Jeff Hawkes
South African professional golfer (born 1953)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jeffrey Owen Hawkes (born 3 September 1953) is a South African professional golfer, who formerly played on the European Tour. In 1991, he won the Canon European Masters Swiss Open.
South Africa| Jeff Hawkes | |
|---|---|
| |
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Jeffrey Owen Hawkes |
| Born | 3 September 1953 Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa |
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Sporting nationality | South Africa |
| Residence | Bruma, Gauteng, South Africa Bracknell, England |
| Children | 2 |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1974 |
| Former tours | European Tour Sunshine Tour European Senior Tour |
| Professional wins | 5 |
| Highest ranking | 89 (30 July 1989)[1] |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| European Tour | 1 |
| Sunshine Tour | 3 |
| Other | 1 |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Open | DNP |
| The Open Championship | T30: 1989 |
Early life
Hawkes was born in Mthatha (then Umtata), Eastern Cape, South Africa.[2] In addition to his home in Bruma near Johannesburg, he also resides in Bracknell, England.
Amateur career
Hawkes represented South Africa at the 1974 Eisenhower Trophy in the Dominican Republic, where he finished tied tenth individually and fourth with his team, behind United States, Japan and Brazil.[3]
Professional career
In 1974, Hawkes turned professional. He played on the European Tour for over twenty years, making the top one hundred on the European Tour Order of Merit every year from 1977 to 1991, with a best ranking of 34th in 1987.
In 1982, Hawkes was part of the ten-man-team representing Rest of World, under the captaincy of Greg Norman, in the Hennessy Cognac Cup, a team event between Great Britain and Ireland, Continent of Europe and Rest of World.[4]
In 1985, Hawkes finished second, reaching his best finish so far on the European Tour, at the Sanyo Open at Real Club de Golf El Prat, Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain. In May 1987, Hawkes finished second to Mats Lanner at the European Tour match-play event Epson Grand Prix of Europe Matchplay Championship at St Pierre Golf & Country Club in Wales, losing with 1 hole on the last green in the final.[5] In the semi-final, Hawkes beat Seve Ballesteros 3 and 2.[6] Another second place finish came at the 1989 Torras Monte Carlo Golf Open at Monte Carlo Golf Club outside Monaco.[7]
His sole European Tour win came at the 1991 Canon European Masters Swiss Open, were he held on a late charge from Seve Ballesteros, who finished one shot behind.[8]
Hawkes has also won three tournaments 1988-1989 on the Southern Africa Tour, later named the Sunshine Tour.
His best finish in a major championship was tied 30th in The 1989 Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club, Scotland,[9] after which he reached a career best 89th on the Official World Golf Ranking.
Hawkes joined the European Seniors Tour in 2004, but did not win at that level, although his playing schedule was rather limited as he also worked as a golf commentator and analyst for Sky Sports in the United Kingdom and ran his own waste management business in South Africa. He played his last tournament in 2010.[2]
Professional wins (5)
European Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 Sep 1991 | Canon European Masters Swiss Open | −20 (68-69-65-66=268) | 1 stroke |  Seve Ballesteros |
Southern Africa Tour wins (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 Feb 1988 | Bloemfontein Classic | −20 (64-69-66-69=268) | 1 stroke |  John Bland,  Jay Townsend |
| 2 | 11 Feb 1989 | AECI Charity Classic | −15 (67-64-70=201) | 2 strokes |  Tony Johnstone |
| 3 | 19 Feb 1989 | Hollard Royal Swazi Sun Classic | −14 (67-66-69=202)[a] | 1 stroke | John Daly,  Joe Dlamini |
Other wins (1)
- 1979 Rolex Pro-Am (Switzerland)
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | CUT | T46 | 74 | T30 | CUT |
Note: Hawkes only played in The Open Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1977 and 1982 Open Championships)
"T" = tied
Team appearances
Amateur
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing South Africa): 1974[3]
Professional
- Hennessy Cognac Cup (representing the Rest of the World): 1982[4]
See also
Notes
- Shortened to 54 holes due to weather.