SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Every year, since 2009, one lucky golfer is selected as the recipient of the Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption. This is given to a golfer representing a minority background to play in the PGA Tour's Genesis Invitational, and this year's recipient comes right out of Sacramento.
Aaron Beverly is still pinching himself after finding out he was selected for this distinct honor, and to make the moment more surreal, it was announced by one of his idols, Tiger Woods.
"This is a moment I've been dreaming about since I was a kid," Beverly said. "The first tournament I ever watched as a kid was the 97' Masters when he won. The last tournament that I ever got to watch with my dad was the 2019 Masters that Tiger won, so it came full circle for me when Tiger announced on Twitter that I got the exemption."
The exemption is named after Charlie Sifford, who was the first African-American to play on the PGA Tour.
"The PGA used to have a Caucasian-only clause in it, so until him (Sifford), no one that was of any ethnic background was able to play," Beverly said.
Beverly, a Fairfield native, is a former standout golfer for the Sacramento State University golf team. He was a two-time Big Sky player of the year before graduating in 2017. He currently works as an assistant coach for the Hornets golf team.
Beverly hopes that this honor will not only lead to his own opportunity to earn a spot on the PGA tour but also help open the door for more black representation in professional golf.
"In terms of Blacks playing in PGA tour events, we have a few guys, but three or four or five is not enough. We need 20 or 25, so kids can see role models of guys (who) are really good and great golfers," he said.
The Genesis Invitational is played annually at the Riviera Country Club outside Los Angeles. Past recipients of the exemption include fellow Sacramentan Cameron Champ, who received the honor in 2018.
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