James West (golfer)

{{Infobox golfer

| name = James West

| image =

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| fullname = James Eli West

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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1885|7|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Petersham, Surrey

| death_date = September 1968 (aged 83)

| death_place = Lexington, Massachusetts

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| nationality = {{ENG}}

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| status = Professional

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| masters = DNP

| usopen = T18: 1919

| open = DNP

| pga = T9: 1919

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James Eli West (20 July 1885 – September 1968)[https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KXYM-SG3 Family search][https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VSX1-3NG Family search] was an English professional golfer. He emigrated to the United States in 1916 and spent the rest of his life there. His best year in major championships was 1919 where he tied for 18th place in the U.S. Open and reached the quarter-finals of the PGA Championship.

Professional career

Beginning as an apprentice club maker at an early age, West later became a greenkeeper at Mid-Surrey Golf Club under head greenkeeper Peter Lees and learnt his golf from the professional there, J. H. Taylor.{{cite web |url=https://www.antiquegolfscotland.com/antiquegolf/maker.php3?makerid=940 |title=J West |publisher=Antique Golf Clubs from Scotland |accessdate=22 May 2019}} He was the professional at Hamburg Golf Club for some time before being appointed to succeed Sam Whiting at Criccieth Golf Club in north Wales in late 1910.{{cite web |url=https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3880598/3880607 |title=Criccieth Golf Club |newspaper=The Welsh Coast Pioneer and Review for North Cambria |date=24 November 1910}} This appointment was very short-lived since Bertie Snowball became the professional there in early 1911.{{cite news |newspaper=The Times |date=20 March 1911 |page=14 |title=Professional appointments}}{{cite web |url=https://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php/wales-64/1839-wales-criccieth-golf-club |title=Criccieth Golf Club, Gwynedd. (1905 - 2017) |publisher=Golfsmissinglinks.co.uk |accessdate=22 May 2019}} West returned to Germany and from Bremen won the 1911 German Professional Championship at Leipzig. In 1912 West became the professional at the newly opened Harrow Golf Club where he stayed until 1916.{{cite web |url=https://www.golfsmissinglinks.co.uk/index.php/england/south-east/london/772-gl-harrow-golf-club |title=Harrow Golf Club, Greater London. (1892 - 1930s) |publisher=Golfsmissinglinks.co.uk |accessdate=22 May 2019}}

Recruited by Spalding to represent sales of their clubs on Long Island,{{citation needed|date=December 2019}} West emigrated to the United States in early 1916 and soon became the professional at Rockaway Hunting Club on Long Island. He had had little success in the tournaments he had played in before World War I but, playing in the Metropolitan Open in July, he had a top-10 finish.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/332101710/?terms=%22james%2Bwest%22 |title=Tie for Golf Title |work=Evening star (Washington) |page=8 |date=July 15, 1916 |via=newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |df=dmy-all}} West was an early member of the PGA of America and played in the Metropolitan section qualifying for the 1916 PGA Championship. He scored 153, tying for the lead with Willie Macfarlane.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/469245452/?terms=macfarlane%2Bwest |title=Golf Favorites Lose in Battle Marred by Storm |work=New York Tribune |page=15 |date=September 30, 1916 |via=newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |df=dmy-all}} In the final stage he lost in the first round to Mike Brady.{{cite news |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1916/10/11/119032644.pdf |title=Pro Golfers Meet In Title Matches |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, New York |date=October 11, 1916 |accessdate=March 20, 2011 |df=dmy-all}}

West's best year in major championships was 1919. He tied for 18th place in the U.S. Open and reached the quarter-finals of the PGA Championship before losing 9 & 7 to George McLean.{{cite news |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1919/09/19/96336351.pdf |title=Emmet French Put Out Of Running For Pro Golfers Association Title By Jim Barnes |newspaper=The New York Times |location=New York, New York |date=September 19, 1919 |df=dmy-all}}

West won the Long Island Professional Championship in 1921 by 7 strokes, the only time it was held.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/20351248/?terms=rockaway |title=Long Island Golf Honors to Lost |work=The New York Times |page=15 |date=October 19, 1921 |via=newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |df=dmy-all}} The following year saw the start of the Long Island Open. West led after the first day but faded and the event was won by Willie Klein.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/20516187/?terms=%22long%2Bisland%22%2Bopen |title=West is Leader in Long Island Open |work=The New York Times |page=22 |date=August 9, 1922 |via=newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |df=dmy-all}}

His ability as an instructor won accolades. West's pupils included the Duke of Windsor, Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen. The Hunt Club limited West's time at tournaments although in off-season he was lead instructor at a rooftop facility at the University Club in Manhattan and later as the professional at a private resort founded by Hunt Club members on Cat Cay island in the Bahamas.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}