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Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jim Dent, the long hitter and one of the top Black golfers on PGA Tour Champions, dies at age 85
Jim Dent grew up in the caddie yards of Augusta, Georgia, eventually working at the Masters and honing his game at the municipal course known as 'The Patch.' He went on to become one of the PGA Tour's longest hitters and one of the top Black golfers of his generation. Dent died on Friday at age 85, a week before his birthday, his grandson posted on Facebook. The PGA Tour said on its website that Dent suffered a stroke the day after Augusta National announced plans for Tiger Woods to design a par 3 course at The Patch. 'What I learned about playing golf has probably kept me all through life,' Dent told the USGA for a story in 2012. 'You had to be honest. You had to work at it. You just couldn't pick up today and not come back 'til next week. And if you broke a rule, you had to turn yourself in.' Dent worked hard enough on his game that he entered a few United Golfers Association tournaments, a league devote to Black players, moved to California and took lessons from former U.S. Open champion Johnny Goodman. He finally earned his PGA Tour card through qualifying school in 1970, and while he never won on tour, he kept a full schedule of at least 22 tournaments for the next 16 years. His best result was in the 1972 Walt Disney World Open Invitational, when he trailed Jack Nicklaus by two shots going into the final round. Nicklaus shot 64 and won by nine. Dent won the Michelob-Chattanooga Gold Cup Classic in 1983, a Tournament Players Series event for players who were not fully exempt — the tour had gone to the all-exempt tour that year instead of the majority of the field going through Monday qualifying. Dent never met any of the qualifying criteria to play in the Masters, but he made the cut in eight of the 11 majors he played — six at the PGA Championship, five at the U.S. Open. He was best known for his prodigious length, and Dent won the inaugural World Long Drive Championship in 1974. After turning 50, he won 12 times on the PGA Tour Champions. Al Geiberger said after Dent shot 64 to win his first Champions event, 'Jim Dent ought to be outlawed (for) the way he can hit the ball.' 'A lot of people will remember Jim Dent for how far he hit the ball, and he really did,' said Miller Brady, president of the PGA Tour Champions. 'Yet his long-term success, especially on our tour, proved Jim was more than just long off the tee.' The fourth of six children, Dent lost both parents by the time he was 12 and was raised by his aunt, Mary Benton. She was opposed to him caddying at The Patch and told him, 'If you learn how to caddie, you're going to learn how to gamble.' 'Kids think they're the smartest people in the world,' Dent said in the USGA story. 'Second thing I learned how to do when I learned how to caddie was shoot dice and play cards. She was dead right.' He worked at Augusta Country Club, and Dent recalled how caddies could play if they were willing to cut crabgrass out of the greens. Among the players he caddied for at Augusta National for the Masters were Bob Goalby and Bob Rosburg. Augusta named the road leading into The Patch as 'Jim Dent Way' in 2020 as a tribute. Two years later, Dent was inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame. His son, Jim Dent Jr., now is the head pro at The Patch. Augusta National is pouring support into upgrading the municipal course under the work of architects Tom Fazio and Beau Welling. It will include a longer, conditioned course with a new short-game area and clubhouse. Woods is designing a Par 3 course called the 'Loop at The Patch' to honor Augusta National caddies who played there. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Legendary golfer Jim Dent dies aged 85
Jim Dent, one of the PGA Tour's longest hitters and one of the top golfers of his generation, died on Friday at age 85. It was just a week before his birthday, his grandson posted on Facebook. The PGA Tour announced on its website that Dent suffered a stroke the day after Augusta National announced plans for Tiger Woods to design a par 3 course at The Patch. Dent found his love for the game in the caddie yards of Augusta, eventually working at the Masters and honing his game at the municipal course known as The Patch. 'What I learned about playing golf has probably kept me all through life,' Dent told the USGA in 2012. 'You had to be honest. You had to work at it. You just couldn't pick up today and not come back 'til next week. And if you broke a rule, you had to turn yourself in.' Dent earned his PGA Tour card through qualifying school in 1970, and while he never won on tour, he kept a full schedule of at least 22 tournaments for the next 16 years. His best result was in the 1972 Walt Disney World Open Invitational, when he trailed Jack Nicklaus by two shots going into the final round. Nicklaus shot 64 and won by nine. Dent never met any of the qualifying criteria to play in the Masters, but he made the cut in eight of the 11 majors he played - six at the PGA Championship, five at the U.S. Open. He was best known for his prodigious length, and Dent won the inaugural World Long Drive Championship in 1974. After turning 50, he won 12 times on the PGA Tour Champions. 'A lot of people will remember Jim Dent for how far he hit the ball, and he really did,' said Miller Brady, president of the PGA Tour Champions. 'Yet his long-term success, especially on our tour, proved Jim was more than just long off the tee.' The fourth of six children, Dent lost both parents by the time he was 12 and was raised by his aunt, Mary Benton. She was opposed to him caddying at The Patch and told him, 'If you learn how to caddie, you're going to learn how to gamble.' He worked at Augusta Country Club, and Dent recalled how caddies could play if they were willing to cut crabgrass out of the greens. Among the players he caddied for at Augusta National for the Masters were Bob Goalby and Bob Rosburg. Augusta named the road leading into The Patch as 'Jim Dent Way' in 2020 as a tribute. Two years later, Dent was inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame. His son, Jim Dent Jr., now is the head pro at The Patch. Augusta National is pouring support into upgrading the municipal course under the work of architects Tom Fazio and Beau Welling. It will include a longer, conditioned course with a new short-game area and clubhouse. Woods is designing a Par 3 course called the 'Loop at The Patch' to honor Augusta National caddies who played there.
