Jack Newton
| Jack Newton | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Born | 30 January 1950 Cessnock, New South Wales |
| Nationality |  Australia |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1971 |
| Retired | 1983 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour of Australasia European Tour PGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 9 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 1 |
| European Tour | 3 |
| PGA Tour of Australasia | 4 |
| Best results in Major Championships |
|
| Masters Tournament | T2: 1980 |
| U.S. Open | T32: 1980 |
| The Open Championship | 2nd: 1975 |
| PGA Championship | T20: 1980 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| PGA Tour of Australia Order of Merit winner |
1979 |
Jack Newton OAM (born 30 January 1950) is a former Australian professional golfer.
Contents |
[edit] Golf career
Newton was born in Cessnock, New South Wales. He was one of Australia's most successful golfers in the 1970s and early 1980s. He turned professional in 1971 and won his first professional tournament – the Dutch Open – in 1972. Newton notched up 13 victories over the next decade as he won titles such as the Benson & Hedges International Open, the British Matchplay, the Buick-Goodwrench Open, and the Australian Open Championship. He lost the 1975 British Open at Carnoustie to Tom Watson, who holed a 20-footer for a birdie on the 72nd hole to equal Newton. Watson defeated Newton by one stroke (71-72) in the 18-hole playoff.
Newton won the PGA Tour of Australia's Order of Merit in 1979. He finished tied for second at the 1980 Masters Tournament.
[edit] Propeller accident
On 24 July 1983, during the height of his professional career, Newton had a near-fatal accident when he walked into the spinning propeller of a Cessna aeroplane he was about to board at Sydney Airport following a Sydney Swans AFL game. He lost his right arm and eye and sustained severe abdominal injuries. A severe rainstorm was in progress at the time, and in addition, safety aspects near the plane were deficient.[1][2]
After a prolonged rehabilitation from his injuries, Newton returned to public life as a television and radio golf commentator, newspaper reporter, golf course designer, public speaker and Chairman of the Jack Newton Junior Golf Foundation. He taught himself to play golf one-handed, swinging the club with his left hand in a right-handed stance. He typically scores in the mid-80s.[2]
In 2003 Newton was diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis, and was rushed to hospital.[3] He suffered no further permanent injuries.
Newton married wife Jackie in 1974, and they have two children, Kristie and Clint. Clint Newton plays rugby league for Hull Kingston Rovers, while Kristie is also a professional golfer.[4]
On 11 June 2007 Newton was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to golf, particularly through a range of executive, youth development and fundraising roles.
[edit] Amateur wins
this list may be incomplete
[edit] Professional wins
[edit] PGA Tour of Australasia wins (4)
- 1972 City of Auckland Classic (NZ)
- 1976 New South Wales Open
- 1979 Australian Open, New South Wales Open
[edit] European Tour wins (3)
- 1972 Dutch Open, Benson & Hedges Festival
- 1974 Benson & Hedges Match Play Championship, Nigerian Open
[edit] PGA Tour wins (1)
[edit] Other wins
this list may be incomplete
- 1975 Sumrie-Bournemouth Better-Ball (with John O'Leary)
[edit] Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | CUT | CUT | DNP | T12 | T2 | CUT |
| U.S. Open | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T32 | DNP |
| The Open Championship | T49 | T40 | CUT | CUT | 2 | T17 | CUT | T24 | T57 | T10 | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | T50 | DNP | T20 | DNP |
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10
[edit] References
- ^ Bolton, Matthew (25 July 1983) Jack Newton loses arm; The Age
- ^ a b Golf Digest http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2008-06/newtonqa.
- ^ TV commentator Newton hospitalized with meningitis
- ^ Jack Newton's triumph over tragedy
[edit] External links
- Jack Newton Junior Golf Foundation
- NY Times article on the accident
- Jack Newton at the PGA Tour of Australasia official site
- Jack Newton at the PGA Tour official site
- Jack Newton at the European Tour official site
