With 12 Ryder Cups, 100+ majors, 15 major wins of the legendary Tiger Woods, and numerous other events covered, Jeff Babineau was a legend of golf journalism. The Golfweek writer and editor started his career in journalism back in 1986 at the Orlando Sentinel and has never looked back since.

He was an expert in everything sports as he covered golf, NHL, NFL, and also college sports in his first organization. After gaining an abundance of experience, Jeff moved to Golfweek to start a 20-year journey of becoming one of the top voices in golf. He held the position of Senior Writer and Editor at the organization until 2017. He also served as the President and later a Secretary at the Golf Writers Association of America.

With a large network of resources, dedicated fan-following, and a wealth of knowledge, Jeff Babineau stepped away from Golfweek to start his own venture, Babineau Ink. From 2017 till a few hours ago, Babineau was a freelance writer, golf expert, and one of the most influential individuals in the community.

The @PGATOURComms announced the sad demise of Jeff Babineau on Tuesday, December 10, 2024. Reports suggested that he passed away from natural causes. The news shook the entire golf and journalism community as everyone gathered to pay their respects to a legendary golf journalist, Jeff Babineau.

Even PGA Tour pro; Billy Horschel tweeted his stories of  Babineau as he said, “Jeff was one of the great guys in the media. Even though I didn’t have a close relationship with him as some other players and people in the golf world, I respected Jeff for his work and I’ve never heard a player say an ill word about Jeff. He was a great professional. Prayers to his family! 🙏”

Some of Jeff’s colleagues from the media also had a few words to say about his passing.

A great loss for the golf community

The upsetting report of Jeff Babineau’s last breath received a lot of reaction from the media. @LPGAMedia said “Jeff Babineau was a smiling and welcoming face in so many media centers. His constant support of our @LPGA Tour athletes, shown through his impeccable storytelling and insightful questions, will be greatly missed. Jeff was a friend, a mentor, a professional and, most importantly, a kind person. We join with our friends across the game of golf in sending our love and support to Jeff’s family,” as they represent the entire golf community. @CheneyAUG also had a few kind words to share about Jeff as they said, “Terrible news. I was fortunate enough to cross paths with Babs in Augusta the last several years. He was a pleasure to be around. Prayers to his family this morning.”, reminiscing their memories of meeting the legendary golf writer. Speaking about the kind soul Jeff had, @ZacharyMWeiss added, “Babs was great at his craft but far more importantly Babs was great with people. It was so unfortunate hearing this, he was such a genuine individual who loved golf and was always willing to help out others.”

PGA Tour Media Relations personnel @cooperveal simply stated “Very sad news,” sharing how upset they were to hear about Jeff Babineau’s demise. Sports writer for the Jackson Sun Preps @ChastainAJ also mentioned, “Met Babs a few times. Always enjoyed working alongside him and hearing his stories. A life well lived! RIP, sir.”

It is a great loss for the golf and journalism community as we bid adieu to Jeff Babineau.