James West (golfer)

James Eli West (20 July 1885 – September 1968)[1][2] was an English professional golfer. He emigrated to the United States in 1916 and spent the rest of his life there. His best year in major championships was 1919 where he tied for 18th place in the U.S. Open and reached the quarter-finals of the PGA Championship.

James West
Personal information
Full nameJames Eli West
Born(1885-07-20)20 July 1885
Petersham, Surrey
DiedSeptember 1968 (aged 83)
Lexington, Massachusetts
Nationality England
Career
StatusProfessional
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentDNP
PGA ChampionshipT9: 1919
U.S. OpenT18: 1919
The Open ChampionshipDNP

Professional career

Beginning as an apprentice club maker at an early age, West later became a greenkeeper at Mid-Surrey Golf Club under head greenkeeper Peter Lees and learnt his golf from the professional there, J. H. Taylor.[3] He was the professional at Hamburg Golf Club for some time before being appointed to succeed Sam Whiting at Criccieth Golf Club in north Wales in late 1910.[4] This appointment was very short-lived since Bertie Snowball became the professional there in early 1911.[5][6] West returned to Germany and from Bremen won the 1911 German Professional Championship at Leipzig. [3] In 1912 West became the professional at the newly opened Harrow Golf Club where he stayed until 1916.[7]

Recruited by Spalding to represent sales of their clubs on Long Island, West emigrated to the United States in early 1916 and soon became the professional at Rockaway Hunting Club on Long Island. He had had little success in the tournaments he had played in before World War I but, playing in the Metropolitan Open in July, he had a top-10 finish.[8] West was an early member of the PGA of America and played in the Metropolitan section qualifying for the 1916 PGA Championship. He scored 153, tying for the lead with Willie Macfarlane.[9] In the final stage he lost in the first round to Mike Brady.[10]

West's best year in major championships was 1919. He tied for 18th place in the U.S. Open and reached the quarter-finals of the PGA Championship before losing 9 & 7 to George McLean.[11]

West won the Long Island Professional Championship in 1921 by 7 strokes, the only time it was held.[12] The following year saw the start of the Long Island Open. West led after the first day but faded and the event was won by Willie Klein.[13]

His ability as an instructor won accolades. West's pupils included the Duke of Windsor, Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen. The Hunt Club limited West's time at tournaments although in off-season he was lead instructor at a rooftop facility at the University Club in Manhattan and later as the professional at a private resort founded by Hunt Club members on Cat Cay island in the Bahamas.

Results in major championships
Tournament 191619171918191919201921192219231924
U.S. Open NT NT T18 T40 WD T22
PGA Championship R32 NT NT QF R16 R32

Note: West never played in The Open Championship.

  Top 10
  Did not play

NT = no tournament
WD = withdrew
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place

References
  1. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXYM-SG3
  2. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VSX1-3NG
  3. "J West". Antique Golf Clubs from Scotland. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  4. "Criccieth Golf Club". The Welsh Coast Pioneer and Review for North Cambria. 24 November 1910.
  5. "Professional appointments". The Times. 20 March 1911. p. 14.
  6. "Criccieth Golf Club, Gwynedd. (1905 - 2017)". Golfsmissinglinks.co.uk. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  7. "Harrow Golf Club, Greater London. (1892 - 1930s)". Golfsmissinglinks.co.uk. Retrieved 22 May 2019.
  8. "Tie for Golf Title". Evening star (Washington). 15 July 1916. p. 8 – via newspapers.com.
  9. "Golf Favorites Lose in Battle Marred by Storm". New York Tribune. 30 September 1916. p. 15 – via newspapers.com.
  10. "Pro Golfers Meet In Title Matches" (PDF). The New York Times. New York, New York. 11 October 1916. Retrieved 20 March 2011.
  11. "Emmet French Put Out Of Running For Pro Golfers Association Title By Jim Barnes" (PDF). The New York Times. New York, New York. 19 September 1919.
  12. "Long Island Golf Honors to Lost". The New York Times. 19 October 1921. p. 15 – via newspapers.com.
  13. "West is Leader in Long Island Open". The New York Times. 9 August 1922. p. 22 – via newspapers.com.
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