Honda Classic Renames Media Center For Tim Rosaforte

Nice touch here from the Honda Classic paying tribute to one of the reporters who was there from the beginning and as the event remains the PGA Tour’s longest continuous sponsor.

HONDA CLASSIC RENAMES MEDIA CENTER FOR LONGTIME GOLF WRITER/BROADCASTER TIM ROSAFORTE

Tournament creates Tim Rosaforte Distinguished Writers' Award to honor golf journalists

Tim Rosaforte has been covering The Honda Classic for more than three decades, first as a newspaper writer for the Sun Sentinel and Palm Beach Post, then as a writer for Sports Illustrated and Golf World and lastly as a broadcaster for NBC and the Golf Channel.

The Honda Classic announced Monday that it will honor Rosaforte, now retired in Jupiter, for his amazing career in golf journalism by renaming the tournament media center "The Tim Rosaforte Media Center."

In addition, The Honda Classic is creating a perpetual award in Rosaforte's honor - The Tim Rosaforte Distinguished Writers' Award. Rosaforte has been named the first recipient of the award by the tournament.

"Tim has been such a vital part of the history of The Honda Classic from his work as a writer and broadcaster to the emcee of so many of our pro-am dinners and sponsor events," Honda Classic Executive Director Kenneth R. Kennerly said. "It is only fitting now that he has retired from broadcasting that we find ways to honor him for his years of service to the game and to the community."

Affectionately known as "Rosie" to most who know him, the 65-year-old Rosaforte enjoyed a successful career in both print and broadcast journalism.

His career began in 1977 at the Tampa Times after he graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island, where he played linebacker on the football team. He moved from Tampa to the Sun-Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale in 1981 and then worked at The Palm Beach Post from 1987-93.

Rosaforte's print career continued at Sports Illustrated from 1994-96 before he joined Golf World and Golf Digest as a senior writer. On the broadcast end, Rosaforte served as co-host of USA Network’s “PGA TOUR Sunday” program starting in 2003 and then moved to Golf Channel in 2007 as a reporter and analyst. He retired in December 2019 because of health issues and recently was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease.

“Tim is one of this generation’s great golf journalists," golf legend Jack Nicklaus said. "He has developed relationships and trust from so many in the game, and you always knew that if there was an important story to be told in golf, Tim was going to be the first call you received and usually the first one to report it."

Rosaforte is also a recipient of more than 40 writing awards and the author of five books. He was inducted into the South Florida PGA Hall of Fame in 2012 and received the PGA of America Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism in 2014 and became the first journalist to be given an honorary membership to the PGA of America. Rosaforte is just the 12th person to become an honorary member of the PGA, which is granted after a vote of PGA delegates to recognize individuals for their outstanding contributions to the game of golf.

The Memorial Tournament also recently announced Rosaforte as a recipient of the 2021 Memorial Golf Journalism Award.

"Tim has been an incredibly important part of the enormous growth of the game throughout South Florida over the past three decades," said Geoff Lofstead, Executive Director of the South Florida PGA. "He has been so important in telling the stories of the great players and all the great PGA professionals that administer the game on a daily basis."