Flamboyant golf journalist Tim Rosaforte died aged 66
PALM BEACH, FL (via TheGolfChannel.com and PGATour.com) – American golf journalist Tim Rosaforte passed away Tuesday (January 11th) in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, after a brief battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 66.
Rosaforte retired in late 2019 after a decorated career that included stops at Sports Illustrated, Golf Digest and Golf Channel. He officially joined Golf Channel in 2007, but he first appeared on the network in the mid-1990s, during the company’s infancy. Over the years he grew into the high-profile role of golf’s “insider,” offering notes and behind-the-scenes tidbits about the sport and its biggest names.
One of the game’s most well-respected voices and well-connected reporters, Rosaforte covered more than 125 majors and 17 Ryder Cups; the 2020 edition was the first Masters he’d missed since 1983.
“The PGA Tour family lost a friend today in Tim Rosaforte, one of the great golf journalists of his generation,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Tim was an amazing storyteller and spent much of his energy on showcasing what sets golf apart from other sports – the people and the personalities.”
European Tour/DP World Tour CEO Keith Pelley also paid tribute to the late Rosaforte: “Tim Rosaforte was a gentleman and also a gentle man, thoughtful and incisive in his journalistic and broadcast work over many years and, in many ways, he epitomised what journalistic integrity was all about. Our golfing family is, without question, poorer at the news of his untimely passing and the thoughts of everyone at the European Tour group are with his family at this sad time.”
During his standout career, Rosaforte received both the PGA of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism and the Memorial Tournament’s golf journalism award. The PGA also awarded him a lifetime membership, the first journalist to receive the honor. He was further honor last year when the Honda Classic, an event he covered for three decades near his South Florida home, named its media center after him. The tournament also announced the Tim Rosaforte Distinguished Writers' Award, which will be presented annually. Rosaforte was the first recipient.
Born Oct. 25, 1955, in Mount Kisco, New York, Rosaforte began his career with the Tampa Times in 1977, Rosaforte continued on to the Sun-Sentinel, Palm Beach Post, Sports Illustrated and Golf Digest/Golf World. In all, he earned more than 40 writing awards, including first place in all four non-daily categories of the Golf Writers Association of America writing contest. Last year, the University of Rhode Island announced the creation of an endowed scholarship in honor of Rosaforte, who graduated from URI in 1977.
“Tim Rosaforte was a great man who loved the sport of golf,” former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell tweeted as the news broke. “He will be dearly missed.” Zach Johnson and Kevin Na were among the players who also gave tribute on social media.
Rosaforte was survived by his wife, Genevieve, and daughters, Molly and Genna, and three grandchildren.
Rest in peace, Tim Rosaforte (1955-2022)
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