John Gerard de Forest (31 March 1907 – 10 April 1997),[1][2][3] also known as John de Bendern, was an English amateur golfer. He won the Amateur Championship in 1932 and was in the Walker Cup team the same year.
| John de Forest | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | John Gerard de Forest aka John de Bendern |
| Born | 31 March 1907 London, England |
| Died | 10 April 1997 (aged 90) Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England |
| Sporting nationality |  England |
| Career | |
| Status | Amateur |
| Best results in major championships (wins: 1) | |
| Masters Tournament | 61st: 1953 |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP |
| The Open Championship | CUT: 1930, 1932, 1933 |
| British Amateur | Won: 1932 |
Golf career edit
De Forest reached the final of the Amateur Championship in 1931, losing to Eric Martin Smith by 1 hole.[4] The following year he reached the final again, this time beating Eric Fiddian 3&1.[5] Both de Forest and Fiddian were selected for the 1932 Walker Cup team following their semi-final wins.[6] The Walker Cup was held at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts on 1 and 2 September. De Forest lost his foursomes match and was not selected for the singles.[7]
Personal life edit
De Forest was the younger son of Maurice de Forest. In the 1930s, Maurice de Forest was granted the title Count Maurice de Bendern, and in early 1937 John de Forest adopted the name John de Bendern. His first wife was Lady Patricia Sybil Douglas, daughter of Francis Douglas, 11th Marquess of Queensberry.[8] Their children were:
- Caroline de Bendern (born 1940), who married saxophonist Barney Wilen.[9] She was a political activist, who became symbol of May 1968 protests when she was photographed in Paris.[10]
- Simon Frederick de Bendern (born 1946), who married Ethel von Horn in 1974.
- Emma Magdalen de Bendern (1950–2021)
He had two other children after his divorce from Patricia Douglas.
- Michael Fulke de Bendern (born 1954)
- Samantha Grace de Bendern (born 1965), international civil servant, political journalist and writer.
De Forest had an elder brother, Alaric (1905–1973), who also adopted the Bendern name. Alaric was also a useful golfer, and reached the semi-final of the Amateur Championship in 1937, losing 4&3 to Lionel Munn.[11] John and Alaric met in the final of the 1937 Dutch Open Amateur Championship, with Alaric winning by one hole.[12]
Tournament wins edit
- 1931 Surrey Amateur Championship
- 1932 Amateur Championship
- 1937 Austrian Open Amateur Championship, Czechoslovakian Open Amateur Championship
- 1949 Surrey Amateur Championship
Source: [13]
Major championships edit
Wins (1) edit
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | Amateur Championship | 3 & 1 | Eric Fiddian
|
Results timeline edit
| Tournament | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship | CUT | WD | CUT | CUT |
| Tournament | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | WD | 61 |
Note: de Forest only played in the Open Championship and the Masters.
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
Team appearances edit
- Walker Cup (representing Great Britain): 1932
- England–Scotland Amateur Match (representing England): 1931
- England–Ireland Amateur Match (representing England): 1931 (winners)
References edit
- ^ "FamilySearch.org". Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ^ "Find a will". probatesearch.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- ^ "Deaths – de Bendern". The Times. 14 April 1997. p. 22.
- ^ "Golf – The Amateur Championship". The Times. 23 May 1931. p. 7.
- ^ "Golf – Victory of J. de Forest". The Times. 30 May 1932. p. 6.
- ^ "The Walker Cup team". The Times. 28 May 1932. p. 4.
- ^ "The Walker Cup match". The Times. 3 September 1932. p. 5.
- ^ "Wedding At Brompton Oratory 1938". British Pathe News. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
- ^ Divenni la Marianna del '68 Oggi le modelle vanno a destraCorriere della Sera
- ^ Frymann Rouch, Abigail (20 March 2017). "Caroline de Bendern: 'leave campaign was lies and xenophobia'". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ^ "Golf – The Amateur Championship". The Times. 29 May 1937. p. 4.
- ^ "Dutch Amateur Title". The Glasgow Herald. 14 July 1937. p. 4.
- ^ Wilson, Mark; Viney, Laurence, eds. (1990). The Golfer's Handbook. Macmillan Press. p. 318. ISBN 0333518616.