Cedric Amm
{{short description|South African professional golfer|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox golfer
| name = Cedric Amm
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| birth_date = 5 December 1940
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| height = 6 feet
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| nationality = {{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} South Africa
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| yearpro = 1961
| otherwins = 3
| majorwins =
| masters = DNP
| usopen = DNP
| open = CUT: 1965
| pga = DNP
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}}
Cedric Amm (5 December 1940) is a South African professional golfer. Amm turned pro in 1961 and quickly had success, winning the Natal Open three years later. Gary Player soon hailed him as "the hottest golfing sensation to come out of my country in five years." In the mid-1960s, Amm continued to play well, recording a number of second- and third-place finishes on the New Zealand Golf Circuit. In 1966, Amm won the South African Masters, the biggest win of his career. Amm did not have much success in the late 1960s, however, and retired from golf. Thereafter he has worked as a horse breeder and trained some champion horses.
Professional career
In the early 1960s, Amm turned pro. He began his career as an assistant pro at Mowbray Club in Cape Town, South African.{{Cite web |date=February 8, 1961 |title=Golf In South Africa |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19610208.2.108?items_per_page=10&query=cedric+amm&snippet=true |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=Press}} In 1961, he first received media attention for his play at the Western Province Open. He opened with rounds of 70 to tie Retief Waltman for the lead.
In 1963, Amm started playing internationally. As of February, he was scheduled to play on the Far East Circuit.{{Cite news |last=Kee Chan |first=Lim |date=February 1, 1963 |title=Entries for F-E circuit now 75 |pages=17 |website=The Strait Times |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19630201-1.2.123?qt=cedric,%20amm&q=cedric%20amm |access-date=2023-12-20}} Late in the month, he received some attention for tying for the win with his teammate at the Malayan Open pro-am.{{Cite news |date=27 February 1963 |title=Five Pairs Tie for Golf Prize |language=en |pages=33 |website=Coventry Evening Telegraph |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/787283552/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |date=February 28, 1963 |title=Five pairs tie for first |pages=19 |website=eresources.nlb.gov.sg |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19630228-1.2.123.1?qt=cedric,%20amm&q=cedric%20amm |access-date=2023-12-20}} In April, he started playing on the British PGA.{{Cite web |date=March 25, 1963 |title=Big Overseas Challenge at Golf |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/787242477/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=Coventry Evening Telegraph |language=en}}{{Cite news |date=25 March 1963 |title=Cox Moore Attracts Overseas Players |language=en |pages=8 |website=Nottingham Evening News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/888239023/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |via=Newspapers.com}} Late in the year, Amm played the Natal Open in his home country. He finished the tournament at 291, with the clubhouse lead. However, on the final hole Bobby Verwey holed a 15-foot eagle putt to tie. There would be a 36-hole playoff the following day to decide the title.{{Cite news |date=31 December 1963 |title=Play-off in Natal Open |language=en |pages=14 |website=The Age |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/122302929/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |via=Newspapers.com}} Amm would go on to win the event.{{Cite news |last=Seitzinger |first=Jack |date=June 20, 1964 |title=Puttin' Around |language=en |pages=7 |website=Pottsville Republican |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/465866607/ |access-date=2023-12-20}} Later in the season, Amm finished third place at the Cock o' the North tournament. During this era, Gary Player described him as "the hottest golfing sensation to come out of my country in five years."
In 1964 and 1965, he continued to play internationally. As of May 1964, he had returned to Britain.{{Cite news |date=May 6, 1964 |title=The big ball must go |language=en |pages=12 |website=Daily Post (Merseyside edition) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/908327392/ |access-date=2023-12-20}} In the middle of the year, he played a number of PGA Tour events.{{Cite news |date=July 2, 1964 |title=Pairings for Whitemarsh Open |language=en |pages=41 |website=The Philadelphia Inquirer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/180523843/ |access-date=2023-12-20}}{{Cite news |date=August 22, 1964 |title=Sikes Among Five Arkansans To Be in Carling Tourney |language=en |pages=7 |website=Northwest Arkansas Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/9403732/ |access-date=2023-12-21}}{{Cite news |last=Crane |first=Omer |date=September 6, 1964 |title=So Palmer Is Out? Fresno Open Will Have Golf Class |language=en |pages=41 |website=The Fresno Bee |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/702554139/ |access-date=2023-12-20}} In November, he started playing the New Zealand Golf Circuit. Late in the month, he recorded a third-place finish at the Metalcraft Tournament.{{Cite news |date=November 24, 1964 |title=Dunk beats Nagle for golf prize |language=en |pages=15 |website=Evening Chronicle |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/802276049/ |access-date=2023-12-20}} Amm, however, abruptly "cut short" his tour of New Zealand before the season was over to return to South Africa.{{Cite web |date=September 15, 1965 |title=Newdick Played With Injury |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19650915.2.209?items_per_page=10&query=cedric+amm&snippet=true |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=Press}} In February 1965, he finished solo second at the South African Masters.