Graham Henning

{{Short description|South African golfer}} {{use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} '''Graham Henning''' was a South African professional golfer. In the late 1960s and early 70s Henning was briefly one of the top golfers in South Africa. He recorded several 1st and 2nd place finishes in top international events across Europe and Africa. This excellent play helped him qualify for South Africa's 1969 World Cup team.

== Early life == Henning was born into a golfing family. His brothers Allan, Brian, and Harold all became professional golfers.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2003-01-07 |title=Brothers aim to qualify |url=https://www.news24.com/xArchive/Sport/Golf/Brothers-aim-to-qualify-20030106 |access-date=2019-09-18 |website=News24}}</ref>

== Professional career == Henning's first top performance on the international stage was at the 1967 Engadine Open. After opening with an even par 70 Henning fired consecutive rounds of 67 and 66 to get into contention. As the final round started he was at −7, one back of Australia's Randall Vines. Henning fired an astonishing final round 62 to outplay Vines by 11 and win by 10 strokes.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|title=G. Henning's 265 in Engadine|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GVxAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=c6MMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5962,3779990|last=|first=|date=|website=The Glasgow Herald|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=March 10, 2020}}</ref>

Two years later, in 1969, he would play excellently on the international circuit. In February, he won the 1969 General Motors Open at the Wedgewood Golf Course in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He defeated compatriot Hugh Inggs by two shots.<ref name=":1">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5H9AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0KMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5132%2C1576962 |title=Will in third place |date=10 February 1969 |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=5}}</ref> A month later he nearly won again on the South African circuit. He held the 36-hole lead at the Rhodesian Masters before shooting a "disastrous" third round 75 (+4) and ultimately finishing one behind, this time losing to Inggs.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=W5VAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GaUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6436%2C2764425|title=Gallacher Top Briton|date=17 March 1969|newspaper=The Glasgow Herald|page=5}}</ref> In June, he tied England's Alex Caygill at the Martini International on the European circuit. Henning had a chance to win outright but hit his drive in the woods on the last hole and would make bogey.<ref name=":2">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BZtAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FaUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1584%2C2795423 |title=Caygill and Henning tie in Martini |date=16 June 1969 |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=5}}</ref> In August, he finished runner-up to Italy's Roberto Bernardini at Munich's Agfa-Gevaert Tournament, one stroke behind.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136949051 |title=Italian victory |date=1969-08-12 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |access-date=2020-01-18 |page=18}}</ref>

His final high finishes were in the early 1970s. In 1971 he would finish a distant runner-up to England's Peter Oosterhuis at the Transvaal Open.<ref name="t22feb1971">{{cite news|title=Johannesburg, Feb 21|date=22 February 1971|newspaper=The Times|page=7}}</ref> The following year he would win two team events with brother Harold.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=K5ZAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=I6UMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6785%2C5303866|title=Hennings Win|date=28 Feb 1972|newspaper=The Glasgow Herald}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RtA9AAAAIBAJ&sjid=AUgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5083%2C4559019|title=Hennings win team event|date=25 December 1972|newspaper=The Glasgow Herald}}</ref>

After his touring career was over Henning was the club professional at Wanderers for many years.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Winter |first=Grant |date=27 February 2015 |title=Henning turns back the clock |url=https://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/the-star-south-africa-early-edition/20150227/282286728719787 |access-date=2019-10-02 |via=PressReader}}</ref>

== Personal life == His son Nic Henning is a professional golfer.<ref name=":0" />

==Professional wins (7)== ===Southern African circuit wins (5)=== *1967 Bata Bush Babes Tournament, Rhodesian Dunlop Masters<ref name=saga>{{cite web |title=The history of non-european golf region by region {{!}} Rhodesia |url=https://history.saga.co.za/indexe8f5.html?id=152 |publisher=South African Golf Association |access-date=22 December 2022}}</ref> *1969 General Motors Open<ref name=":1" /> *1972 International Better-Ball (with Harold Henning),<ref name=":3" /> Ellerines Team Tournament (with Harold Henning)<ref name=":4" />

===European circuit wins (2)=== *1967 Engadine Open<ref name=":5" /> *1969 Martini International (tied with Alex Caygill)<ref name=":2" />

==Team appearances== '''Professional''' *World Cup (representing South Africa): 1969

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Henning, Graham}} Category:South African male golfers Category:20th-century South African people Category:Place of birth missing