Eric Monti (December 6, 1917 – February 1, 2009) was an American

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

who played on the

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...

in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Monti was born in

Pekin, Illinois Pekin ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tazewell County in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located on the Illinois River, Pekin is the largest city of Tazewell County and the second most populous municipality of the Peoria metropolitan area ...

. He started caddying at age 6, and was one of six golfing brothers. He turned professional in 1943. He moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

with his wife in the mid-1940s, and began play on the PGA Tour in the late 1940s, winning three times. His best finish in a major championship was T6 at the 1961

U.S. Open U.S. Open or US Open are open championship sporting tournaments that are hosted in the United States and in which anyone, especially amateur and professional, or American and non-American, may compete. The term may also be applied to non-sporting ev ...

. Like most golfers of his generation, Monti earned his living primarily as a club pro. He initially worked at the Los Angeles Country Club before being hired as an assistant pro to

George Fazio George Fazio (November 12, 1912 – June 6, 1986) was an American professional golfer and a golf course architect. Life and career Fazio, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was a respected player in the mid-twentieth century and competed in sev ...

at Hillcrest Country Club. In 1955, he became head pro at Hillcrest and developed a reputation as the ''teacher to the stars''.

Henry Fonda Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor whose career spanned five decades on Broadway theatre, Broadway and in Hollywood. On screen and stage, he often portrayed characters who embodied an everyman image. Bo ...

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor. Initially known for playing tough characters with tender hearts, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-year caree ...

Danny Thomas Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz, (born January 6, 1912 – February 6, 1991) known professionally as Danny Thomas, was an American comedian, actor, singer, producer, and philanthropist. He created and starred in ''The Danny Thomas Show''. In additio ...

Dinah Shore Dinah Shore (born Frances Rose Shore; February 29, 1916 – February 24, 1994) was an American singer, actress, television personality, and the chart-topping female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during the ...

Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; ; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer, and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and rapid-fire novelty songs. Kaye starred ...

, and

Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky; February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success as a violinist on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with ...

were among the famous

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

celebrities he instructed. He worked at Hillcrest for 45 years before retiring in 1990. Monti died at his home in

Laguna Woods, California Laguna Woods (''Laguna'' being ) is a city in Orange County, California, United States. The population was 17,644 at the 2020 census, up from 16,192 at the 2010 census, with a median age of 74.5 (as of 2021). Laguna Woods became Orange Coun ...

of prostate cancer at the age of 91. His wife, Evelyn, died in 2006.

Professional wins (9)

PGA Tour wins (3)

PGA Tour playoff record (1–0)

Other wins (6)

*1952

Southern California PGA Championship The Southern California PGA Championship is a golf tournament that is the championship of the Southern California section of the PGA of America. The Southern California section was formed in 1924, and the tournament was first played that year. It ...

*1953

Northern California Open The Northern California Open is a golf tournament played in the Northern California, open to both amateur and professional golfers. It is run by the Northern California section of the PGA of America. It has been played annually since 1920 at a va ...

*1956

*1957

*1963

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Monti, Eric American male golfers PGA Tour golfers Golfers from Illinois Deaths from prostate cancer in California People from Pekin, Illinois Golfers from Los Angeles Sportspeople from Orange County, California 1917 births 2009 deaths 20th-century American sportsmen