News
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.
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.
I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear
OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.
LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break
Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.
Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.
On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.
On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.
On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.
PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home
Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.
On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.
Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?
Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.
Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?
PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates
Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.
Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.
Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.
Card III and Bacha both miss their birdie tries on the first playoff hole.
We’ll play 18 again @OspreyOpen. pic.twitter.com/vNpHTdkHDg
— PGA TOUR Americas (@PGATOURAmericas) August 3, 2025
GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.
Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.
Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.
General Albums
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #1
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #2
- 2025 Wyndham Championship – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Davis Riley – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Scotty Kennon – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Austin Duncan – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Will Chandler – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kevin Roy – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ben Griffin – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Ryan Gerard – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Adam Schenk – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Kurt Kitayama – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Camilo Villegas – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matti Schmid – WITB – 2025 Wyndham Championship
Pullout Albums
- Denny McCarthy’s custom Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Swag Golf putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Karl Vilips TM MG5 wedges – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- New Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Matt Fitzpatrick’s custom Bettinardi putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
- Cameron putters – 2025 Wyndham Championship
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX
7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
Mike Crozier
Feb 18, 2009 at 1:14 am
won 1.7 million gambling??? daly and mickelson should be taking lessons from this guy.