Eric Lester

{{Short description|English golfer}} {{EngvarB|date=June 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}} {{Infobox golfer | name = Eric Lester | image = | image_size = | caption = | fullname = Eric George Lester | nickname = | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1917|9|14}} | birth_place = West Bromwich, England | death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1996|5|18|1917|9|14}} | death_place = Bristol, England | height = {{height|ft=6|in=3}} | weight =  | nationality = {{ENG}} | spouse = | partner = | children = | college = | yearpro = 1950 | retired =  | extour =  | prowins = 7 | pgawins = | otherwins =  | majorwins =  | masters = DNP | usopen = DNP | open = T8: 1958 | pga = DNP | usamateur = | britamateur = | wghofid =  | wghofyear =  | award1 =  | year1 =  | award2 = | year2 = | awardssection =  }} '''Eric George Lester''' (14 September 1917 – 18 May 1996)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVZD-VHH4|title=FamilySearch.org|website=FamilySearch |accessdate=26 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Wills?Surname=lester&SurnameGrants=lester&FirstName=eric&FirstNameGrants=eric&YearOfDeath=1996&YearOfDeathGrants=1996&AdvancedSearch=True&IsGrantSearch=True&IsCalendarSearch=False#willsM|title = Under Maintenance}}</ref> was an English professional golfer. He won some important tournaments in Britain, including the 1956 Swallow-Penfold Tournament, and had a number of good finishes in the Open Championship, finishing tied for 8th place in 1958. He also had a successful seniors career winning the 1974 PGA Seniors Championship. He played for the British Isles in the 1956 Joy Cup but never made the Ryder Cup team. At {{height|ft=6|in=3}}, he was noted as being one of the taller golfers of his generation.

==Golf career== In 1953, his first Open, he started badly with an 83 but then scored 70 and finished tied for 17th place. The 70 won him the Tooting Bec Cup for the lowest single-round score by a British or Irish player, shared with Dai Rees.

The 1954 Swallow-Harrogate Tournament was played in two distinct parts with separate prize money. There was a 72-hole stroke-play event with £1500 prize money. The leading 16 then played knockout match-play over the next two days. This second stage had prize money of £600, so that the total prize money was £2100. Lester finished sixth in the stroke-play stage to qualify for the match-play stage.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lT1AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VlkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3212%2C2343229 |title=Harrogate win for Locke |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=23 July 1954 |page=4}}</ref> He beat John Fallon 4&3 and Arthur Lees 5&4 to reach the semi-finals.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lz1AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VlkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3772%2C2640609 |title=Glasgow professional in last four |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=25 July 1954 |page=2}}</ref> He beat Dai Rees 5&3 to reach the final and then beat Antonio Cerdá 2 up to win the tournament. Lester was 1 up going to the last hole and when Cerdá put his ball into a muddy patch, he conceded the match.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lz1AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VlkMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3772%2C2640609 |title=Lester wins at Oakdale |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=26 July 1954 |page=9}}</ref>

Lester won the 1956 Swallow-Penfold Tournament at The Royal Burgess Golfing Society course at Barnton, Edinburgh. His total of 275 put him a stroke ahead of Max Faulkner and earned him the £1,000 first prize.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=65xAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gJgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4050%2C2614998 |title=First major tournament win for E G Lester – Strain imposed on Barnton leaders |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=21 May 1956 |page=8}}</ref>

Lester tied with Harold Henning in the 1959 Spalding Tournament at Moor Park Golf Club. Both players scored 278 and shared the first and second prizes, taking home £250 each.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wHhAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rJsMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6661%2C6656467 |title=Lester and Henning tie for Spalding |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=25 April 1959 |page=9}}</ref>

56-year-old Lester won the 1974 PGA Seniors Championship at Lundin Links. His 282 was 4 shots better than Ken Bousfield and gave him the £750 first prize.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uZFAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_KQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2220%2C936907 |title=Lester wins despite two bad lapses |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=4 July 1974 |page=5}}</ref> Two days later he played Roberto De Vicenzo for the World Senior Championship but lost 5&4.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=u5FAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=_KQMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3496%2C1436484 |title=Vicenzo takes World Senior Championship |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=6 July 1974 |page=5}}</ref>

==Tournament wins== ''this list may be incomplete'' *1953 West of England Professional Championship *1954 Swallow-Harrogate Match Play Tournament *1956 Swallow-Penfold Tournament, Leeds Cup *1959 Spalding Tournament (tie with Harold Henning) *1963 West of England Professional Championship *1974 PGA Seniors Championship

==Results in major championships== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;" !Tournament !1953 !1954 !1955 !1956 !1957 !1958 !1959 |- |align=left|The Open Championship |T17 |T20 |CUT |T22 |T15 |style="background:yellow;"|T8 |T35 |} {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;" !Tournament !1960 !1961 !1962 !1963 !1964 !1965 !1966 !1967 !1968 !1969 |- |align=left|The Open Championship |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |T25 |CUT |CUT |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |T47 |CUT |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |} {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;" !Tournament !1970 !1971 !1972 !1973 !1974 |- |align=left|The Open Championship |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |style="background:#eeeeee;"| |CUT |} ''Note: Lester only played in The Open Championship.''<br /> {{legend|yellow|Top 10}} {{legend|#eeeeee|Did not play}} CUT = missed the half-way cut<br /> "T" indicates a tie for a place

==Team appearances== *Joy Cup (representing the British Isles): 1956 (winners) *Slazenger Trophy (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1956 (winners) *Amateurs–Professionals Match (representing the Professionals): 1957 (winners), 1959 (winners)

==References== {{reflist|2}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lester, Eric}} Category:English male golfers Category:Sportspeople from West Bromwich Category:1917 births Category:1996 deaths Category:20th-century English sportsmen