Jim Thorpe (golfer)
Jimmy Lee Thorpe is an American professional golfer, currently playing on the Champions Tour.
Thorpe was born in Roxboro, North Carolina, the ninth of the twelve children of a fairway superintendent. He attended Morgan State University before turning pro in 1972. He won three times on the PGA Tour in the mid-1980s. He has surpassed this at senior level by winning over ten times, including one senior major championship and making the top ten of the Champions Tour's career money list in 2004.
Thorpe's late success has been clouded by charges filed in federal court in Orlando, Florida, charging him with failure to pay $1.6 million in taxes between the years 2002 and 2004. After his lawyer stated that Thorpe intended to plead innocent to the charges, Thorpe pleaded guilty in September 2009. On January 22, 2010, Thorpe was sentenced to one year in prison for the crime.
Thorpe was released from prison on January 17, 2011. He was under suspension by the PGA Tour until March 31 and then resumed his career on the Champions Tour.
Professional wins (21)
PGA Tour wins (3)
PGA Tour playoff recordNo. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
1 | 1985 | Western Open | ![]() | Lost to par on second extra hole |
Other wins (4)
- 1982 Canadian PGA Championship
- 1991 Amoco Centel Championship, Jamaica Open
- 1993 Jerry Ford Invitational
Champions Tour wins (13)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
1 | Oct 8, 2000 | The Transamerica | −18 | 3 strokes | ![]() |
2 | Oct 15, 2000 | Gold Rush Classic | −21 | 2 strokes | ![]() |
3 | Sep 2, 2001 | Kroger Senior Classic | −14 | Playoff | ![]() |
4 | Sep 9, 2001 | Allianz Championship | −14 | 2 strokes | ![]() |
5 | Apr 28, 2002 | The Countrywide Tradition | −11 | Playoff | ![]() |
6 | Aug 17, 2003 | Long Island Classic | −15 | 1 stroke | ![]() |
7 | Oct 26, 2003 | Charles Schwab Cup Championship | −20 | 3 strokes | ![]() |
8 | Jun 6, 2004 | Farmers Charity Classic | −13 | 1 stroke | ![]() |
9 | Jul 4, 2004 | Commerce Bank Long Island Classic | −9 | 1 stroke | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
10 | May 1, 2005 | FedEx Kinko's Classic | −10 | 4 strokes | ![]() |
11 | May 16, 2005 | Blue Angels Classic | −16 | Playoff | ![]() |
12 | Oct 19, 2006 | Charles Schwab Cup Championship | −17 | 2 strokes | ![]() |
13 | Oct 28, 2007 | Charles Schwab Cup Championship | −20 | 3 strokes | ![]() ![]() |
Champions Tour playoff record
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
1 | 1999 | Bell Atlantic Classic | ![]() | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
2 | 2001 | Kroger Senior Classic | ![]() | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
3 | 2002 | The Countrywide Tradition | ![]() | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
4 | 2005 | Blue Angels Classic | ![]() | Won with birdie on third extra hole |
Other senior wins (1)
- 2014 Big Cedar Lodge Legends of Golf - Legends Division
Results in major championships
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Summary
- Most consecutive cuts made – 4
- Longest streak of top-10s – 1
Results in The Players Championship
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Senior major championships
Wins (1)
Results timeline
Results not in chronological order before 2016.The Senior British Open was not a Champions Tour major until 2003.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.