Benjamin Sandipher Smith (March 16, 1921 – July 21, 2009) was an American golfer. Smith was born in

Fort Myers, Florida Fort Myers (or Ft. Myers) is a city in and the county seat of Lee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 86,395; it was estimated to have grown to 95,949 in 2022, making it the List o ...

. In 1938 and 1939 he won the Florida State High School Championship, and was offered a golf scholarship to go to

Tulane University The Tulane University of Louisiana (commonly referred to as Tulane University) is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by a cohort of medical doctors, it b ...

, but by chance he met Thomas Trueblood, the golf coach at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and he invited Smith to come to University of Michigan and live as his houseboy. He moved to Ann Arbor in 1939, and in his four years at the University of Michigan he finished 3rd, 2nd, and 1st in the Big Ten Championship. In 1950, he won the Michigan Amateur at Gull Lake. He also won the GAM Championship five times and qualified for six USGA Championships. In 1943, Smith was the president of the National Intercollegiate Golf Association and worked with

Chick Evans Charles E. "Chick" Evans Jr. (July 18, 1890 – November 6, 1979) was a prominent American amateur golfer of the 1910s and 1920s. Evans, who won the 1910 Western Open, became the first amateur to win both the U.S. Open (golf), U.S. Open and U. ...

in his caddy scholarship program. After he graduated from Michigan, Smith served three and a half years in the US Navy, and then returned to Detroit. He joined Fife Electric Supply Company in 1946 and became the owner in 1973. He was also the president of the National Association of Electrical Distributors in 1975–1976. In 1985, Ben was inducted into the

University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor The University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor, founded in 1978, recognizes University of Michigan#Athletics, University of Michigan sportsperson, athletes, Coach (sports), coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to t ...

. In 1990, he was inducted into the Michigan Golf Hall of Fame. Finally, In 1995, he was inducted into the inaugural Fort Myers High School Green Wave Golf Hall of Fame. On July 21, 2009, Smith died at the age of 88 in the Naples Community Hospital in

Naples, Florida Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 19,115, down from 19,539 at the 2010 census. Naples is a principal city of the Collier County, Florida, Naples–Marc ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Ben American male golfers Amateur golfers Michigan Wolverines men's golfers Golfers from Florida Golfers from Michigan Sportspeople from Fort Myers, Florida 1921 births 2009 deaths 20th-century American sportsmen