Dennis Smalldon
| Dennis Smalldon | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Dennis Frederick George Smalldon |
| Born | 1926 Devon, England |
| Died | 12 September 1959 (aged 33) Hereford, England |
| Sporting nationality |  Wales |
| Career | |
| Status | Professional |
| Professional wins | 5 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP |
| The Open Championship | T17: 1955 |
Dennis Frederick George Smalldon (1926 – 12 September 1959)[1] was a Welsh professional golfer. He was killed in a road traffic accident at the age of 33. Smalldon won the Welsh Professional Championship in 1956 and 1959 and had won the Sherwood Forest Foursomes Tournament, partnered by Dai Rees, a week before the accident. He represented Wales in the Canada Cup.
Early life
Smalldon was born in North Devon in 1926, the son of Bill Smalldon (1897–1973), a professional golfer.
Golfing career
Smalldon finished in second place in the 1950 PGA Assistants' Championship, 7 shots behind the winner, Harry Weetman. Weetman finished with a hole-in-one at the final hole.[2] He also finished tied for second in the 1950 Welsh Professional Championship, 6 shots behind Gwyn James.[3]
He tied with Harry Gould in the 1954 Welsh Professional Championship but lost by 5 strokes in the 36-hole playoff.[4] In the 1955 Open Championship, on the Old Course at St Andrews, he started with 70, a shot behind the leaders. After a second round 69 he was in a three-way tie for the lead. A third-round 78 dropped him down the leaderboard and he eventually finished tied for 17th place after a final 73.[5]
Death
Smalldon was severely injured in a road traffic accident on 6 September 1959. He was driving a car, in which Richard Kemp and Neil Morris were passengers, which was in collision with another car at St Owen's Cross, Hentland near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire. A married couple in the other car were killed. Smalldon died a week later in Hereford General Hospital, not having regained consciousness.[6][7] Smalldon, Kemp and Morris were the three qualifiers from the Welsh section of the PGA and were travelling to play in the final knock-out stage of the British PGA Matchplay Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club near Southport which started on 9 September. Morris withdrew from the event while Kemp played but lost his first match.
Tournament wins
- 1953 Welsh Professional Championship
- 1956 Sunningdale Foursomes (with Graham Knipe), Welsh Professional Championship
- 1959 Welsh Professional Championship, Sherwood Forest Foursomes Tournament (with Dai Rees)
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship | CUT | DNP | CUT | DNP | DNP | T17 | T28 | CUT |
Note: Smalldon only played in The Open Championship.
DNP = Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Team appearances
- Canada Cup (representing Wales): 1955, 1956
References
- ^ https://probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=smalldon&yearOfDeath=1959#calendar
- ^ "Assistants' Golf Championship – Winner's last hole in one stroke". The Times. 8 April 1950. p. 6.
- ^ "Welsh Professional Championship". The Times. 9 June 1950. p. 2.
- ^ "Gould wins Welsh play-off". The Times. 5 June 1954. p. 4.
- ^ "Thomson again wins the Open championship". The Times. 9 July 1955. p. 4.
- ^ "Six sportsmen killed in road accidents". The Glasgow Herald. 7 September 1959. p. 1.
- ^ "Professional golfer". The Glasgow Herald. 14 September 1959. p. 11.