Jack Newton

Australian professional golfer (1950–2022)

Jack Newton OAM (30 January 1950 – 14 April 2022) was an Australian professional golfer. Newton had early success in Australia, winning the 1972 Amoco Forbes Classic. He soon moved on to the British PGA where he won three times in the mid 1970s and finished runner up at the 1975 Open Championship. Shortly thereafter, Newton started playing on the PGA Tour where he won the 1978 Buick Goodwrench Open. During this era, Newton also played significantly in Australia where he won a number events including the 1979 Australian Open. Four years later, Newton had a near fatal accident when he walked into the spinning propeller of an airplane, losing his right arm and right eye. However, he survived and managed to work a number of golf related jobs the remainder of his life.

Newton was born in Cessnock, New South Wales.

In 1969, he turned professional. He was one of Australia's most successful golfers in the 1970s and early 1980s. In 1972, he won the Dutch Open and the Benson & Hedges Festival of Golf in successive weeks. In 1974, he won the Benson & Hedges Match Play Championship, beating Cesar Sanudo in the final. Later in 1974, he lost in a playoff for the New Zealand Open. In 1978, Newton won the Buick Goodwrench Open on the PGA Tour. In Australia, he won the New South Wales Open in 1976 and 1979 and the Australian Open Championship in 1979. At the 1975 Open Championship at Carnoustie in Scotland, Newton lost in a playoff to Tom Watson. In the third round, Newton set a course record of 65, despite having injured an ankle so severely on the practice tee prior to the start of the championship, that he had it professionally wrapped each day, and was subjected to pain killing injections. In the final round, Newton was the leader during the back nine but dropped shots in three of the last four holes. Watson holed a 20 foot putt for a birdie on the 72nd hole to tie Newton. In the 18 hole playoff on the following day, Watson defeated Newton by one stroke (71−72). Newton later said that the turning point in the playoff was when Watson chipped in for an eagle at the 14th hole. Newton won the PGA Tour of Australia's Order of Merit in 1979. He finished tied for second at the 1980 Masters Tournament, four strokes behind the winner Seve Ballesteros. In May 1983, Newton lost to Terry Gale in a playoff for the Western Australian Open.

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 airplane from which he was getting off at Sydney Airport. 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. Immediately after the accident, doctors gave Newton a 50–50 chance of surviving. He spent several days in a coma and eight weeks in intensive care. 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 scored in the mid 80s. In 2003, Newton was diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis, and was rushed to hospital. He died on 14 April 2022 at the age of 72 due to health complications, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2020.

Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top 5 Top 10 Top 25 Events Cuts madeMasters Tournament 0 1 0 1 1 2 5 2U. S. Open 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1The Open Championship 0 1 0 1 2 4 10 7PGA Championship 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2Totals 0 2 0 2 3 7 18 12