Longtime golf writer and friend to many was honored posthumously at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida – The Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches announced that longtime golf writer Jeff Babineau, who passed away on Dec. 9, 2024, at the age of 62, would be honored as the 2025 recipient of the Tim Rosaforte Distinguished Journalist Award.
The Tim Rosaforte Distinguished Journalist Award was introduced in 2021 by former tournament Executive Director Ken Kennerly and the tournament’s host committee. Rosaforte, the recipient of the inaugural award, later passed away due to complications from Alzheimer’s Disease in 2022.
Rosaforte covered the Cognizant Classic for more than three decades as part of his illustrious career, first at the Sun Sentinel and Palm Beach Post, then as a writer for Sports Illustrated and Golf World, and lastly as the consummate golf insider for NBC and Golf Channel.
In addition to Rosaforte (2021), longtime golf writers Larry Dorman (2022), Randall Mell (2023) and Craig Dolch (2024) have received the award.
“Jeff would be so honored to get this award. He admired Rosie very much – he was one of his guys. He used the word ‘mentor’ a lot, and always thought Rosie was one of the best,” said Babineau’s wife, Jane.
Babineau’s extensive career began in 1986 with the Orlando Sentinel, where he covered golf, NFL, NHL and college sports in a market synonymous with one of the all-time greats of the game, Arnold Palmer. In 1998, he moved to Orlando-based Golfweek as a senior writer and deputy editor before being named editor in 2008.
“Babs,” as he was known to players, colleagues and PGA TOUR staff, served in that capacity until 2014 before returning to his true passion, writing about golf. He left Golfweek in 2017 to pursue freelance opportunities, bringing his incredible gift of storytelling to a number of outlets, including PGATOUR.com.
“I met Jeff at a couple of events and Tim always told me he was a great guy. I think Tim would be very pleased and this honor would make him happy. He would think, ‘Wow, he deserved it,’” said Rosaforte’s wife, Genevieve.
During his career, Babineau covered hundreds of professional golf tournaments across the PGA TOUR, LPGA, major championships, Presidents Cups and Ryder Cups. He served as the president of the Golf Writers Association of America from 2015 to 2017 and was the organization’s secretary at the time of his passing.
More importantly, the Massachusetts native served as a mentor to countless up-and-coming writers in golf and other sports and provided a contagious smile in every media center he entered
“I had the honor of meeting Babs 30-plus years ago, and he was always revered as a leader in golf journalism. His work was always top notch and no doubt he and Rosie were close friends,” said Kennerly. “He joins a great list of other recipients for the Tim Rosaforte Distinguished Golf Journalist Award recipients.”
