PGA Tour winner and former K-State Wildcats golfer Jim Colbert dies at age 85
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- Jim Colbert won eight PGA Tour titles between 1969 and 1983, including the Monsanto Open.
- Colbert claimed 20 Senior Tour victories after 1991, with his last win in 2001.
- Colbert helped design Colbert Hills, which opened in 2000 and serves K‑State golf teams.
Jim Colbert, a highly successful professional golfer and influential Kansas State alum, died over the weekend.
He was 85.
Colbert was best known for four things: His eight wins on the PGA Tour, his 20 wins on the Senior Tour, the signature bucket hat he wore throughout most of his career on the links and his love for the Wildcats.
Colbert originally enrolled at K-State on a football scholarship but made a wise decision to switch to golf after he suffered an injury on the gridiron. That much showed when he finished in second place at the 1964 NCAA Championship.
“We are saddened to learn of the passing of Jim Colbert,” K-State athletics director Gene Taylor said. “Not only did he make a lasting impact on the golf community – both as a player and as the architect of our own Colbert Hills – but his passion for all things K-State was admirable. I enjoyed getting to know him and seeing firsthand his love for K-State.”
From there, he went on to have a long career in the pros.
Between 1969 and 1983, Colbert won eight times on the PGA Tour. His first victory came at the Monsanto Open by two strokes. His final win came at the Texas Open by five strokes.
He finished inside the top five at both the Masters and U.S. Open in 1974.
Colbert experienced a career renaissance when he turned 50, at which point he was allowed to begin competing on the Senior Tour.
Starting in 1991, he became a regular winner on the Senior Tour by claiming victory at the Southwestern Bell Classic. He went on to win 20 tournaments on the Senior Tour, besting notable competition such as Hale Irwin, Gary Players, Raymond Floyd, Al Geiberger and others along the way.
His final victory on the Senior Tour came in 2001.
During the twilight of his playing career, Colbert helped design Colbert Hills golf course on the northwest edge of Manhattan. The course opened in 2000 and has been ranked among the top public courses in the Sunflower State ever since.
Local golfers walk past his statue every time they check in for tee times.
Both the K-State men’s and women’s golf teams use Colbert Hills when they practice throughout the year.
Colbert was popular in the Little Apple and formed a strong friendship with former K-State football coach Bill Snyder. If he wasn’t at the golf course, there was a good chance he was watching the Wildcats at practice.
“The loss of Jim Colbert will impact many people and projects throughout the country,” Snyder said. “Jim had a positive influence on many, many lives. He never failed to step up to help when he was in a position to help his community and people in need. He and his wonderful wife Marsha, are special friends to so many.
“Their development of Colbert Hills has meant the world to Manhattan and the state of Kansas, and their genuine friendship has meant the world to Sharon and me and our family. There is not enough room in the newspaper to share all that they have meant to us, this community and to the world of golf.”
Colbert was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 and the K-State Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.
This story was originally published May 11, 2026 at 3:42 PM with the headline "PGA Tour winner and former K-State Wildcats golfer Jim Colbert dies at age 85."