John de Forest
John Gerard de Forest, also known as John de Bendern, was an English amateur golfer. He won the Amateur Championship in 1932 and was in the Walker Cup team the same year.
Golf career
De Forest reached the final of the Amateur Championship in 1931, losing to Eric Martin Smith by 1 hole. The following year he reached the final again, this time beating Eric Fiddian 3&1. Both de Forest and Fiddian were selected for the 1932 Walker Cup team following their semi-final wins. The Walker Cup was held at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts on 1 and 2 September. De Forest lost his foursomes match and was not selected for the singles.Personal life
De Forest was the younger son of Maurice de Forest. In the 1930s, Maurice de Forest was granted the title Count Maurice de Bendern, and in early 1937 John de Forest adopted the name John de Bendern. His first wife was Lady Patricia Sybil Douglas, daughter of Francis Douglas, 11th Marquess of Queensberry. Their children were:- Caroline de Bendern, who married saxophonist Barney Wilen. She was a political activist, who became symbol of May 1968 protests when she was photographed in Paris.
- Simon Frederick de Bendern, who married Ethel von Horn in 1974.
- Emma Magdalen de Bendern
- Michael Fulke de Bendern
- Samantha Grace de Bendern, international civil servant, political journalist and writer.
Tournament wins
- 1931 Surrey Amateur Championship
- 1932 Amateur Championship
- 1937 Austrian Open Amateur Championship, Czechoslovakian Open Amateur Championship
- 1949 Surrey Amateur Championship
Major championships
Wins (1)
Results timeline
| Tournament | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 |
| Masters Tournament | WD | 61 |
Note: de Forest only played in the Open Championship and the Masters.
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
Team appearances
- Walker Cup : 1932
- England–Scotland Amateur Match : 1931
- England–Ireland Amateur Match : 1931