Colbert’s new life begins at 60

Steve Addy

Friday, April 20, 2001 | 10:22 a.m.

Las Vegas resident Jim Colbert has won twice in nine events on the PGA Senior Tour this season. Here are his results, with finish and money won:

Feb. 4 Royal Caribbean, T-60 $2,450

Feb. 11 ACE Group, T-28 $11,340

Feb. 25 Mexico Classic, T-2 $120,000

March 4 Toshiba Classic, T-12 $26,133

March 11 SBC Classic, 1 $210,000

March 18 Siebel Classic, T-5 $57,867

March 25 Emerald Coast, T-40 $6,580

April 1 x-Legends of Golf, 1 $85,000

April 15 Countrywide, T-29 $12,852

Totals: $447,222

x-denotes non-tour event; split $170,000 with partner Andy North

Turning 60 last month didn't cause Senior golfer Jim Colbert to start plotting his retirement.

Instead, sporting a radical new look, relative health and a rejuvenated game, the Las Vegas resident began laying out fresh goals for himself. And he set the bar awfully high.

"I want to be the best 60-year-old golfer who's ever played," said Colbert, whose birthday was March 9.

Judging from early returns, the old guy might be on to something.

After gaining only one official tour win since 1997, when he had successful prostate cancer surgery, Colbert has zoomed back to prominence this season. He has two victories, a second place and a fifth after only nine tournaments.

The 10th event is the Las Vegas Senior Classic, which began today at the TPC of Summerlin and accounts for two of Colbert's 20 Senior wins since 1991. He won back-to-back Las Vegas tournaments in 1995-96 and likes his chances of challenging for a third this weekend.

"I'm playing some of my best golf. I like the way I'm hitting it," Colbert said Thursday after a one-birdie, two-bogey 73 in the windy pro-am. "Realistically I should've shot 69 or 70, but it's also hard to putt in that kind of wind.

"When I play at home like this, it adds a little bit of pressure to do well. But it also gets me excited, which usually works in my favor. After about 300 (Senior) tournaments in 10 years, you're looking for something to get you over the same-old, same-old."

At an age when most Senior players are reminiscing about careers that lost steam years before, Colbert is placing no limits on his future. He'd even like to be the first pro golfer to win tournaments in six decades, though he'd have to stick around 10 more years. His first PGA Tour win was in the 1969 Monsanto Open.

And then there's his lofty goal of being the best 60-and-over player ever.

"Turning 60 has been pretty good so far," Colbert said. "It's kind of a motivating thing. I don't have any idea of how (to measure) being the best 60-year-old player. I know Sam Snead was awfully good, and Bob Charles and George Archer have been really good, too.

"Maybe if I continue to play well the rest of the year, I'll try to find out."

The season is barely one-third complete and it's already been a humdinger for Colbert. He placed second in the Mexico Senior Classic on Feb. 25, pocketing $120,000, then captured the SBC Senior Classic on March 11 at Valencia, Calif. He shot 67-67-70 for a 12-under 204 and took home $210,000.

On April 1, Colbert and Andy North won the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf two-man tourney for the second straight year. Because it's not an official tour event, Colbert's $85,000 share doesn't count on the official Seniors money list, where he is seventh this season ($447,222) and sixth all-time ($11,624,202).

Colbert attributes his 2001 resurgence mostly to good health, which he hasn't experienced since 1995 and 1996 when he was the two-time Senior player of the year and money leader.

Since undergoing prostate surgery on June 23, 1997, Colbert has tested cancer-free, but other health problems have dogged him. He had knee surgery during the 1998 and '99 seasons and was hindered by a stress fracture in his right foot last season.

"I got six shots in my foot last season, and it was hurting pretty bad," Colbert said. "By getting that cleared up, I was able to get some practice in before this season, and that was big."

Colbert has also been mentally liberated by another physical change. Having worn a toupee since 1974, he got rid of it in December, though he's added a salt-and-pepper goatee. When he lifts his cap, his balding head and chin hair give him a stylish, if menacing, appearance.

"It's kind of the 'in' look now," Colbert said, calling his new style "low maintainence."

"I was going to quit wearing (the toupee) four years ago. When I had (prostate) surgery, I didn't wear it in the hospital, so I thought that would be a good time to just stop wearing it. But my doctor said everyone would think I had radiation or chemotherapy and that my hair had fallen out, so I kept it on."