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.”…