# Eric Lester

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Lester
> Source revision: 1259720640
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{{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](/source/West_Bromwich), England
| death_date        = {{death date and age|df=yes|1996|5|18|1917|9|14}}
| death_place       = [Bristol](/source/Bristol), England
| height            = {{height|ft=6|in=3}}
| weight            = <!-- {{convert| |lb|kg st|abbr=on}} OR {{convert| |kg|lb st|abbr=on}} -->
| nationality       = {{ENG}}
| spouse            = 
| partner           = 
| children          = 
| college           = 
| yearpro           = 1950
| retired           = <!-- Year retired -->
| extour            = <!-- Former tours which a member of -->
| prowins           = 7
| pgawins           = 
| otherwins         = <!-- Number of Other wins -->
| majorwins         = <!-- Number of Major Championship wins -->
| masters           = DNP
| usopen            = DNP
| open              = T8: [1958](/source/1958_Open_Championship)
| pga               = DNP
| usamateur         = 
| britamateur       = 
| wghofid           = <!-- World Golf Hall of Fame member ID -->
| wghofyear         = <!-- World Golf Hall of Fame year inducted -->
| award1            = <!-- Achievement or award details -->
| year1             = <!-- Year(s) of achievement or award -->
| award2            = 
| year2             = 
| awardssection     = <!-- location of awards page or section -->
}}
'''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](/source/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](/source/professional_golfer). He won some important tournaments in Britain, including the 1956 [Swallow-Penfold Tournament](/source/Swallow-Penfold_Tournament), and had a number of good finishes in the Open Championship, finishing tied for 8th place in [1958](/source/1958_Open_Championship). He also had a successful seniors career winning the 1974 [PGA Seniors Championship](/source/PGA_Seniors_Championship). He played for the British Isles in the 1956 [Joy Cup](/source/Joy_Cup) but never made the [Ryder Cup](/source/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](/source/1953_Open_Championship), 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](/source/Tooting_Bec_Cup) for the lowest single-round score by a British or Irish player, shared with [Dai Rees](/source/Dai_Rees).

The 1954 [Swallow-Harrogate Tournament](/source/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](/source/John_Fallon_(golfer)) 4&3 and [Arthur Lees](/source/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](/source/Dai_Rees) 5&3 to reach the final and then beat [Antonio Cerdá](/source/Antonio_Cerd%C3%A1) 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](/source/Swallow-Penfold_Tournament) at [The Royal Burgess Golfing Society](/source/The_Royal_Burgess_Golfing_Society) course at [Barnton, Edinburgh](/source/Barnton%2C_Edinburgh). His total of 275 put him a stroke ahead of [Max Faulkner](/source/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](/source/Harold_Henning) in the 1959 [Spalding Tournament](/source/Spalding_Tournament) at [Moor Park Golf Club](/source/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](/source/PGA_Seniors_Championship) at Lundin Links. His 282 was 4 shots better than [Ken Bousfield](/source/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](/source/Roberto_De_Vicenzo) for the [World Senior Championship](/source/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](/source/Swallow-Harrogate_Tournament)
*1956 [Swallow-Penfold Tournament](/source/Swallow-Penfold_Tournament), [Leeds Cup](/source/Leeds_Cup)
*1959 [Spalding Tournament](/source/Spalding_Tournament) (tie with [Harold Henning](/source/Harold_Henning))
*1963 West of England Professional Championship
*1974 [PGA Seniors Championship](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Joy_Cup) (representing the British Isles): 1956 (winners)
*[Slazenger Trophy](/source/Slazenger_Trophy) (representing Great Britain and Ireland): 1956 (winners)
*[Amateurs–Professionals Match](/source/Amateurs%E2%80%93Professionals_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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Eric Lester](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Lester) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Lester?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.