Eight-Time PGA Tour Winner Jim Colbert Dies at 85

Jim Colbert, the eight-time PGA Tour winner renowned for his signature bucket hat, died Sunday at age 85, the PGA Tour announced. The tour did not disclose a cause of death.

Colbert's trademark hat originated during his teenage years, when he collapsed from sunstroke at a tournament in Kansas in 1957. Doctors advised him to wear head protection, and he chose the bucket style that became synonymous with his career. Born March 9, 1941, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Colbert arrived at Kansas State University on a football scholarship. Injuries shifted his focus to golf, where he finished as runner-up in the 1964 NCAA Championship before turning professional the following year.

His PGA Tour debut in 1966 proved challenging, with modest earnings across limited events, but Colbert soon established himself. He claimed his first victory at the 1969 Monsanto Open in Pensacola, followed by wins at the Greater Milwaukee Open, Greater Jacksonville Open and American Golf Classic. In 1974, he posted top-five finishes in two majors, tying for fourth at the Masters and fifth at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. His strongest season came in 1983, when he won the Texas Open and Colonial National...