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Jim Thorpe Faces Tax Evasion Charges

Jim Thorpe, the man with one of the most interesting swings in all of golfdom, is in trouble with the IRS. Unlike a slew of recent cabinet appointees and other high level government job seekers who have neglected to pay taxes, Mr. Thorpe has been charged with four counts of failure to file an income tax return and three counts of failure to pay income taxes. These charges carry a maximum 7 years in jail and up to a $3.2 million dollar fine.

Published

17 years ago

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Jim Thorpe, the man with one of the most interesting swings in all of golfdom, is in trouble with the IRS.  Unlike a slew of recent cabinet appointees and other high level government job seekers who have neglected to pay taxes, Mr. Thorpe has been charged with four counts of failure to file an income tax return and three counts of failure to pay income taxes.  These charges carry a maximum 7 years in jail and up to a $3.2 million dollar fine.  We’re into high stakes stuff here, and not for the first time.  Mr. Thorpe was investigated by the IRS for failure to file tax returns for the years 1992 through 1995.  He was not prosecuted because he said he relied on the advice of two accountants. 

Mr. Thorpe has played in more than 300 Champions Tour events, earning more than $13 million.  His earning from his PGA Tour career netted him more than $2 million.  In addition he earned endorsement fees from Harrison Sports, Callaway Golf, and from sponsors such as Foxwood Casino.  The government also states he earned more than $1.7 million gambling,  which he used to continue gambling.  That last statement is indicative of the mastering of the obvious by federal prosecutors.  Hey, the guy won $1.7 million and took his winnings and was never seen inside a casino again.  Sure, and I eat one potato chip and close the bag up until tomorrow. 

 

A long time ago I was instructed by a high priced attorney there are three people you never lie to;  your lawyer first,  your clergyman second, and any representative of the IRS because the penalties for that are so severe.  That advice has stood me in good stead ever since.  So I have to wonder why after one incident with the IRS would Mr. Thorpe provide any reason at all for that agency so come snooping into his affairs a second time.  I have to believe, as with the government appointees whose dirty laundry was hung on a very public line, it’s because he thought he could get away with it.  Now before you jump to conclusions that I am convicting Mr. Thorpe without knowing anything about the details of the case here’s what his attorney Mark Horwitz had to say:  "We look forward to having a trial," Mr.  Horwitz said this afternoon. "We don’t think he’s willfully violated the law. That’s not to say he doesn’t owe the tax; but we don’t think he’s guilty of a crime."  That says to me he owes the government some money, but like the public figures this was not due to any criminal behavior but rather an honest mistake.  Pardon me if that doesn’t stretch my belief system just a tad far. 

Mr. Horwitz continued, "I think the timing of it is sort of interesting in the sense of what we’ve just seen coming out of Washington with a Cabinet secretary and some other Cabinet-level appointees," he said, referring to the tax troubles of some of President Obama’s nominees.  I have to agree with this, it does open the argument that folks in the government get treated differently than folks outside that exclusive club.  I also have to wonder why they have chosen to prosecute a professional golfer, after all this wouldn’t make the local paper were I the object of this investigation. 

I just don’t comprehend the prosecutor’s thinking in this case.  It would seem to me ill conceived and ill timed,  but then with all the other craziness going on in the country today I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.  It serves as a reminder to never ever mess with the IRS. 

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10 Comments

10 Comments

  1. flyer

    Mar 19, 2009 at 9:07 am

    Tax evasion is a crime, but tax avoidance is a moral obligation. It keeps our government honest, or at least attempts to. If Thorpe crossed the line he should be forced to pony up and possible pay additional penalties, but good for him for trying. He should have used a better tax lawyer.

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  2. Jiovanne

    Mar 16, 2009 at 2:30 pm

    There are individuals on this post who are attacking government as if it were the main issue here. Yes, sometimes the tax issue isn’t fair but we must all pay taxes. Why does Jim think because he makes more he can just evade? What makes this more interesting to me is that he’s a very outspoken individual on the growth of the game and minority involement in golf. As a role model and voicebox you’d think he’d be a little more carefull with what he does. Think before you speak.

