Catherine Panton-Lewis
Encyclopedia
Catherine Rita Panton-Lewis (born 14 June 1955) is a Scottish
professional golf
er who was a founding member of the Ladies European Tour
and won its first Order of Merit. Her father was John Panton
, MBE, a professional golfer who played on three Ryder Cup
teams.
Panton was born in Bridge of Allan
, Scotland
. As an amateur, she won the British Ladies Amateur Championship in 1976, winning 1-up over Alison Sheard. Later that year, she was a member of the Great Britain & Ireland Espirito Santo Trophy
team. She was captain of the University of Edinburgh
golf team in 1976 and 1977, and was Scottish Universities Champion in 1977. She was named Scottish Sportswoman of the Year in 1976.
Panton-Lewis turned professional in 1978, the same year that the Women's Professional Golf Association was founded as a division of the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1979 she participated in the first season of the Women's Professional Golf Association's tour (later the Ladies European Tour
) and topped the tour's first Order of Merit. She went on to win 14 tournaments on the tour, and also played on the LPGA Tour in the mid-1980s. She played her last full season on the LET in 1995, and has played in some events on the Legends Tour
, including the inaugural Handa Cup
in 2006.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er who was a founding member of the Ladies European Tour
Ladies European Tour
The Ladies European Tour is a professional golf tour for women which was founded in 1979. It is based in England. Like many UK-based sports organisations it is a company limited by guarantee, a legal structure which enables it to focus on maximising returns to its members through prize money,...
and won its first Order of Merit. Her father was John Panton
John Panton
John Panton, MBE was a Scottish professional golfer, who represented Great Britain three times in the Ryder Cup.Panton was born in Pitlochry. He turned professional in 1935 and took up a job in the local golf club shop...
, MBE, a professional golfer who played on three Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
teams.
Panton was born in Bridge of Allan
Bridge of Allan
Bridge of Allan is a town in Stirling council area in Scotland, just north of the city of Stirling. It was formerly administered by Stirlingshire and Central Regional Council....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. As an amateur, she won the British Ladies Amateur Championship in 1976, winning 1-up over Alison Sheard. Later that year, she was a member of the Great Britain & Ireland Espirito Santo Trophy
Espirito Santo Trophy
The Espirito Santo Trophy is a biennial world amateur team golf championship for women organised by the International Golf Federation. The inaugural event was held in 1964 and recent tournaments have featured teams from around forty countries. It is a strokeplay event, in which the best two...
team. She was captain of the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
golf team in 1976 and 1977, and was Scottish Universities Champion in 1977. She was named Scottish Sportswoman of the Year in 1976.
Panton-Lewis turned professional in 1978, the same year that the Women's Professional Golf Association was founded as a division of the PGA of Great Britain and Ireland. In 1979 she participated in the first season of the Women's Professional Golf Association's tour (later the Ladies European Tour
Ladies European Tour
The Ladies European Tour is a professional golf tour for women which was founded in 1979. It is based in England. Like many UK-based sports organisations it is a company limited by guarantee, a legal structure which enables it to focus on maximising returns to its members through prize money,...
) and topped the tour's first Order of Merit. She went on to win 14 tournaments on the tour, and also played on the LPGA Tour in the mid-1980s. She played her last full season on the LET in 1995, and has played in some events on the Legends Tour
Legends Tour
The Legends Tour, formerly known as the Women's Senior Golf Tour before the 2006 season, is a professional golf tour for women aged 45 and older. It is based in the United States, and is an offshoot of the main U.S. based women's tour, the LPGA Tour...
, including the inaugural Handa Cup
Handa Cup
The Handa Cup is a series of senior women's golf matches between a United States team and an World Team drawn from players from the rest of the world. It was founded in 2006 and is an event on the LPGA Legends Tour.The scoring system of the event is match play...
in 2006.
Ladies European Tour wins (14)
- 1979 (2) Carlsberg (Willingdon), State Express Tournament
- 1980 (1) Elizabeth Ann Classic
- 1981 (2) Carlsberg European Championship (Queens Park), Carlsberg European Championship (Moortown)
- 1982 (1) Moben Kitchens Classic
- 1983 (3) Irish Ladies' Open, UBM Northern Classic, Dunham Forest Pro-Am Tournament
- 1985 (2) McEwans Wirral Caldy Classic, Delsjo Open
- 1986 (1) Portuguese Ladies' Open
- 1987 (1) Portuguese Ladies' Open
- 1988 (1) Bowring Ladies Scottish Open