Johnson set to play as first Sifford exemption recipient

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Oregon State University

Vincent Johnson is playing this week as the first recipient of the Charlie Sifford Exemption.

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. -- The way Vincent Johnson sees it, he's at least the second-best piano player in the field for this week's Northern Trust Open.

Johnson, who considers himself an 8-handicap on the ivories, gives Luke Donald the nod as No. 1. Of course, the personable young pro from Portland did have the guts to play "Rachmaninoff's Prelude in G Minor" at Oregon State's athletic talent show.

"In terms of playing in front of people, I am more nervous playing the piano than playing golf," Johnson said. "But this week might be an exception."

Johnson is making his PGA TOUR debut at Riviera courtesy of the inaugural Charlie Sifford exemption. The exemption was created to honor the pivotal role the 1969 Los Angeles Open winner played in breaking golf's color barrier.

Sifford, who became the first African-American inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004, was on hand Wednesday to honor Johnson, who took up the game at the age of 6 and shot a course-record 62 at Glendoveer Golf Club when he was just 14.

Johnson, who owns 68 junior titles, went on to play at Oregon State where he won the 2007 PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship by 12 strokes. The 22-year-old needed just three years to earn a finance degree with a minor in music.

"I know he'll do well," Sifford said. "And hopefully, someday, we will have some more. It's never too late."

Johnson will become the second man of African-American descent to play on the PGA TOUR this year, joining Monday qualifier Tony Smith at the Buick Invitational three weeks ago. Tiger Woods, when he makes his much-anticipated return, will be the third.

The game's No. 1 player is the only African-American who is a TOUR member, though. Nationwide Tour veteran Tim O'Neal and Kevin Hall, the deaf golfer from Ohio State, have each played in five PGA TOUR events but neither has made a cut.

Few other African-Americans are making inroads to the upper echelon of the game, though. The game is expensive, Johnson is quick to point out, and while programs like The First Tee are helping to increase access, there is still more to be done.

Sifford, who learned the game as a caddy more than 50 years ago, and Johnson have met several times at Portland Youth Golf Association events. The 86-year-old pro, who had his ever-present stogie on Wednesday, told his young friend to "persevere."

"My struggle to hopefully get to the PGA TOUR one day won't be as difficult as his was," Johnson said. "But ... you just take inspiration on stories like that, and that you know, things are going to be difficult and things are going to be perhaps ugly at times.

"But if you want something bad enough, just stick with it and soon enough, I think you'll achieve it."

Johnson's father left a job at a car dealership to work as a mechanic at Glendoover, a 36-hole municipal layout in Portland so his family would have access. His mother, who works at a mortgage company, was the one who first took her young son out to play.

"I'll just tell a quick story," said Johnson, who may be the first player to ever wear a suit and tie in the interview room at a TOUR event. I get really frustrated, sometimes a little emotional -- depends on who is telling the story.

"But when I was struggling, my mom would take me out and she would play, and she was horrible, so I would go out and I pummeled my mom and feel great and have a little swagger walking home and I would be excited to play again.

"My brother actually ... wonders ... if I would have kept with the game if my mom had not done that."

Marguerite Johnson, who was standing in the back of the interview room with both of her son's grandmothers, later protested that she wasn't really a golfer -- and pointed out that she was probably playing with men's clubs. She said by the time her son was about 8, he was allowed to go to the club alone and practice.

"And they were able to undue the damage that Mom had done," she said with a grin. "It's fun to see him be able to realize a dream that he's had for his whole life, even though this is a one-time thing. Hopefully there will be more opportunities."

Johnson has been playing professional golf for two months now as a member of the Gateway Tour. Like many aspiring pros, he has struggled to find sponsors with the "disposable dollars that people had" as he doggedly pursues his goal.

"But you know, just kind of getting out of the block, I think that's kind of the biggest challenge," Johnson said. "My story on the Gateway and playing on the mini tours, that's not very unique. Everyone on there is just trying to get by and trying to get here."

Johnson has been something of a loner this week. He's cognizant of the fact that the pros are at Riviera to work so he hasn't bothered them on the range. He did eat lunch with Kirk Triplett, and he shyly mentioned he hopes the TOUR veteran could become "somewhat of a mentor."

Johnson even played his practice round on Tuesday alone because, "I didn't have the stones to ask anyone." He teed off immediately in front of Ryo Ishikawa and was surprised when he looked back to see the army of photographers following the 17-year-old Japanese pro.

"Now I know how Tiger Woods must feel," Johnson said.

One of Johnson's most prized possessions is the autograph he got from Woods in 1996 as he won his third U.S. Amateur at Pumpkin Ridge.

"I was walking from six green and there was a steep hill going down seven and my brother said, "Just go up and get his autograph," Johnson said. "I was scared if I asked, he would rip my head off, but he was the nicest guy and signed it and I still have the autograph."

A year later, Woods won the Masters by 12 strokes. Johnson remembers his entire family being "stuck to the television that week.

"I had been playing the game for about four or five years, but seeing that, I think it inspired any golfer, but that really got me excited," Johnson said. "It wasn't just his race, but just the fact that someone young dominated a field made me really excited to play the game of golf."