Charlie Sifford, the first black PGA tour member to ever play the links, died Tuesday at age 92.

Although his official cause of death has not been revealed, ESPN reports Sifford recently suffered a stroke. Funeral arrangements are still pending.

Despite a career that was riddled with racial taunts and saw him subjected to constant ostracizing, Sifford rose to become the first African-American ever inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Late last year, President Barack Obama also presented him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

"His love of golf, despite many barriers in his oath, strengthened him as he became a beacon for diversity in our game" said PGA of America president Derek Sprague. "By his courage, Dr. Sifford inspired others to follow their dreams. Golf was fortunate to have had this exceptional American in our midst."

Although Sifford was never allowed to participate in such tournaments as The Masters, four-time champion Tiger Woods directly relates his successes to the battle Sifford waged.

"It's been tough. Very tough," Woods said in a statement released Wednesday. "As I've alluded to in the past, he's like my grandpa that I never had. And it's been a long night and it's going to be a long few days."

In his autobiography "Just Let Me Play," the North Carolina-reared Sifford told of once meeting Jackie Robinson in the midst of him seeking to break the color barrier in major league baseball.

"He asked me if I was a quitter," Sifford wrote. "I told him no. He said, 'If you're not a quitter, you're probably going to experience some things that will make you want to quit."

As news of Sifford's death spread, all-time major's winner Jack Nicklaus said, "Charlie won tournaments, but more important he broke a barrier. I think what Charlie Sifford has brought to his game has been monumental."

Late Wednesday, President Obama released a statement which read:

"Charlie was the first African-American to earn a PGA Tour card -- often facing indignity and injustice even as he faced the competition. Though his best golf was already behind him, he proved that he belonged, winning twice on tour and blazing a trail for future generations of athletes in America. I was honored to award Charlie the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year -- for altering the course of the sport and the country he loved."