Charles Hezlet


Charles Owen Hezlet was an Irish amateur golfer and part-time soldier. He was runner-up in the 1914 Amateur Championship and was in the British Walker Cup team in 1924, 1926 and 1928.

Military career

Hezlet was commissioned into the part-time Antrim Royal Garrison Artillery in 1911, served during World War I and won a DSO while commanding a siege battery in 1918. He ended the war with the rank of Major. He was re-commissioned on the outbreak of World War II and on 1 December 1940 he took command of the newly-formed 66th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, at Belfast. Shortly afterwards he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and commanded the regiment during the Belfast Blitz, He remained in command until May 1942, after the regiment had crossed to Kent to train for active service overseas.

Golf career

In 1914 he was runner-up in the Amateur Championship, losing 3&2 to James Jenkins. He was also runner-up in the 1923 and 1925 Irish Amateur Open Championship and the 1923 Welsh Open Amateur Championship. He won the Irish Amateur Open Championship in 1926 and 1929 and was in the Walker Cup team in 1924, 1926 and 1928. He was also a member of a team of four amateurs that played in South Africa in 1927/28.

Amateur wins

Note: Hezlet only played in the Open Championship.
CUT = missed the half-way cut

Team appearances

Amateur
Hezlet had three sisters who were also well-known amateur golfers: May, Violet and Florence. Hezlet married Annie Maitland Stuart in 1920. She died of pneumonia in Cannes, France in 1931 aged 30.