Jim Colbert, the iconic PGA Tour star known for his signature bucket hat and eight Tour victories, has passed away at the age of 85. The PGA Tour confirmed his death on Sunday, though no cause was given.

Colbert's trademark headwear came from a health scare during his youth. While playing a tournament in Kansas as a teenager, he nearly collapsed from sunstroke. Doctors insisted he wear a hat for protection, and the bucket hat became his lasting style on the course.

A New Jersey native, Colbert originally attended Kansas State on a football scholarship. After an injury sidelined his gridiron career, he turned his full focus to golf, finishing runner-up in the 1964 NCAA Championship. He joined the PGA Tour two years later.

His first Tour victory came at the 1969 Monsanto Invitational Open. In 1974, Colbert delivered standout performances at major championships, tying for fourth at the Masters and fifth at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. His finest PGA Tour season came in 1983, when he won twice and finished 15th on the money list.

Colbert's resilience shone through off the course as well. After a prostate cancer diagnosis in 1996, he underwent surgery and returned to competitive golf just two years later, winning The Transamerica on the PGA Tour Champions. He would go on to claim 20 victories on the senior circuit.

Beyond golf, Colbert built a business empire. He purchased his first golf course in Las Vegas in 1980, and Jim Colbert Golf eventually owned 23 courses, employing 700 people with $50 million in annual revenue.

Colbert spent his later years in Las Vegas but remained deeply connected to Kansas State. He helped design Colbert Hills Golf Club in Manhattan, Kansas, which opened in 2000 and serves as the home course for both the men's and women's golf teams. His legacy is enshrined in multiple halls of fame, including the Kansas State Athletic Hall of Fame (1991), Kansas Sports Hall of Fame (1998), and Las Vegas Golf Hall of Fame (2019).