Colette Evert, mother of Chris Evert, dies at 92

Colette Evert, the matriarch of a tennis family that produced five children who were successful in the age-group and professional ranks, including 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert, has died. She was 92.

She died last Thursday in Deerfield Beach, Florida, according to a tweet by Chris Evert and an online obituary posted by Fred Hunter’s Funeral Home in Fort Lauderdale.

“At 92, it was her time, and she went peacefully and gracefully,” Evert tweeted.

FILE - This is a Sept. 12, 1971, file photo showing Colette Evert in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Sept. 12, 1971, file photo. Colette Evert, the matriarch of a tennis family that produced five children who were successful in the age-group and professional ranks, including 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert, has died. She was 92. She died last Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020, in Deerfield Beach, Florida, according to a tweet by Chris Evert and an online obituary posted by Fred Hunter’s Funeral Home in Fort Lauderdale. (AP PhotoFile)

Born Jeanne Colette Thompson on June 15, 1928, in New Rochelle, New York, she went by her middle name and was the youngest of 10 children.

In 1952, she married Jimmy Evert, a tennis teaching professional in Florida whom she met at the wedding of a mutual friend in New York. The couple moved to Florida, where Jimmy was the city of Fort Lauderdale’s tennis director for 49 years. He died in 2015.

The couple’s five children played tennis collegiately or professionally. While her nervous husband stayed home and waited for a call relaying match results, Colette Evert was a regular presence traveling with her children to junior, amateur and pro tournaments over several decades. Known for her quiet demeanor, she was well-regarded by tournament directors and other players.

FILE - In this Feb. 13, 1972, file photo, members of the Evert family are shown in their home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Front row from left are John, 10, mother Colette, Jeanne, 14, and father James. Back from left are Chris, Drew, 18 and Clare, 4. Colette Evert, the matriarch of a tennis family that produced five children who were successful in the age-group and professional ranks, including 18-time Grand Slam champion Chris Evert, has died. She was 92. She died last Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020, in Deerfield Beach, Florida, according to a tweet by Chris Evert and an online obituary posted by Fred Hunter’s Funeral Home in Fort Lauderdale. “At 92, it was her time, and she went peacefully and gracefully,” Evert tweeted. (AP PhotoFile)

“Our mother was loved by everyone who knew her. She was gracious, kind and nurturing," said Chris Evert, the year-end world No. 1-ranked player seven times. "She never had a bad word to say about anybody and would often cheer for our opponents when they played well against us. If there is a Hall of Fame for Tennis Moms, she was undoubtedly the first inductee.”

Chris Evert's longtime rival and friend Martina Navratilova tweeted, “Colette was as good a person as one could ever meet and a role model for all tennis parents.”

Besides her devotion to her family, Colette Evert had a deep and abiding Catholic faith. She had served Holy Communion to homebound seniors who were ill or unable to attend services.

Besides Chris, she is survived by sons Drew and John and daughter Clare Evert-Shane; 10 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Another daughter, Jeanne Evert Dubin, died in February.

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NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Sepp Straka made three birdies and two eagles on the par 5s for an 8-under 64 and seized on some late misses by Scottie Scheffler to take a one-shot lead Saturday going into the final round of the Hero World Challenge.

Straka chipped in for eagle on the par-5 sixth and played great golf just to keep pace with Scheffler, who had five straight 3s on his scorecard to start the third round and was 9 under for his round through 15 holes.

Scheffler, going for a third straight win at Albany Golf Club, has stumbled over the final three holes every day this week — a double bogey on the 16th on Thursday, a bogey on the 16th on Friday, and then a bogey-par-bogey finish.

He still had a 65 and will be in the final group with Straka on Sunday.

Straka seized on the par 5s. Along with his chip-in on the sixth hole, he holed an 18-foot eagle putt on the downwind, par-5 15th. He also hit a 3-wood that landed perfectly in front of the green at the par-5 ninth that rolled out to 15 feet for a two-putt birdie.

He trailed Scheffler by three shots through five holes, and by two shots with four holes left. But Straka was bogey-free on the day and finished at 18-under 198.

“He definitely got it going quick,” Straka said of the world's No. 1 player. “It didn’t look like he was going to miss a putt there for a little bit. But it’s golf, it usually evens out a lot and I just tried to focus on my own game.”

The only par 4 that Straka birdied was No. 7, where the tee was moved back. That kept players from trying to drive the green and instead tested them with a wedge to a dangerous back-left pin. Straka took it on and hit it to 7 feet.

Scheffler, who went left of the 16th fairway the opening two rounds — one of those leading to a penalty drop from a bush — this time found the short grass and it wasn't much better. He had an awkward stance, tugged it left into a bunker and the ball buried in the sand, leading to bogey.

He also dropped a shot on the 18th by missing the green to the right — water is left — leaving a tricky pitch up the slope.

“A few unfortunate breaks, but overall did some really good stuff,” Scheffler said.

Alex Noren (67) and Hideki Matsuyama (68) were three shots behind Straka, while J.J. Spaun and Wyndham Clark each shot 69 and were four behind.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Hideki Matsuyama, of Japan, studies his putt on the 18th hole during the third round of the Hero World Challenge PGA Tour at Albany Golf Club in New Providence, Bahamas, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Scottie Scheffler, of the United States, reacts to making a birdie on the fourth hole during the third round of the Hero World Challenge PGA Tour at the Albany Golf Club, in New Providence, Bahamas, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Scottie Scheffler, of the United States, reacts after the third round of the Hero World Challenge PGA Tour at the Albany Golf Club, in New Providence, Bahamas, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Sepp Straka, of Austria, reacts after his putt on the 18th hole during the third round of the Hero World Challenge PGA Tour at Albany Golf Club in New Providence, Bahamas, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Sepp Straka, of Austria, watches his hit from the sand on the 6th hole during the third round of the Hero World Challenge PGA Tour at the Albany Golf Club, in New Providence, Bahamas, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)