I always feel it, always sense it,What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here.’”

 

マスターズが行われるオーガスタ・ナショナルはDeep Southのジョージア州にあり、黒人差別が顕著な大会だった。黒人選手の出場が初めて許されたのは1975年のLee Elderで、黒人で初めて優勝したのは1997年のTiger Woods

— H.S. Kim (@xcvbnm67890) November 12, 2020

The underlying problem, though, is that in golf’s not too distant past, particularly in southern country clubs like Augusta National, its right-wing tendencies have been unavoidably entwined with institutionalised and often overt racism. It was Nicklaus, after all, who reasoned that there were so few black professional golfers due to their “different muscles” in 1994. Touring in Vancouver at the time, Nicklaus added that he didn’t “buy” that stronger action could be taken to reduce discrimination.

On Monday, Augusta’s chairman, Fred Ridley, announced that Lee Elder, the first black professional to compete in the Masters, would take part in the ceremonial tee-shot next April. Elder, now 86, was subjected to a torrent of abuse after qualifying for the tournament in 1975 and had to rent two houses, switching between each at random, to reduce fears over his safety.

It would be foolish to point the finger solely at Augusta. Like every evil, it has its figureheads, but is propped up by a presiding acceptance and deafening silence. “Every time I go to a major country club, I always feel it, always sense it,” said a young Tiger Woods. “People always staring at you: ‘What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here.’” Around the same time, Woods’s father, Earl, began shouting abuse at his prodigious son to harden him against the racism he would inevitably face as a professional.

タイガーウッズのときでさえ、まだまだ差別を感じたわけで・・・・外国特派員の書く記事で日本人が人種差別を感じないとすれば・・・・よっぽどおめたいんだろうなあ。