Henry Brown’s Golf Journey: More Than Just a Masters Caddie

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Fifty years ago, when Lee Elder broke barriers as the first Black golfer at the Masters, he preferred to keep his words to a minimum.

`I`m not talking,` Elder stated to reporters on April 7, 1975. `Every time I speak, I find myself in trouble.`

His wife and agent confirmed his stance. `Lee believes this is the fairest approach,` Rose Elder explained. `He is here to play golf and wishes to be left in peace.`

However, Elder`s caddie, Henry J. Brown, a taxi driver from Augusta, Georgia, was never one to shy away from conversation. He confidently declared that if Elder didn`t perform well against golf giants like Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Johnny Miller, it wouldn`t be due to his caddying.

`I`m the best,` Brown proclaimed. `I can navigate this course in reverse. I know every single blade of grass. Lee just needs to stay calm. I guarantee he won`t be out-caddied.`

While Elder`s participation was a historic moment, challenging racial barriers at the prestigious Masters, it also introduced the world to Henry Brown, a vibrant personality whose story has remained largely untold for half a century.

`Henry Brown was quite a character – and an exceptional golfer,` recalled Dave Wilmes, who became friends with Brown after he moved to South Bend, Indiana, in the early 1980s. `He was a course wizard with an incredible short game. He was quite the showman.`

The Path to the Masters

For the first 40 years of the Masters, the players were exclusively white, while the caddies were Black. By the early 1970s, Brown hoped Elder`s presence could change this dynamic. For four years, he had requested to caddie for Elder if he qualified for the Masters.

Elder`s victory at the Monsanto Open on April 21, 1974, where he defeated Peter Oosterhuis in a playoff, secured his invitation to the 1975 Masters. Shortly after, Masters chairman Clifford Roberts officially invited Elder.

Although Pete Brown and Charlie Sifford had previously won on the PGA Tour, Elder was the first to qualify for the Masters after the criteria were revised to include Black golfers.

When Elder arrived at Augusta National, Henry Brown was there to greet him. Despite his confidence, Brown wasn`t considered the best caddie at Augusta National. That title was typically given to Willie Peterson, Willie `Pappy` Stokes, or Nathaniel `Iron Man` Avery. However, Brown had already witnessed a significant moment in Masters history.

In the 1968 Masters, Brown caddied for Roberto De Vicenzo, who famously signed an incorrect scorecard, costing himself a playoff opportunity. De Vicenzo`s mistake is remembered as one of the biggest blunders in sports.

After the round, De Vicenzo lamented, `What a stupid I am.` Brown later told golf writer John Fineran that he tried to confront Tommy Aaron, feeling he was responsible for De Vicenzo`s error.

In subsequent years, Brown caddied for other notable golfers, including Bob Goalby and Art Wall Jr.

The 1975 Masters Experience

As Elder stood on the first tee of the 1975 Masters, nervousness was inevitable. He even joked about mistaking a pencil for a cigarette earlier that week. To ease the tension, he asked the crowd about the weather as it began to drizzle.

Jim Brown, the former NFL star, watched as Elder teed off. Elder had a large group of supporters present, having requested and received more tournament badges than even Nicklaus and Palmer.

Despite the historic moment, Elder and Brown`s caddie-player relationship had a slight hiccup. Brown preferred judging distances visually, while Elder relied on precise yardages.

According to Ward Clayton`s book, `The Legendary Caddies of Augusta National,` Elder mentioned in 2021 that Brown`s caddying style wasn`t quite suited to his preference for yardage-based play.

Elder`s first round resulted in a 2-over 74. He missed the cut after a second-round 78.

`I messed up myself,` Elder admitted. `I started poorly and was erratic. I was too busy admiring the scenery.`

Brown, however, recognized Elder`s professional demeanor. `You can tell when a golfer is nervous – they become irritable,` Brown noted after the first round. `But I didn`t see that in him.`

De Vicenzo, when asked about Brown caddying for Elder, praised him as a `fine caddie` and surprisingly added, `I think he can beat me` in 1975.

Brown`s Own Golf Game

Ike `Stabber` Choice, a fellow Augusta National caddie, remembers Brown`s skills at the local Augusta Municipal Golf Course, known as the Patch. Brown and others often won against visiting golfers at the Patch.

`He could score low at the Patch because he was comfortable there,` Ike Choice told ESPN. `He knew all the nuances of the course.`

Brown played with a cross-handed grip and was skilled at playing both right and left-handed. He often played at the Patch with other Augusta National caddies like Tommy `Burnt Biscuits` Bennett and Jim Dent.

U.S. Open Aspirations

In 1980, while in jail, Brown wrote to Larry Adamson of the USGA, requesting an opportunity to qualify for the U.S. Open. Despite missing deadlines and unconventional requests, Brown`s determination to play in the U.S. Open was evident.

Robert Lee, an attorney involved with U.S. Open qualifiers in Indiana, recalls Brown`s confidence and Augusta National ID, stating his ambition to win the U.S. Open.

Life in South Bend and Golf Hustles

Brown used a salvage yard address in South Bend, where he worked part-time and entertained colleagues with golf stories and trick shots.

Lee described Brown`s ability to hit targets from distances and his skill with a wedge. He was known for betting on his cross-handed shots.

In 1982, Brown qualified for the U.S. Open sectional qualifying. Despite a flat tire incident on the day of the qualifier, he performed well. He missed qualifying for the U.S. Open by a single stroke at sectional qualifying and continued to try for the next three years.

Adamson from the USGA remembered Brown`s positive attitude despite multiple rejections due to late entries.

Final Days

Henry Brown passed away in 1992 at the age of 53, leaving behind a legacy that included his contributions to golf history and his unfulfilled golfing aspirations.

Jim Murray, a columnist, highlighted Brown`s life story in 1975, emphasizing his journey from a difficult childhood to becoming a caddie at Augusta National and his dreams in golf.

Murray reflected that Brown`s life might have been dramatically different if he had been born with different circumstances, recognizing the racial and social barriers of his time.