MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) – Golfing legend Jim Colbert died Sunday, May 10. He was 85.
Colbert, a Kansas State Athletics Hall of Famer, had originally come to the university on a football scholarship. He finished his collegiate career in 1964 as the runner-up at the NCAA Championships.
Jim Colbert watches his drive on the tenth hole during the opening round of the 2006 U.S. Senior Open Championship golf tournament at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan., July 6, 2006. (AP Photo/Larry Smith)
(LARRY SMITH | AP)
He turned pro in 1965 and joined the PGA Tour in 1966. The first tournament victory for Colbert came at the 1969 Monsanto Open. He would go on to win eight tournament titles in 14 years on the tour.
Colbert helped design the Colbert Hills golf course in Manhattan, which opened in the year 2000. The $11 million project is home to a 300-acre, 18-hole championship style course that serves as the home for the men’s and women’s golf programs.
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