{{cite news |date=8 February 1965 |title=Hutchinson's title |page=5 |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5mJAAAAAIBAJ&pg=3755%2C1225938 |access-date=5 March 2021 |via=Google News Archive}} In March, he played the Flame Lily golf tournament in Rhodesia. Amm finished regulation tied with Cobie Legrange and a sudden death playoff ensued. Amm holed a "tremendous" 40-foot putt on the first playoff hole to earn the championship.{{Cite news |date=March 15, 1965 |title=Le Grange loses play-off |language=en |pages=11 |website=Liverpool Daily Post |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/987045026/ |access-date=2023-12-20}} He was referred to as "one of South Africa's leading golfers" in the mid-1960s.{{Cite news |date=1964-09-11 |title=SOUTH AFRICAN GOLFER HERE |work=Victor Harbour Times |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article186343509 |access-date=2023-12-19}}
Over the course of the 1965-66 southern hemisphere summer, Amm had much success across the world. Early in the season, he played the New Zealand Golf Circuit again. In November, he played the Caltex Tournament at the par-73 Paraparaumu Beach Golf Links in Paraparaumu, New Zealand. In the second round he scored a "fantastic" 64, including two eagles, to break Gary Player's course record. "This 64 is my best championship round," he told reporters after the round.{{Cite web |date=November 27, 1965 |title=Amm Breaks His Boss's Record |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19651127.2.186?items_per_page=10&query=cedric+amm&snippet=true |access-date=2023-12-19 |website=Press}} He finished in joint second.{{Cite news |date=30 November 1965 |title=Third in Row for Thomson |page=22 |newspaper=The Age |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IH5VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3JYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3439%2C5132561}} The following week, at the Forest Products Tournament, Amm again recorded a runner-up finish, one back of Kel Nagle.{{Cite news |date=1965-12-06 |title=Kel Nagle wins |work=Canberra Times |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105876535 |access-date=2023-12-19}}{{Cite web |date=December 5, 1965 |title=Kel Nagle wins in N.Z. golf |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/122735262/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}} Later in the month, he recorded a solo third-place finish at the New Zealand Wills Masters.{{Cite news |date=1965-12-20 |title=Victorian wins NZ Wills Masters |work=Canberra Times |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105878903 |access-date=2023-12-19}} Shortly thereafter, he returned to South Africa. In February 1966, at the South African Masters, Amm "led throughout" and won easily, defeating Trevor Wilkes by four strokes.{{cite news |date=13 February 1966 |title=Third place to Jacklin |page=19 |newspaper=The Observer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-observer/133694479 |via=Newspapers.com}} During this era, he was sponsored by fellow South African Gary Player. He continued to work as an assistant pro at Mowbray.
Late in his career, Amm recorded a few highlights. In January 1967, Amm was in contention at the General Motors Open; he was in joint third at the midway point.{{Cite news |date=January 7, 1967 |title=Henning so close to bonus |language=en |website=The Guardian Journal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/881762324/ |access-date=2023-12-20}} Two months later, Amm opened with a 70 to tie for the lead at the Flame Lily Open golf tournament.{{Cite news |date=4 March 1967 |title=British golfer shares lead |language=en |pages=1 |website=Huddersfield Daily Examiner |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/941438569/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |via=Newspapers.com}} In January 1969, at the Western Province Open, he opened with a 65 (−6) to hold solo second place, three back of Brian Barnes.{{Cite news |date=30 January 1969 |title=Barnes Shoots Record 62 |language=en |pages=13 |website=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/829624042/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |via=Newspapers.com}} He shot a 72 the following day but moved closer the lead as Barnes struggled.{{Cite news |date=31 January 1969 |title=Barnes loses golf lead |language=en |pages=9 |website=Evening Post |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/876292384/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |via=Newspapers.com}}
Since leaving the golf industry, Amm has worked as a horse breeder.{{Cite web |title=Constantia Stud |url=https://b2bhint.com/en/company/za/constantia-stud--K2019284450 |access-date=2023-12-25 |website=CONSTANTIA STUD - K2019284450 - South Africa |language=en}} In 2013, his horse Pan Amm won a significant event in Kenilworth, South Africa.{{Cite web |last= |date=2013-01-19 |title=Flying First Class |url=https://www.sportingpost.co.za/listed-graham-beck-jamaica-handica/ |access-date=2023-12-25 |website=Sporting Post |language=en-ZA}}
Personal life
Professional wins (3)
= Rhodesian circuit wins (1) =
= Other wins (2) =
- 1964 Natal Open
- 1966 South African Masters
Results in major championships
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"
! Tournament !1965 |
| align="left" |The Open Championship
|CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
Note: Amm only played in The Open Championship.
Team appearances
- British Isles and Commonwealth v. the Rest of the World (representing the Rest of the World): 1966{{Cite web |date=September 22, 1966 |title=Rest of the World beaten: Dai Rees and Ross Newdick Clinch It |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/986734100/ |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=Liverpool Daily Post (Merseyside Edition) |language=en}}