John Benda

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

John Benda (born July 9, 1947) is an American professional golfer who plays on the European Senior Tour. He was born in Sheridan, Wyoming, and turned pro in 1971. Early in his career he played mostly overseas on the Asia Golf Circuit and the PGA Tour of Australasia, with a runner-up finish at the 1977 Colgate Champion of Champions in Australia, one shot behind Bob Shearer.

Benda qualified for The Open Championship in 1979 and 1980, but did not reach the later rounds. After his regular tour days, he worked as an administrator on the Asian and South American Tours. He began playing senior golf after turning 50, and his best year on the European Senior Tour came in 2007 when he was runner-up at the Sharp Italian Seniors Open. His second round 63 was a nine-under-par effort that broke Arnold Palmer’s course record, earning him €15,000. He also finished tied for 13rd at the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open that year. He finished 59th on the Order of Merit in 2005 and 2006 and later returned to Qualifying School to secure a conditional card. Benda is married to Veronica, who is from Chile, and they live in Phoenix, Arizona. He has one playoff loss on the European Senior Tour.