death.

Stewart died in a plane crash Oct. 25, 1999 with five others en route from Orlando to Dallas. He won last year's U.S. Open at Pinehurst, N.C.

Tracey has been invited by the GWAA to accept the award.

The GWAA banquet, scheduled for Wed., April 5, at the Bell Auditorium in downtown Augusta, also will honor players of the year Tiger Woods (PGA Tour), Juli Inkster (LPGA Tour) and Bruce Fleisher (Senior PGA Tour), Richardson Award winner Nancy Lopez, Hogan Award winner Jose Maria Olazabal and PGA Lifetime Achievement in Journalism award winner Jim McKay.