John Benda Golf player
John Benda (born July 9, 1947) is an American professional golfer playing on the European Seniors Tour.Benda was born in Sheridan, Wyoming and currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona. His wife, Veronica, is a native of Chile, and they have no children.Benda turned professional in 1971. He twice played in the The Open Championship (1979 and 1980) with his best finish being two strokes behind the third round cut in 1980 at Muirfield, Scotland.In 2007, Benda enjoyed his best year competing on the European Seniors Tour. He was runner-up at the Sharp Italian Seniors Open in May, helped by his lowest ever senior round, a nine-under-par 63 in the second round, besting the course record set by Arnold Palmer, to collect his biggest prize: €15,000. A tied 13th finish at the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open gave the American his next best result of the campaign. Ended in 59th spot on the Order of Merit in 2006 and just like in 2005, he returned to the Qualifying School to secure a conditional card. Spent much of his career playing in Asia and went on to become an administrator on the Asian and South American Tours, before focusing on playing senior golf.