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  3. Steve

    Mar 15, 2009 at 11:28 am

    Mr. Thorpe has spent the better part of his life training & practicing for professional sports. So, he trains himself to a level in golf where most of us only dream of playing. However, when he gets to professional level our federal government decides they are owed part of his spoils. For what effort has the government decided they deserve his money? Perhaps funding entitlement programs, making our corrupt politicians more affluent seems a good idea for some. But, please consider that Mr. Thorpe has put forth a lot of effort to be able to compete at his level & I for one think as likely Mr. Thorpe does; that government is not entitled to a darn nickel of it.

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  4. Jason

    Mar 5, 2009 at 5:27 pm

    The argument that people in the government get treated differently has been open for decades, are you just now realizing this? And of course this makes the news….Jim Thorpe is somewhat ‘famous’. Who are you? Some beat writer for the wrx? You’re right, I’m sure nobody would really care if you didn’t pay your tax.

    And a note to Mr. Thorpe, pay your taxes, please. The freeloaders in this country need you now more than ever.

    Reply Report comment

  5. Jackson

    Feb 27, 2009 at 11:53 pm

    what a leech on society. the government may rip you off but Mr. Thorpe is freeloading off other tax paying citizens. It’s not like he really needs more money. Totally lost respect for this guy.

    Reply Report comment

  6. Dayton

    Feb 20, 2009 at 5:42 pm

    How could anyone be so stupid. What possible defense could there be for not filing a return.

    Reply Report comment

  7. Gary

    Feb 19, 2009 at 12:06 am

    The IRS couldn’t go after Mr. G because of the SOL. However, I do not think he is fit to serve in any governmental position.

    Reply Report comment

  8. Watch

    Feb 18, 2009 at 5:07 pm

    Plan A: Do not get caught.

    Plan B: If caught — either in intentional evasion, or in an honest mistake — do not go to jail. Make nice.

    Our federal, state and local governments rip you off twenty ways to Sunday already. No matter what the illegal law says, Big Jim does not owe the government money. But they’ll manage to steal it from him anyway.

    Reply Report comment

  9. Paybax

    Feb 18, 2009 at 3:28 pm

    So in the US you have to pay tax on your winnings? So does that mean you can claim your losses as well?

    Reply Report comment

  10. Mike Crozier

    Feb 18, 2009 at 1:14 am

    won 1.7 million gambling??? daly and mickelson should be taking lessons from this guy.

    Reply Report comment

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2026 PGA Championship betting odds

Published

1 day ago

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May 12, 2026

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Scottie Scheffler leads the betting ahead of the second major championship of the year, with the World Number One a +345 favorite to get his hands on a second PGA Championship.

Rory McIlroy who won the Masters back in April is a +800 shot to complete half of the calendar slam at Aronimink Golf Club this week, while Jordan Spieth can be backed at +5900 to become a career grand slam winner.

Here is the full betting board for the 2026 PGA Championship courtesy of DraftKings.

Scottie Scheffler +345 – (Check 0ut his WITB here)

Rory McIlroy +800 – (Check out his WITB here)

