Tim Rosaforte, a seasoned newspaper writer who transitioned to television and delivered scoop after scoop as a well-connected "insider" for Golf Channel and NBC, has passed away aged 66.

According to a statement on the Golf Channel website, Rosaforte died Tuesday in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, following a battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Rosaforte joined Golf Channel in 2007 after beginning his career at The Tampa Times in 1977 and writing for magazines such as The Palm Beach Post, Sports Illustrated, Golf Digest, and Golf World.

Rosaforte, a native of Mount Kisco, New York, won the PGA of America's Lifetime Achievement Honor in Journalism as well as the Memorial Tournament's golf journalism award during Nicklaus' tournament. The PGA also bestowed upon him a lifetime membership, making him the first journalist to do so.

Rosaforte was also the president of the Golf Writers Association of America.

In honor of Rosaforte, who graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1977, an endowed fund to assist students to study neuroscience was established last year.