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JIM COLBERT

UNITED STATES

Height:

5 ft, 9 in

Weight:

175 lbs

Birthday:

03/09/1941

College:Kansas State University (1964, Political Science)
Turned Pro:1965
Birthplace:Elizabeth, NJ
Residence:Las Vegas, NV

Champions Tour - Media Guide

PGA TOUR VICTORIES (8)
1969  Monsanto Open Invitational.  1972  Greater Milwaukee Open.  1973  Greater Jacksonville Open.  1974  American Golf Classic.  1975  Walt Disney World National Team Championship.  1980  Joe Garagiola-Tucson Open.  1983  Colonial National Invitation,  Texas Open. 
Champions Tour VICTORIES (20)
1991  Southwestern Bell Classic,  Vantage Championship,  First Development Kaanapali Classic.  1992  GTE Suncoast Classic,  Vantage Championship.  1993  Royal Caribbean Classic,  Ford Senior Players Championship.  1994  Kroger Senior Classic,  Southwestern Bell Classic.  1995  Senior Tournament of Champions,  Las Vegas Senior Classic,  Bell Atlantic Classic,  Energizer SENIOR TOUR Championship.  1996 
Toshiba Senior Classic,  Las Vegas Senior Classic,  Nationwide Championship,  Vantage Championship,  Raley's Gold Rush Classic.  1998  The Transamerica.  2001  SBC Senior Classic. 
INTERNATIONAL VICTORIES
(5): 1995 Diners Club Matches [with Bob Murphy]. 1996 Diners Club Matches [with Bob Murphy]. 1998 Lexus Challenge [with Kevin Costner]. 2000 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf [with Andy North]. 2001 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf [with Andy North].
Other Victories
(1): 1987 Jerry Ford Invitational.
Current Year Champions Tour Money and Position (122)
$992
Current Year Best Champions Tour Finishes
T5-- Legends Mutual Insurance Legends of Golf Raphael Division.
Current Year Champions Tour Best Round
69 at Round 1, Toshiba Classic.
Best PGA TOUR Finishes
1-- Monsanto Open Invitational, Greater Milwaukee Open, Greater Jacksonville Open, American Golf Classic, Walt Disney World National Team Championship, Joe Garagiola-Tucson Open, Colonial National Invitation, Texas Open.
Best Champions Tour Finishes
1-- Southwestern Bell Classic, Vantage Championship, First Development Kaanapali Classic, GTE Suncoast Classic, Vantage Championship, Royal Caribbean Classic, Ford Senior Players Championship, Kroger Senior Classic, Southwestern Bell Classic, Senior Tournament of Champions, Las Vegas Senior Classic, Bell Atlantic Classic, Energizer SENIOR TOUR Championship, Toshiba Senior Classic, Las Vegas Senior Classic, Nationwide Championship, Vantage Championship, Raley's Gold Rush Classic, The Transamerica, SBC Senior Classic.
2011 Season Champions Tour
Tournaments Entered--3; in money--3; Top 10 finishes--
Career Highlights

2011: Made just four starts before undergoing left knee-replacement surgery in May in Manhattan, KS.

Made his 500th career Champions Tour start when he teed it up at the Allianz Championship in February.

Best finish was a T13 in the unofficial Raphael Division at the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf with Bob Murphy. 2010: Made his 499th career start on the Champions Tour at the Dick's Sporting Goods Open but withdrew after an opening-round 74 with a knee injury. 2009: Bettered his age for the first time in his career when he opened the Toshiba Classic with a 66.

Matched his age for the second time when he carded a final-round 68 at The Principal Charity Classic. Was T17 in Iowa, his best Champions Tour effort since he was T16 at the 2007 Principal event. 2008: Registered his first top-25 finish since the 2005 season when he shot three consecutive rounds of par/better at Glen Oaks CC in Des Moines and was T16 at The Principal Charity Classic. Final-round 68 was his low 18 of the year.

Earlier, became the ninth player to reach 1,000 combined career TOUR starts when he played in his 475th Champions Tour event, at The Cap Cana Championship in the Dominican Republic (T70).

Played in the Russian Seniors Open on the European Seniors Tour. 2005: Was T12 at the Constellation Energy Classic, with opening and closing rounds of 68. 2003: Was T3 at the Bruno's Memorial Classic, his best performance in almost two years.

Fired an 8-under 62 in the second round of the Senior British Open Championship, equalling the competitive course record at Turnberry. Round included 24 putts and made him the youngest player ever to match his age in a Champions Tour major. Score also tied Doug Tewell's final-round 62 at the 2001 Countrywide Tradition as the lowest round ever posted in a Champions Tour major.

Followed Hugh Baiocchi's ace with a hole-in-one of his own in the final round of the Royal Caribbean Golf Classic. Aced the 178-yard 12th hole at Crandon Park GC with a 6-iron shot. 2001: Oldest winner of the season on the Champions Tour, finishing among the top 31 money-winners for an 11th straight year, the only player over 60 among that select group.

