AUGUSTA, Ga. — Augusta is honoring a crucial part of its golf legacy.
A 25-foot golf tee was unveiled this week as a monumental symbol of the golf caddies who supported and guided champions through the masters tournament.
In the heart of Augusta’s Sand Hills neighborhood, the striking sculpture honors the unsung heroes of the game - the African American caddies who helped shape golf’s history.
Artist Baruti Tucker painted the giant golf tee entirely with his fingers, spending three months and six hours a day to complete the mural. He needed help identifying the caddies featured in the artwork, so he turned to local historian Joyce Law.
“In terms of the process, it took some research. Some of the pictures were distorted. Some of the names didn’t have full names, only had nicknames. When you look for the caddy, the golfer comes up and it says the golfer and his caddy,” Tucker said.
The monument is a powerful step toward preserving the legacy of caddies who often went unrecognized but not unremembered.
For Otis Buck Moore, one of the last living pre-1983 caddies, it’s a moment he never expected to see. “Cause it seems like the caddies were forgotten. It’s just one of them things where it’s a privilege to be here and honor the Black caddies,” Moore said.
Keynote speaker and PGA golfer Garreth Carpenter has a deep personal connection to this site. His great uncle Eddie McCoy is one of the champion caddies immortalized in the art. “They have now etched themselves in golf history. This is a monument, this is a groundbreaking testimony to the perseverance of these individuals. and that mural, number 46, that’s my great uncle right there. It makes me proud to be a Black golfer,” Carpenter said.
The monument now stands on the grounds of the Sand Hills Community Center. It’s a lasting reminder of the Black caddies who helped build a sport while shaping history with every step.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
TRENDING STORIES:
- The Masters: The magic of Augusta National is still there 6 months after Hurricane Helene
- The Masters: When it starts, how to watch, betting odds for golf’s first major of 2025
- Masters Par 3 contest: Family tradition unlike any other
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]