  • Jon Rahm +1300 
  • Cameron Young +1500
  • Bryson DeChambeau +1700
  • Xander Schauffele +1850
  • Matt Fitzpatrick +1950
  • Ludvig Aberg +2000
  • Tommy Fleetwood +2600
  • Collin Morikawa +3500
  • Brooks Koepka +3900
  • Justin Rose +4300
  • Russell Henley +4600
  • Si Woo Kim +4700
  • Justin Thomas +4800
  • Robert MacIntyre +5300
  • Patrick Cantlay +5300
  • Viktor Hovland +5400
  • Tyrrell Hatton +5500
  • Jordan Spieth +5900
  • Sam Burns +6000
  • Hideki Matsuyama +6200
  • Adam Scott +6400
  • Rickie Fowler +7000
  • Chris Gotterup +7400
  • Patrick Reed +7400
  • Min Woo Lee +7800
  • Ben Griffin +8000
  • Sepp Straka +8400
  • Shane Lowry +9000
  • Akshay Bhatia +9200
  • Maverick McNealy +9200
  • Joaquin Niemann +9200
  • Jake Knapp +9200
  • Jason Day +9600
  • Kurt Kitayama +10000
  • J.J. Spaun +10000
  • Harris English +10500
  • Nicolai Hojgaard +11000
  • Gary Woodland +11000
  • David Puig +11000
  • Michael Thorbjornsen +12000
  • Jacob Bridgeman +12000
  • Keegan Bradley +12500
  • Corey Conners +14000
  • Alex Fitzpatrick +15000
  • Sungjae Im +15500
  • Sahith Theegala +15500
  • Harry Hall +15500
  • Alex Noren +16000
  • Thomas Detry +16500
  • Marco Penge +16500
  • Kristoffer Reitan +17000
  • Alex Smalley +17000
  • Wyndham Clark +17500
  • Sam Stevens +17500
  • Keith Mitchell +17500
  • Daniel Berger +18500
  • Ryan Gerard +20000
  • Nick Taylor +20000
  • Rasmus Hojgaard +21000
  • Dustin Johnson +21000
  • Pierceson Coody +23000
  • Aaron Rai +24000
  • Jordan Smith +24000
  • Angel Ayora +24000
  • Bud Cauley +25000
  • Matt McCarty +26000
  • Jayden Schaper +26000
  • Brian Harman +27000
  • Taylor Pendrith +27000
  • Ryan Fox +27000
  • J.T. Poston +27000
  • Cameron Smith +29000
  • Ryo Hisatsune +29000
  • Michael Kim +29000
  • Max Homa +29000
  • Denny McCarthy +29000
  • Tom McKibbin +30000
  • Rico Hoey +32000
  • Matt Wallace +32500
  • Ricky Castillo +33000
  • Haotong Li +33000
  • Michael Brennan +34000
  • Max Greyserman +36000
  • Stephan Jaeger +37500
  • Christiaan Bezuidenhout +37500
  • Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen +39000
  • Aldrich Potgieter +40000
  • Andrew Novak +42000
  • Patrick Rodgers +42500
  • Daniel Hillier +42500
  • Max McGreevy +46000
  • Billy Horschel +48000
  • Chris Kirk +48000
  • Ian Holt +49000
  • Casey Jarvis +49000
  • William Mouw +50000
  • Steven Fisk +50000
  • John Parry +50000
  • Nico Echavarria +52500
  • Garrick Higgo +52500
  • John Keefer+55000
  • Matthias Schmid +57500
  • Austin Smotherman +57500
  • Sami Valimaki +60000
  • Andrew Putnam +60000
  • Lucas Glover +62500
  • Daniel Brown +62500
  • Jhonattan Vegas +75000
  • Emiliano Grillo +80000
  • Mikael Lindberg +85000
  • Adrien Saddier +100000
  • Bernd Wiesberger +100000
  • Elvis Smylie +110000
  • Stewart Cink +130000
  • Kota Kaneko +130000
  • David Lipsky +150000
  • Chandler Blanchet +150000
  • Andy Sullivan +150000
  • Joe Highsmith +180000
  • Adam Schenk +200000
  • Travis Smyth +200000
  • Davis Riley +225000
  • Martin Kaymer +400000
  • Brian Campbell +400000
  • Padraig Harrington +450000
  • Kazuki Higa +450000
  • Jordan Gumberg +450000
  • Ryan Vermeer +500000
  • Austin Hurt +500000
  • Tyler Collet +500000
  • Timothy Wiseman +500000
  • Shaun Micheel +500000
  • Y.E. Yang +500000
  • Michael Block+500000
  • Mark Geddes+500000
  • Luke Donald+500000
  • Bryce Fisher+500000
  • Jimmy Walker +500000
  • Jason Dufner +500000
  • Jesse Droemer +500000
  • Jared Jones +500000
  • Garrett Sapp +500000
  • Francisco Bide +500000
  • Zach Haynes +500000
  • Paul McClure+500000
  • Derek Berg +500000
  • Chris Gabriele +500000
  • Braden Shattuck +500000
  • Ben Polland +500000
  • Ben Kern +50000

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Photos from the 2026 PGA Championship

Published

2 days ago

on

May 11, 2026

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GolfWRX is on site for the second major of 2026: The PGA Championship from Aronimink in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

The tournament’s location, just outside Philadelphia, and its status as a major championship mean GolfWRXers are in for a treat: WITBs from a strong field, custom gear celebrating the PGA Championship, and the rich culture of the City of Brotherly Love — we have noted a relative absence of cheesesteak-themed items thus far this week, but most of the rest of the usual suspects are well represented.

