Australia’s greatest ‘career’ amateur golfer will forever be remembered for putting his kids before the coin.
He could have been anything had he turned pro.
That was the consensus shared by some of Australia’s greatest-ever players when asked about Tony Gresham, who passed away in January, aged 84, after a long illness.
Born and bred in Sydney’s north, you’ll do well to find a player in Australian golf with a better playing résumé or more remarkable tales attached to their name. “Gresh” was the stuff of legend – and for good reason.
The son of a tobacco distributor, Gresham would spend time working for his father but would quickly find his true calling on the golf course, ‘smoking’ the opposition from tee to green – many coveted tour pros among them.
His list of accomplishments is extraordinary. He captured the Australian Amateur title in 1977, was runner-up three times and claimed medallist honours on four occasions. Between 1968 and 1982, he dominated the New South Wales Vardon Trophy, winning 13 times in 15 years. And then there was his unparalleled success at Pennant Hills Golf Club – 25 club championships, eight senior club championships and a staggering 50 individual victories. Yet perhaps his most remarkable feats were defeating the pros to claim the 1975 NSW Open and 1978 South Australian Open.
“He was the best amateur golfer I ever played against,” 1972 Australian PGA champion Randall Vines once told Australian Golf Digest.
“You always had good amateurs come and go, but Tony was there for what seemed like centuries,” adds decorated pro Rodger Davis. “He kept representing Australia and winning. You’ve got to be a hell of a player to do that.”
Gresham played alongside some of the biggest names in golf, including Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Gary Player. In what was a career highlight, he caddied for Nicklaus during the Golden Bear’s 1971 NSW Open victory at Manly Golf Club – an experience that came full circle when Nicklaus sent a heartfelt video message for Gresham’s 80th birthday.
“You won a lot of tournaments and represented your country well,” Nicklaus said in the video. “You’ve had a great career, great fun and were a great friend to me.”
Gresham crafted a reputation for being damn-near unbeatable when he was ‘on’. When the situation called for a miracle shot, Gresh would stand over the ball and nail it with steady hands, which is more than can be said about some of his exploits at school.
“Dad somehow managed to attain a ‘B’ in woodwork in his leaving certificate, despite never knowing what the claw-end of a hammer was for,” jokes daughter Tori.
Indeed, it was a good thing Tony Gresham chose golf. But despite those steady hands and straight drives, there was to be no pro tour for Gresham. In October 1972, a succession of events proved to become a pivotal, career-altering moment for the father of two. Representing Australia in his third Eisenhauer Trophy campaign in Buenos Aires, Gresham had just beaten the legendary Ben Crenshaw for individual honours when the team was out celebrating. Upon returning to their hotel, a bomb exploded in the new Sheraton Hotel, killing multiple people. Gresham returned home shaken, and upon entering the house, daughter Tori, aged 4, burst into tears as she didn’t recognise him after being away for so long. It led Gresham to making a decision that would shape the course of his life – to prioritise his family over what would undoubtedly have been a lucrative career in the professional ranks.
“It was a choice that exemplifies the selflessness and devotion that would become the epitome of his character,” Tori adds. “When recounting this story, Dad, the ever-humble man, would suggest that his reasons for not turning pro were because, a) he didn’t think he was good enough, and b) he didn’t want our next meal to be reliant on him holing a six-foot putt. But we all knew he would’ve made that putt!”
Mike Clayton was one of the few to ever come out on the winning side of a match with Gresham, albeit taking 36 holes to do it in the 1978 Australian Amateur final. “Clayts” knows Aussie golf has lost its last true ‘career’ amateur.
“It’s unlikely we’ll see the likes of Gresham again,” Clayton wrote in his own tribute piece for golf.org.au. “His career in golf was hugely successful and for our generation coming behind, it was a proper measure of your progress if you could stay with him on the course.”
In later years, as health challenges mounted, Gresham faced them with the same quiet determination that defined his playing career. Dementia may have stolen the sharpness of his memory, but it never dimmed his kindness, his gentlemanly nature, or his enduring love for his family and friends. Even in his final days, he remained a man of dignity and grace – an ever-present reminder of the values that made him such a beloved figure in Australian golf.
