Anthony Yale Gresham OAM (born 4 December 1940) is an Australian amateur golfer. He won the 1977 Australian Amateur and represented Australia in seven successive Eisenhower Trophy events between 1968 and 1980. He also won two professional events, the 1975 New South Wales Open and the 1978 South Australian Open.
| Tony Gresham | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Anthony Yale Gresham |
| Born | 4 December 1940 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Sporting nationality |  Australia |
| Career | |
| Status | Amateur |
| Professional wins | 2 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour of Australasia | 2 |
Golf career edit
Gresham reached four finals of the Australian Amateur, although he only won once, beating Chris Bonython at the 40th hole in 1977.[1] He lost to Ray Jenner in 1973, Peter Sweeney in 1976 and Mike Clayton in 1978.[2][3][4] He was also a medalist four times, in 1967, 1975, 1977 and 1981.[5] Gresham won the New South Wales Amateur Championship three times, in 1970, 1972 and 1982.[6] He won the New South Wales Medal six times in the first 11 times the event was contested, winning in 1968, 1972, 1974, 1977, 1977 and 1978.[7] He was also a joint winner, with Ray Picker, in 1986.[8] Before the founding of the NSW Medal, in 1968, he had led the 36-hole qualifying for the NSW amateur twice, in 1964 and 1967.[8]
In 1979, 1980 and 1981, Gresham travelled to Europe to play in the Amateur Championship. In 1979 he reached the semi-finals before losing 3&2 to Scott Hoch.[9] In 1980 he won the French Amateur Championship, beating fellow Australian John Kelly 4&2 in the final, but lost at the 20th hole to Jamie Moffat in a second round match in the Amateur Championship.[10][11] He reached the semi-final of the Amateur Championship again in 1981, losing 2&1 to American Joel Hirsch.[12]
Gresham won two professional events, the 1975 New South Wales Open at Manly, where he finished a stroke ahead of Bill Dunk, and the 1978 South Australian Open at Glenelg, which he won by 6 strokes from fellow amateur Chris Bonython, Rodger Davis taking the first prize as the leading professional.[13][14]
Gresham played in seven successive Eisenhower Trophy contests from 1968 to 1980. The Australian team took the silver medal in 1972 and the bronze medal in 1976 and 1978.[15] In 1972 in Buenos Aires, he was leading individual scorer, two strokes ahead of Ben Crenshaw and Vinny Giles.[16] He also represented Australia in the 1971 Commonwealth Tournament in Auckland, and four times in the Sloan Morpeth Trophy against New Zealand.[17][18]
Awards edit
Gresham was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 1988 Australia Day Honours for services to golf.[19]
Amateur wins edit
- 1968 New South Wales Medal
- 1970 New South Wales Amateur Championship
- 1972 New South Wales Medal, New South Wales Amateur Championship
- 1974 New South Wales Medal
- 1976 New South Wales Medal
- 1977 New South Wales Medal, Australian Amateur
- 1978 New South Wales Medal
- 1980 French Open Amateur Championship, New South Wales Amateur Championship
- 1986 New South Wales Medal (tied with Ray Picker)
Professional wins (2) edit
PGA Tour of Australasia wins (2) edit
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 Oct 1975 | New South Wales Open (as an amateur) |
−13 (66-69-69-71=275) | 1 stroke | Bill Dunk
|
| 2 | 31 May 1978 | South Australian Open (as an amateur) |
−6 (71-70-68-73=282) | 6 strokes | Chris Bonython (a)
|
Team appearances edit
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing Australia): 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980
- Commonwealth Tournament (representing Australia): 1971
- Sloan Morpeth Trophy (representing Australia): 1969 (winners), 1976, 1977 (winners), 1980
- Australian Men's Interstate Teams Matches (representing New South Wales): 1963, 1964 (winners), 1966, 1967 (winners), 1968, 1969 (winners), 1970 (winners), 1971, 1973 (winners), 1974, 1975, 1976 (winners), 1977, 1978 (winners), 1979, 1980 (winners), 1981 (winners), 1982
References edit
- ^ Stone, Peter (17 October 1977). "Finally it's Gresham's title – at the 40th!". The Age. p. 32. Retrieved 10 February 2021 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ Stone, Peter (24 September 1973). "National golf title to Jenner 4 and 2". The Age. p. 24. Retrieved 10 February 2021 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ "Two eagles on way to golf win". The Canberra Times. Vol. 51, no. 14, 488. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 20 September 1976. p. 20. Retrieved 10 February 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Stone, Peter (18 September 1978). "Mike proves he's top of title class". The Age. p. 32. Retrieved 10 February 2021 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ "History & Honour Roll – Australian Men's Stroke Play and Amateur Championship" (PDF). Golf Australia. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "NSW Amateur Championship – Honour Roll: Men". Golf NSW. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "Colourful Gresham has dazzling five-stroke win". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 July 1978. p. 22. Retrieved 18 February 2021 – via Google News Archive.
- ^ a b "NSW Golf Association Sixty Second Annual Report 2010". NSW Golf Association. p. 23. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
- ^ "Gresham's run of wins ends". The Canberra Times. Vol. 53, no. 15966. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 10 June 1979. p. 20. Retrieved 10 February 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Gresham's French win". Sydney Morning Herald. 28 May 1980. p. 52. Retrieved 10 February 2021 – via Google news archive.
- ^ "Gresham beaten at 20th hole". Sydney Morning Herald. 12 June 1980. p. 30. Retrieved 10 February 2021 – via Google news archive.
- ^ "Tony out, but Greg fights on". The Sun-Herald. 7 June 1981. p. 63. Retrieved 10 February 2021 – via Google news archive.
- ^ "Gresham wins Open". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 20 October 1975. p. 12. Retrieved 10 February 2021 – via Trove.
- ^ "Open to Gresham". Sydney Morning Herald. 1 May 1978. p. 24. Retrieved 10 February 2021 – via Google news archive.
- ^ "World Amateur Team Championships – Men's Records". International Golf Federation. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "Record Book 1972 World Amateur Golf Team Championships" (PDF). World Amateur Golf Council. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "Britain third to Canada". The Glasgow Herald. 25 October 1971. p. 5. Retrieved 10 February 2021 – via Google news archive.
- ^ "Sloan Morpeth Trophy" (PDF). Golf Australia. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "Australia Day Honours List". The Canberra Times. Vol. 62, no. 19105. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 26 January 1988. p. 12. Retrieved 10 February 2021 – via National Library of Australia.