Jim Simons

Who was Jim Simons?

James Bradley Simons was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1970s and 1980s.

Born in Pittsburgh, and raised in suburban Butler, Pennsylvania, Simons attended Knoch High School in Saxonburg and later was a two-time All-American on the Wake Forest University golf team. He finished T-2 at the 1970 Canadian Amateur and finished runner-up at the 1971 British Amateur to Steve Melnyk.

Simons is probably best remembered for nearly winning the U.S. Open in 1971 as an amateur. At the age of 21, he shot a third-round 65 to take a two-shot lead after 54 holes at Merion Golf Club near Philadelphia. That set up the possibility of Simons becoming the first amateur to win the event since Johnny Goodman in 1933. A stroke out of the lead on the final hole, his tee shot found the rough and he double bogeyed. Simons carded a 76 to finish tied for fifth, three shots out of the Monday playoff, won by Lee Trevino.

Four years earlier, Simons qualified for the U.S. Open in 1967 at Baltusrol, played just after his junior year in high school. At age 17, he shot 165 and missed the 36-hole cut by 17 strokes.

Simons won three PGA Tour events during his career and had over three dozen top-10 finishes. His best finish in a major championship in the professional ranks was T5 in the 1982 PGA Championship. He was the first player to win a televised PGA Tour event using a metal driver.