Check out links to all our photos below.

General Albums

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How much each player won at the 2026 Truist Championship

Published

2 days ago

on

May 11, 2026

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Kristoffer Reitan held his nerve at Quail Hollow on Sunday to claim his first PGA Tour victory and the $3.6 million winner’s check that came with it. The Norwegian fended off a packed leaderboard on a dramatic final day, with Rickie Fowler and Nicolai Højgaard both taking home $1.76 million for their runner-up finishes.

With a total prize purse of $20 million up for grabs, here’s a look at how much each player won at the 2026 Truist Championship.

1: Kristoffer Reitan, $3,600,000

T2: Rickie Fowler, $1,760,000

T2: Nicolai Hojgaard, -$1,760,000

4: Alex Fitzpatrick, $960,000

T5: Tommy Fleetwood, $730,000

T5: Sungjae Im, $730,000

T5: J.J. Spaun, $730,000

T8: Ludvig Aberg, $600,000

T8: Harry Hall, $600,000

T10: Patrick Cantlay, $500,000

T10: Matt McCarty, $500,000

T10: Cameron Young, $500,000

13: Justin Thomas, $420,000

T14: Min Woo Lee, $360,000

T14: Chris Gotterup, $360,000

T14: Nick Taylor, $360,000

T17: Alex Smalley, $310,000

T17: Gary Woodland, $310,000

T19: Austin Smotherman, $242,100

T19: Rory McIlroy, $242,100

T19: Keegan Bradley, $242,100

T19: Sudarshan Yellamaraju, $242,100

T19: Kurt Kitayama, $242,100

T24: Patrick Rodgers, $156,643

T24: Pierceson Coody, $156,643

T24: Adam Scott, $156,643

T24: Andrew Novak, $156,643

T24: Harris English, $156,643

T24: J.T. Poston, $156,643

T24: David Lipsky, $156,643

T31: Brian Harman, $114,416.67

T31: Viktor Hovland, $114,416.67

T31: Alex Noren, $114,416.67

T31: Tony Finau, $114,416.67

T31: Nico Echavarria, $114,416.67

T31: Corey Conners, $114,416.67

T37: Sam Burns, $82,187.50

T37: Maverick McNealy, $82,187.50

T37: Akshay Bhatia, $82,187.50

T37: Taylor Pendrith, $82,187.50

T37: Matt Wallace, $82,187.50

T37: Andrew Putnam, $82,187.50

T37: Bud Cauley, $82,187.50

T37: Lucas Glover, $82,187.50

T45: Justin Rose, $60,000

T45: Daniel Berger, $60,000

T45: Ryo Hisatsune, $60,000

T48: Denny McCarthy, $50,000

T48: Aldrich Potgieter, $50,000

T48: Webb Simpson, $50,000

T48: Michael Kim, $50,000

T52: Mackenzie Hughes, $45,187.50

T52: Max Homa, $45,187.50

T52: Brian Campbell, $45,187.50

T52: Jhonattan Vegas, $45,187.50

T52: Matt Fitzpatrick, $45,187.50

T52: Chandler Blanchet, $45,187.50

T52: Jordan Spieth, $45,187.50

T52: Jacob Bridgeman, $45,187.50

T60: Xander Schauffele, $42,500

T60: Robert MacIntyre, $42,500

T60: Ricky Castillo, $42,500

T63: Ben Griffin, $41,250

T63: Sepp Straka, $41,250

T65: Ryan Gerard, $40,250

T65: Si Woo Kim, $40,250

67: Ryan Fox, $39,500

68: Jason Day, $39,000

69: Sahith Theegala, $38,000

70: Sam Stevens, $37,500

71: Hideki Matsuyama, $37,000

72: Tom Hoge, $36,000

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