Calvin Peete, Golf Legend, Dies at Age 71

PGA Tour legend Calvin Peete died Wednesday at the age of 71. 

According to a report from Laury Livsey of PGATour.com, Peete died in Atlanta and is survived by his wife and seven children:

"

Calvin Peete, who taught himself how to play golf at 24 and became the most successful black player on the PGA Tour before the arrival of Tiger Woods, died Wednesday morning, the PGA Tour said. He was 71.

The tour did not have a cause of death. Murray Brothers Funeral Home confirmed it was handling the arrangements but did not release additional information.

"

In a 1988 report by Gordon S. White of The New York Times, it was noted that Peete's journey to the PGA Tour was unusual. His left arm was always bent due to "a broken arm that was set poorly" after he fell out of a tree as a child. 

Not only was Peete a trailblazer for minorities in the sport, he was one of the most accurate players in golf history. Per the Golf Channel, he's the only player since 1980 to lead the PGA Tour in both driving accuracy and greens in regulation. The Detroit native did it three times (1981-83). 

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said in a report from The Associated Press that he "can still remember watching Calvin hit drive after drive, straight down the middle of the fairway, an amazing display of talent he possessed despite some of his physical limitations."

Peete won 12 PGA Tour events in his career, including four victories in 1982. He finished in the top 10 at four major championships, including a tie for third at the 1982 PGA Championship. His last PGA Tour event was the 1995 Players Championship.