Reuters
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Jim Dent, a Black golf pioneer, dies at 85
May 4 - Jim Dent, a pioneering Black golfer, one of the PGA Tour's longest hitters and a 12-time winner on what is now PGA Tour Champions, died at age 85 on Friday. Dent, who died a week before his birthday in his native Augusta, Ga., was recovering from the effects of a stroke, the PGA Tour said on its website. "A lot of people will remember Jim Dent for how far he hit the ball, and he really did. Yet his long-term success, especially on our tour, proved Jim was more than just long off the tee," said PGA Tour Champions President Miller Brady. "Jim was as easy going as he was competitive, and he added so much during his time as a PGA Tour Champions player. We offer our sincere condolences to his entire family." Dent worked as a teenager caddying at Augusta Municipal Golf Course, known at "The Patch." He also worked at Augusta National Golf Club but in his adult years never qualified as a player for the Masters in 16 consecutive campaigns on the PGA Tour, when he never appeared in less than 22 tournaments a season. Turning pro in 1966 and qualifying for the PGA Tour starting in 1971, Dent made the cut in 296 of 450 tour events, including 25 top-10 finishes, and earned $565,809 in official money in a different era for tournament purses. He was runner-up once, to Jack Nicklaus at the 1972 Walt Disney World Open Invitational in Dent's second year on tour. Dent made the cut in six of 11 majors that he played (six at the PGA Championship, five at the U.S. Open). The World Long Driving Champion in 1974 and 1975, Dent also won the Florida PGA Championship three straight years beginning in 1976, as well as the PGA Tour's Tournament Player Series event in 1983 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Dent successfully transitioned in 1989 to the senior tour for age 50 and older, with 131 top-10 finishes and 535 of 545 cuts made. He earned over $9 million in official money. His first of 12 victories was the 1989 MONY Syracuse Senior Classic -- where runner-up Al Geiberger joked after losing by one shot, "Jim Dent ought to be outlawed (for) the way he can hit the ball." Dent won again the same year at the Newport Cup. His last victory on the senior tour was the 1997 Home Depot Invitational at Quail Hollow. He was inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame and the African-American Golfers Hall of Fame. The road leading into "The Patch" was renamed Jim Dent Way. His son, Jim Dent Jr., is the head golf pro there. Augusta National plans to continue renovation of "The Patch," including a redesign of the main 18-hole course and a new, nine-hole, par-3 course through a partnership with Tiger Woods' design company, TGR. --Field Level Media
NBC Sports
04-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Jim Dent, from Augusta caddie to a 12-time PGA Tour Champions winner, dies at 85
Jim Dent grew up in the caddie yards of Augusta, Georgia, eventually working at the Masters and honing his game at the municipal course known as 'The Patch.' He went on to become one of the PGA Tour's longest hitters and one of the top Black golfers of his generation. Dent died on Friday at age 85, a week before his birthday, his grandson posted on Facebook. The PGA Tour said on its website that Dent suffered a stroke the day after Augusta National announced plans for Tiger Woods to design a par 3 course at The Patch. 'What I learned about playing golf has probably kept me all through life,' Dent told the USGA for a story in 2012 . 'You had to be honest. You had to work at it. You just couldn't pick up today and not come back 'til next week. And if you broke a rule, you had to turn yourself in.' Dent worked hard enough on his game that he entered a few United Golfers Association tournaments, a league devote to Black players, moved to California and took lessons from former U.S. Open champion Johnny Goodman. He finally earned his PGA Tour card through qualifying school in 1970, and while he never won on tour, he kept a full schedule of at least 22 tournaments for the next 16 years. His best result was in the 1972 Walt Disney World Open Invitational, when he trailed Jack Nicklaus by two shots going into the final round. Nicklaus shot 64 and won by nine. Dent won the Michelob-Chattanooga Gold Cup Classic in 1983, a Tournament Players Series event for players who were not fully exempt — the tour had gone to the all-exempt tour that year instead of the majority of the field going through Monday qualifying. Dent never met any of the qualifying criteria to play in the Masters, but he made the cut in eight of the 11 majors he played — six at the PGA Championship, five at the U.S. Open. He was best known for his prodigious length, and Dent won the inaugural World Long Drive Championship in 1974. After turning 50, he won 12 times on the PGA Tour Champions. Al Geiberger said after Dent shot 64 to win his first Champions event, 'Jim Dent ought to be outlawed (for) the way he can hit the ball.' 'A lot of people will remember Jim Dent for how far he hit the ball, and he really did,' said Miller Brady, president of the PGA Tour Champions. 'Yet his long-term success, especially on our tour, proved Jim was more than just long off the tee.' The fourth of six children, Dent lost both parents by the time he was 12 and was raised by his aunt, Mary Benton. She was opposed to him caddying at The Patch and told him, 'If you learn how to caddie, you're going to learn how to gamble.' 'Kids think they're the smartest people in the world,' Dent said in the USGA story. 'Second thing I learned how to do when I learned how to caddie was shoot dice and play cards. She was dead right.' He worked at Augusta Country Club, and Dent recalled how caddies could play if they were willing to cut crabgrass out of the greens. Among the players he caddied for at Augusta National for the Masters were Bob Goalby and Bob Rosburg. Augusta named the road leading into The Patch as 'Jim Dent Way' in 2020 as a tribute. Two years later, Dent was inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame. His son, Jim Dent Jr., now is the head pro at The Patch. Augusta National is pouring support into upgrading the municipal course under the work of architects Tom Fazio and Beau Welling. It will include a longer, conditioned course with a new short-game area and clubhouse. Woods is designing a Par 3 course called the 'Loop at The Patch' to honor Augusta National caddies who played there. Take a look back on the evolution and significance of "The Patch," and the journey of Jim Dent -- an accomplished golfer who faced adversity throughout his career on the PGA Tour.
