Purvis Jennings "Jim" Ferree (June 10, 1931 – March 14, 2023) was an American

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

who played on the

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...

and the Senior PGA Tour. Born in Pinebluff, North Carolina, Ferree grew up in

Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the fifth-most populous city in North Carolina and the 91st-most populous city in the Uni ...

and graduated from

Richard J. Reynolds High School Richard J. Reynolds High School now the Richard J. Reynolds Magnet School for the Visual and Performing Arts (often simply R. J. Reynolds High School or Reynolds) is a high school in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools located in Winston-S ...

. He learned the game of

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...

from his father, Purvis, long-time pro at Winston-Salem's Old Town Golf Club. Ferree played college golf at the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...

in Chapel Hill. Following service in the U.S. Army, he turned professional in late 1955. Ferree had one PGA Tour win during his regular career years. He was regarded as one of the very best in the game in the tee-to-green ball-striking phase of the game, but putting was always his weakness. He spent most of his thirties and forties as the director of golf at Long Cove Club in

Hilton Head, South Carolina Hilton Head Island, often referred to as simply Hilton Head, is a Lowcountry resort town and barrier island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is northeast of Savannah, Georgia (as the crow flies), and southwest of Charles ...

. Ferree was later a club pro and joined the Senior PGA Tour at age fifty in

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...

. He was chosen by PGA Commissioner Deane Beman to be the model for the knickers-wearing player on the Senior Tour's logo. He shares the Georgia-Pacific Grand Champions record for most victories (9) with two other golfers. He was the Senior PGA Tour's ''Comeback Player of the Year'' in 1993. In 1991, he became the first golfer inducted into the University of North Carolina's Hall of Fame. He lived in Hilton Head, South Carolina with his wife, Karen, also a former champion golfer. Ferree died on March 14, 2023, at the age of 91.

Professional wins (19)

PGA Tour wins (1)

Other wins (12)

''this list is probably incomplete'' *1954 Forsyth County tournament *1955 Forsyth County tournament *1958 British Columbia Centennial Open *1961 Jamaica Open *1962 Panama Open *1963 Maracaibo Open Invitational *1966 Carolinas PGA Championship *1967 Georgia PGA Championship *1977 Tri-State Open *1978 Tri-State PGA Championship *1981 Tri-State PGA Championship *1983 Tri-State Open

Senior PGA Tour wins (2)

Senior PGA Tour playoff record (1–3)

Other senior wins (4)

''this list is probably incomplete'' *1997

Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf The Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour Champions. From 2014 to 2019, it was played at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri, on the par-3 Top of the Rock course, designed by Jack Nicklaus and the ...

- Demaret Division (with George Bayer) *2002

- Demaret Division (with Miller Barber) *2003

- Demaret Division (with Miller Barber) *2006 Grand Champions team better-ball (with Jack Fleck)

U.S. national team appearances

* PGA Cup: 1979

Video

YouTube
– Jim Ferree interview (2014)

References

External links

*
Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame
– Jim Ferree {{DEFAULTSORT:Ferree, Jim American male golfers North Carolina Tar Heels men's golfers PGA Tour golfers PGA Tour Champions golfers Golfers from North Carolina Richard J. Reynolds High School alumni Sportspeople from Winston-Salem, North Carolina Sportspeople from Hilton Head, South Carolina 1931 births 2023 deaths 20th-century American sportsmen