Jack Newton

Jack Newton OAM (born 30 January 1950) is a former Australian professional golfer.

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.

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 Belmont Airport, south of Newcastle, New South Wales. 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. ["Golf Digest" magazine, June 2008.]

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. ["Golf Digest" magazine, June 2008.]

Newton married wife Jackie in 1974, and they have two children, Kristie and Clint. Clint Newton plays rugby league for the Hull Kingston Rovers, while Kristie competes in Australian and international Women's Amateur golf tournaments.

Honours

*11 June 2007: Medal of the Order of Australia for service to golf, particularly through a range of executive, youth development and fundraising roles.

Amateur wins

"this list may be incomplete"
*1969 Lake Macquarie Amateur

Professional wins

*1972 Dutch Open, Benson & Hedges Festival, City of Auckland Classic (NZ)
*1974 Benson & Hedges Match Play Championship
*1976 NSW Open Championship
*1978 Buick-Goodwrench Open (PGA Tour)
*1979 Australian Open, NSW Open Championship

Other career highlights

*1975 The Open Championship - lost in a playoff to Tom Watson
*1980 Masters Tournament - runner up to Seve Ballesteros

Results in major championships

DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Yellow background for top-10

References

External links

* [http://www.jnjgf.com/html/s12_content/default.asp?tnid=11&dsb=164 Jack Newton Junior Golf Foundation]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E01EFD81139F937A3575BC0A965948260 NY Times article on the accident]
* [http://www.pga.org.au/default.aspx?s=pgatourplayerprofiledisplay&pid=453 Profile on PGA Tour of Australasia's official site]