John Benda

John Benda (born July 9, 1947) is an American professional golfer playing on the European Seniors Tour.

John Benda
Personal information
Born (1947-07-09) July 9, 1947
Sheridan, Wyoming
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight168 lb (76 kg; 12.0 st)
Nationality United States
ResidencePhoenix, Arizona
Career
Turned professional1971
Current tour(s)European Seniors Tour
Professional wins2
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentDNP
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. OpenDNP
The Open ChampionshipCUT: 1979, 1980

Benda was born in Sheridan, Wyoming and currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona. His wife, Veronica, is a native of Chile, and they have no children.

Benda turned professional in 1971. He played extensively overseas on the Asian circuit[1] and Australian Tour. One of his best finishes was a runner-up finish at the 1977 Colgate Champion of Champions in Melbourne, Australia. He finished one behind Bob Shearer and tied, among others, Curtis Strange for second place.[2] He twice qualified for The Open Championship (1979 and 1980) with his best finish being two strokes behind the third round cut in 1980 at Muirfield, Scotland.[3] After his regular playing days were over he went on to become an administrator on the Asian and South American Tours.[4]

After he turned 50, Benda decided to play the senior tours. In 2007 he enjoyed his best year competing on the European Seniors Tour. He was runner-up at the Sharp Italian Seniors Open in May, helped by his lowest ever senior round, a nine-under-par 63 in the second round, besting the course record set by Arnold Palmer, to collect his biggest prize: €15,000. A tied 13th finish at the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open gave him his next best result of the campaign. He finished in 59th place on the Order of Merit in 2006 and just like in 2005. He returned to the Qualifying School to secure a conditional card.

In 2019, Benda was elected to the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame.

Professional wins

this list may be incomplete

Playoff record

European Senior Tour playoff record (0–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult
1 2007 Sharp Italian Seniors Open Tony Allen, Carl Mason,
Simon Owen		 Owen won with birdie on first extra hole

References
  1. "John Benda". European Tour. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  2. "Shearer wins event with 2.5-metre putt". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 1977-11-28. p. 16. Retrieved 2019-09-05.
  3. 1980 Open Championship results
  4. Biographical information on the European Seniors Tour's official site


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