u200bJim Dent, who has died aged 85, was one of the few black golfers to break through to the main American tour in the days when many doors were shut to them; though he made little impact in terms of tournament wins, he later became a significant figure on the US seniors circuit, claiming a dozen events from 1989 to 1998.
Along with Lee Elder, Charlie Sifford and Pete Brown, his exploits as a rare African-American presence on the golfing landscape helped to pave the way for the success of Tiger Woods in ensuing years.
Having begun as a caddy in the 1950s at the whites-only Augusta National club, home of the US Masters, Dent eventually found his way on to the US PGA tour in 1970, after which he established himself over the next two decades as a stalwart on the circuit, appearing in 450 tournaments and posting 25 top 10 finishes.