Ended more than a two-year victory drought two days after turning 60 when he held off Jose Maria Canizares by one stroke for the SBC Senior Classic title, his 20th career title on the Champions Tour. Holed an 8-foot birdie putt at the 15th hole to break out of a three-way logjam with Canizares and Gary McCord.

Teamed with Andy North to successfully defend their Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf title. Better-ball score of 20-under 124 in the rain-shortened event clipped Bruce Fleisher and David Graham by three strokes.

2000: Teamed with Andy North for victory in the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf. Duo fired a better-ball team score of 25-under 191 and edged David Graham and Bruce Fleisher by one stroke.

Was T2 at the Audi Senior Classic, five strokes back of Hubert Green after sharing the 36-hole lead with Jose Maria Canizares.

Tied his Champions Tour career-low round of 61 on the first day of the TD Waterhouse Championship. Course record 11-under-par score at Tiffany Greens included eight straight birdies (holes 10-17) and equaled the Champions Tour's all-time best birdie streak.

Opened Colbert Hills GC at Kansas State University in Manhattan on May 1. 1999: Closed with 67 at Hualalai to T2 at the MasterCard Championship, three strokes back of John Jacobs. 1998: Notched his 19th career victory on the Champions Tour by claiming The Transamerica. Birdied four of his last eight holes for a one-stroke win over David Lundstrom in Napa.

Victory capped a successful comeback from prostate cancer surgery a year earlier.

Named the Champions Tour's Comeback Player of the Year, making him the first player to have garnered all three of the Champions Tour's major post-season awards. 1997: Despite missing four months of the season while recuperating from prostate cancer surgery on June 23, still finished among the top-31 money-winners.

Did not win for the first time in six years, but still had five top-five finishes, including a pair of seconds at the du Maurier Champions and the American Express Invitational.

Recorded his third hole-in-one on the Champions Tour and fifth overall at the Bruno's Memorial Classic. 1996: Won second Arnold Palmer Award as the leading money-winner with then-record $1,627,890.

Earned title on last day of season when he birdied the final hole at the Energizer SENIOR TOUR Championship to help him to a T3 and a check for $121,000, good enough to beat Hale Irwin for the money crown by $12,121.

Won $607,495 in his last seven starts, including two wins, a second, a T2 and a T3.

Voted by his peers as Champions Tour Player of the Year for second year in succession.

Highlights of his year were defense of his title at the Las Vegas Senior Classic and a third Vantage Championship.

Also named Player of the Month for October.

Claimed Cadillac with hole-in-one at The Transamerica.

Golf Writers Association Player of the Year. 1995: Four victories included wire-to-wire triumph at the season-ending Energizer SENIOR TOUR Championship.

Win helped him earn largest check of his career ($262,000) and also helped him to his first money title.

Started the year with playoff triumph over Jim Albus in Puerto Rico at the Senior Tournament of Champions.

Voted by his peers as the Player of the Year and also was named Player of the Year by the Golf Writers Association of America. 1994: One of a then-record six Champions Tour players to win at least $1 million.

July's Player of the Month after 30-day stretch that saw him post two wins and nine straight sub-70 rounds.

Shot the then-lowest 36-hole number in Champions Tour history (126) at the GTE West Classic in Ojai, CA, but lost in a playoff to Jay Sigel. 1993: Won year's first full-field event at the Royal Caribbean Classic, thanks in part to two of the best back-to-back rounds of the year—65-64 in the first two days of the competition.

Held off Raymond Floyd for win at Ford Senior Players Championship, his only senior major. 1992: Became first player to capture second consecutive Vantage Championship.

Also defeated George Archer in playoff for win at GTE Classic. 1991: Garnered Rookie of the Year honors after winning $880,749 and finishing third on money list.

First senior victory came in his hometown of Kansas City at Southwestern Bell Classic, a three-stroke triumph over Al Geiberger and Larry Laoretti.

Matched Lee Elder's record at the time for all-time lowest 18-hole score when he fired second-round, 9-under 61 at First Development Kaanapali Classic and then claimed title by two strokes the next day.
Personal

Ran his own golf course management company, Jim Colbert Golf, prior to joining the Champions Tour.

Spent several years as a color analyst for ESPN golf telecasts.

Made his home in Kansas City from 1952-74 and earned a football scholarship to Kansas State.

Had a limited career on the gridiron and turned to golf instead.

A close friend of Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder and a big supporter of the school's sports programs.

Played a large role in helping the school build its new golf course (Colbert Hills GC) that is the home of the men's and women's teams, The First Tee National Academy and The First Tee facility.
PGA TOURPlayoff Record
2-0
Champions TourPlayoff Record
3-5
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