New York Post
03-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Jim Dent, legendary PGA golfer, dead at 85
Jim Dent grew up in the caddie yards of Augusta, Georgia, eventually working at the Masters and honing his game at the municipal course known as 'The Patch.' He went on to become one of the PGA Tour's longest hitters and one of the top black golfers of his generation. Dent died on Friday at age 85, a week before his birthday, his grandson posted on Facebook. Advertisement The PGA Tour said on its website that Dent suffered a stroke the day after Augusta National announced plans for Tiger Woods to design a par 3 course at The Patch. 'What I learned about playing golf has probably kept me all through life,' Dent told the USGA for a story in 2012. 'You had to be honest. You had to work at it. You just couldn't pick up today and not come back 'til next week. And if you broke a rule, you had to turn yourself in.' 4 Jim Dent watches his ball from the 18th tee Friday, Feb. 18, 2000, during the first round of the GTE Classic at The Tournament Players Club in Tampa, Fla. AP Dent worked hard enough on his game that he entered a few United Golfers Association tournaments, a league devote to black players, moved to California and took lessons from former U.S. Open champion Johnny Goodman. Advertisement He finally earned his PGA Tour card through qualifying school in 1970, and while he never won on tour, he kept a full schedule of at least 22 tournaments for the next 16 years. His best result was in the 1972 Walt Disney World Open Invitational, when he trailed Jack Nicklaus by two shots going into the final round. Nicklaus shot 64 and won by nine. Dent won the Michelob-Chattanooga Gold Cup Classic in 1983, a Tournament Players Series event for players who were not fully exempt — the tour had gone to the all-exempt tour that year instead of the majority of the field going through Monday qualifying. Advertisement Dent never met any of the qualifying criteria to play in the Masters, but he made the cut in eight of the 11 majors he played — six at the PGA Championship, five at the U.S. Open. 4 Jim Dent hits a shot during the first round of the SAS Championship at Prestonwood Country Club held on September 25, 2009 in Cary, North Carolina. Getty Images He was best known for his prodigious length, and Dent won the inaugural World Long Drive Championship in 1974. After turning 50, he won 12 times on the PGA Tour Champions. Advertisement Al Geiberger said after Dent shot 64 to win his first Champions event, 'Jim Dent ought to be outlawed (for) the way he can hit the ball.' 'A lot of people will remember Jim Dent for how far he hit the ball, and he really did,' said Miller Brady, president of the PGA Tour Champions. 'Yet his long-term success, especially on our tour, proved Jim was more than just long off the tee.' 4 Jim Dent with former Dep. Mayor Paul Gibson and Riverton Commissioner Joseph P. Davidson, June 10, 1975. New York Post The fourth of six children, Dent lost both parents by the time he was 12 and was raised by his aunt, Mary Benton. She was opposed to him caddying at The Patch and told him, 'If you learn how to caddie, you're going to learn how to gamble.' 'Kids think they're the smartest people in the world,' Dent said in the USGA story. 'Second thing I learned how to do when I learned how to caddie was shoot dice and play cards. She was dead right.' 4 Jim Dent is shown in locker Room on June 18, 1974. New York Post He worked at Augusta Country Club, and Dent recalled how caddies could play if they were willing to cut crabgrass out of the greens. Advertisement Among the players he caddied for at Augusta National for the Masters were Bob Goalby and Bob Rosburg. Augusta named the road leading into The Patch as 'Jim Dent Way' in 2020 as a tribute. Two years later, Dent was inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame. Advertisement His son, Jim Dent Jr., now is the head pro at The Patch. Augusta National is pouring support into upgrading the municipal course under the work of architects Tom Fazio and Beau Welling. It will include a longer, conditioned course with a new short-game area and clubhouse. Woods is designing a Par 3 course called the 'Loop at The Patch' to honor Augusta National caddies who played there.
