Jim Dent did an interview with NBC BLK in which he said he would never have become a pro golfer if he hadn’t first been among the Black caddie corps at Augusta National Golf Club. “It gave me everything I own,

Jim Dent, who learned the game as a caddie and became one of the best Black golfers of his era, died on May 2, according to his family. He was 85.

Jim Dent grew up in the caddie yards of Augusta, Georgia, eventually working at the Masters and honing his game at the municipal course known as “The Patch.” He went on to become one of the PGA Tour’s longest hitters and one of the top Black golfers of his generation.