| Arthur Lees | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Arthur Lees |
| Born | 21 February 1908 Sheffield, South Yorkshire |
| Died | 26 March 1992 (aged 84) Windsor, Berkshire |
| Nationality | England |
| Career | |
| Status | Professional |
| Professional wins | 8 |
| Best results in Major Championships |
|
| Masters Tournament | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP |
| The Open Championship | T6: 1947, 1949 |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
Arthur Lees (21 February 1908 – 26 March 1992) was an English professional golfer who played from the 1930s to 1960s. He was a member of four Great Britain Ryder Cup teams in the late 1940s and 1950s, and won several tournaments in Europe during his career. In addition, he spent nearly 30 years as the head professional of Sunningdale Golf Club, holding the position until he was almost 70 years old.
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Lees first took up golf in his youth, serving as a caddy at Lees Hall Club in Sheffield. When the player he worked for was practicing, Lees would hit balls to him with a golf club.[1][2] At the age of 15, the club hired Lees as an assistant pro. He later accepted a job as a playing professional in Czechoslovakia, staying there until 1935.[2] That year, he went back to Sheffield and began working at a club in Dore and Totley.[1][2] He also found success in local tournaments in 1935, winning Yorkshire's open and pro golf championships.[2] Lees made his first of 16 appearances in The Open Championship in 1935, finishing in a tie for 41st.[3] In 1938, Lees recorded a third-place finish in the Irish Open, having once held the lead;[2] he also finished second in a tournament in Southport.[4] The following year, he held a share of the lead in the same tournament after three rounds, having posted scores of 69–72–74. Another 72 in the final round gave Lees the victory by two strokes over Reg Whitcombe.[2] Prior to the Second World War, he added a pair of second-place results at the Czech Open and German Open.[5]
In September 1947, Lees was selected for Great Britain Ryder Cup team.[6] Lees' first Ryder Cup match was in foursomes, where Henry Cotton was his partner against the team of Porky Oliver and Lew Worsham; the British team lost 10&9. He was also defeated in singles play, by Byron Nelson, in the Americans' 11–1 victory. Also in 1947, Lees won the British Masters tournament,[5] and finished the Open Championship in a tie for sixth place,[7] having held a share of the lead entering the final round.[8] Two years later, he repeated his joint sixth-place Open Championship finish from 1947,[9] and again played in a Ryder Cup. This time, he won his first match, in foursomes, as he and Dick Burton defeated Lloyd Mangrum and Sam Snead by a 1-up margin. Lees again lost in singles play, 7&6, to Jimmy Demaret.[5] The following year, 1950, saw him lead following the opening round of the Open Championship at Royal Troon;[10] he ended the tournament tied for seventh.[11] For the season, Lees was the second-place finisher in the British golf circuit's order of merit standings.[1]
In 1951, Lees claimed a victory in the Penfold Tournament and gained a place in his third Ryder Cup team. At the 1951 Ryder Cup, he started off in foursomes, teamed with Charlie Ward and the pair posted a 2&1 victory against the American duo of Oliver and Henry Ransom. Lees then won his singles match 2&1 over Oliver.[5] In the 9½–2½ U.S. victory, he took part in both of Great Britain's match wins.[12] Lees won the Penfold Tournament for the second time in 1953;[5] despite this; he was not selected for Britain's 1953 Ryder Cup team. He did, however, return to the British team in 1955, at the age of 47.[13] In team play, Tommy Bolt and Jack Burke, Jr. defeated Lees and Harry Weetman 1-up, but Lees won the final Ryder Cup match he played in, 3&1, against Ed Furgol.[5] The Times later wrote of his Cup performances, "It was an era when the United States made a habit of overpowering any British team, but Lees emerged with his head high."[1]
Lees set or tied multiple course records during the 1956 British golf season. At a 90-hole tournament held at Sunningdale Golf Club, his home club, he matched the existing New Course low score with a 65.[14] During a qualifier in Stoneham for the News of the World Match Play tournament—which doubled as Britain's southern championship—he shot another 65 to break a record, and won the event.[1] In 1959, Lees won the British PGA Seniors Championship,[5] and in June of that year faced U.S. Senior PGA Championship winner Willie Goggin in a match for what was billed as "the world professional senior golf title".[15] To boost attendance, the final 18 holes of the match were scheduled to be played at night. In what the Associated Press called "the first twilight championship match on record," Lees lost to Goggin by a 5&3 score.[15] Lees competed in his last Open Championship in 1963,[3] and continued playing golf into his eighties.[1]
In 1949, Sunningdale Golf Club hired Lees as its club professional. At the time, Sunningdale was still feeling the effects of the Second World War, as its membership was low. Lees improved the situation by attracting new members; The Times later wrote that he took on the role of "self-appointed recruiting agent."[1] Lees performed his head professional duties for the club even during his playing career. One of his assistants was future professional golfer Sam Torrance, who was 16 when Lees gave him the job.[5] Lees remained the head pro at Sunningdale until 1977.[1]
Lees was married and had one child, a son. By 1977, he was suffering from bladder cancer and had surgery on it, ultimately recovering. He died in 1992 at the age of 84.[1]
this list is incomplete