John de Forest


John Gerard de Forest 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:
de Forest had an elder brother, Alaric, who also adopted the Bendern name. Alaric was also a useful golfer, and reached the semi-final of the Amateur Championship in 1937, losing 4&3 to Lionel Munn. John and Alaric met in the final of the 1937 Dutch Open Amateur Championship, with Alaric winning by one hole.

Amateur wins

Wins (1)

Results timeline

Note: de Forest only played in the Open Championship and the Masters.
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut

Team appearances