James Bradley Simons was an American professional golfer who played on the Professional Golf Association Tour in the 1970s and 1980s.
Education
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.
Career
Simons is probably best remembered for nearly winning the United States. 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. A stroke out of the lead on the final hole, his tee shot found the rough and he double bogeyed.
Four years earlier, Simons qualified for the United States. Open in 1967 at Baltusrol, played just after his junior year in high school.
At age 17, he shot 165 (+25) and missed the 36-hole cut by 17 strokes. His best finish in a major championship in the professional ranks was later that year, a tie for fifth in the Professional Golf Association Championship.
Simons played a handful of events on the Champions Tour after turning 50 in 2000. He was inducted into the Wake Forest University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996.
Simons was found dead in the hot tub in his Jacksonville, Florida home at the age of 55.
The Jacksonville/Duval County medical examiner"s office ruled the cause of death as accidental "multiple drug toxicity". 1966 West Penn Junior Championship Amateur Walker Cup: 1971.