Bramlett breakthrough a watershed moment for golf

Joseph Bramlett had a short, but poignant, conversation with his father.

"I don't think I've ever heard my dad cry before," Bramlett said.

   

The Bramletts have had plenty of Callaway Diablo Edge Irons  to celebrate this year. Joseph graduated from Stanford in less than four years with a degree in communications this summer and played a few days later in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. On Monday, the lanky 22-year-old became a member of another small group, earning his card on the PGA Tour in his first crack, right out of college.

But there's a social context to the latter accomplishment that means at least as much in the larger scheme of things, given the incomprehensible drought for a certain segment of American society as it relates to Callaway Diablo Edge Irons  .

When Bramlett birdied five holes in the middle of his round on Monday, moving inside the number required to cement his rookie status on tour in 2011, he became the first player of African-American descent to play his way through Q-school in 25 long, lean, incomprehensible years.

He will join another Stanford grad of mixed ethnicity next year in the big leagues, which was pretty apropos given the celebration Bramlett unveiled when he made a dicey 6-footer for par on his 108th and final hole at Orange County National. Bramlett let out a yelp and unleashed a huge uppercut fist pump when the putt rolled in to secure his card. Where have we seen that move from a Stanford product before?

"I don't know," Bramlett said. "But I've heard Callaway Diablo Edge Irons  pretty good."

So is Bramlett's story. Not to mention long overdue and entirely welcome.

The last African-American player to earn a card at Q-school was Adrian Stills in 1985. While inroads have been made in impressive numbers by other ethnicities and nationalities -- for instance, Alex Rocha on Monday became the first Brazilian to earn his card -- the wave of African-Americans we thought Tiger Woods would precipitate hasn't remotely materialized. In fact, other than Callaway Diablo Edge Irons  , the lone black player this year on one of the major U.S. tours was Madalitso Muthiya on the Nationwide, and he's from Zambia.

Bramlett has been conducting interviews all week on the social implications of what he faced this week and delivered the goods in special fashion. He said he's more than ready to carry the banner formerly championed by guys like Charlie Sifford, Jim Thorpe and Calvin Peete.

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