Editor's Note: We noted the death last week of John Panton with an obituary which really did not reflect his importance in Scottish and British pro golf in the post-war era.
In today's "Scotland on Sunday" newspaper there is a far more in-depth obituary by Renton Laidlaw. I am sure neither its sports editor nor Renton will mind us reproducing the article for your benefit - Colin Farquharson

John Panton - the Quiet

Man who was one of

golf's true gentlemen

By RENTON LAIDLAW
John Panton, who died last Friday at the age 0f 92, was one of golf's true gentlemen. Modest and unassuming, his quiet personality and unwillingness to seek the limelight belied a fiercely competitive nature.
The long-time professional at Glenbvervie Golf club in Larbert, Panton received the ultimate accolade of being appointed honorary professional in his later years to the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.
One of his annual duties was to tee up the ball on the first tee of the Old Course for the new captain playing himself in - a job he did for, among others, the Duke of York.
Had it not been for the Second World War, Panton's career might have been in profesisonal soccer. He had trials for Hearts and uring his army service played against many of the stars of the time in challenge matches.
But golf was to be his chosen sport and he teamed up regularly with extrovert Eric Brown to represent Scotland with distinction in the World Cup. Although they never won, the unlikely partnership beteen two players with completly different personalities endured for many years.
Had any golfer been fortunate enough to have the combined talents of the two Scots, he truly would have been a world-beater.
Known as a particularly skilled iron player, one of Panton's greatest triumphs came in the sunshine at Wallasey. Before a huge crowd, John beat the great Sam Snead 3 and 2 over 36 holes to lift the 1967 World Seniors Championship. He also won the British senior professionals' title twice.
Three times a member of the Great Britain & Ireland Ryder Cup team (1951-53-61), Panton was also Scottish professional champion eight times as follows:
1948 at Prestwick.
1949 at Nairn.
1950 at Longniddry.
1951 at Ayr Belleisle.
1954 at Turnberry.
1955 at Elie.
1959 at Turnberry.
1966 at Cruden Bay (tied with Eric Brown, reduced to 36 holes because of bad weather.
He also won the Northern Open seven times:
1948 at Inverness.
1951 at Nairn
1952 at Royal Aberdeen.
1956 at Lossiemouth.
1959 at Peterhead.
1960 at Royal Dornoch.
1962 at Lossiemouth.
In the final round of the 1970 Open championship at St Andrews, Panton, at the age of 53, shot the lowest score of a blustery day and tied for ninth place behind Jack Nicklaus. His cheque for £1,200 from the R&A for that performance was the biggest of his long playing career. He was also the highest placed British player i the 1956 Open.
Panton's career blossomed in the years after World War II, a period when he played with all the great names of the game, including Bobby Locke, Norman Von Nida, Flory Van Donck, Fred Daly, Peter Thomson, Henry Cotton, Kel Nagle and Gary Player.
In his retirement years, because of his reputation and standing in the game, the Sunningdale Club in Berkshire gave John the freedom to come and play at any time, a gesture he much appreciated although it usually meant taking a putter on to the practice green.
Like so many of his contemporaries, Panton travelled many thousands of miles to play in tournaments - before the days of Motorways - but was alway back at the club by the weekend (pro tournaments of those days, including the Open, finished on a Friday for that very purpose).
Wherever he travelled, John always took his cine-camera and he leaves an archive of wonderfully historic shots, many converted to tape by his daughter, Cathy Panton-Lewis, herself a professional golfer of some repute, with whom he lived latterly in the South of England, not too far from the local betting shop. He liked a flutter.
For much of his life - in the days before television, Panton spent many winter evenings visiting golf and other clubs with his films and giving entertaining and educational commentaries. John, the Quiet Man, came alive when the lights went down.
Footnote from the Shell International Encyclopaedia of Golf:
The strengths of Panton's game were his masterly long-iron shots and the touch he acquired and maintained in his approach putting. But his driving was erratic and his holing out uncertain, the two flaws in an otherwise complete armoury of stroke-making, in which his ability to 'manufacture' shots, particularly in very windy conditions, was outstanding.
Perhaps above all Panton had a swing and a method that were made to last, despite the fact that in physique he was never less than portly. Taciturn by nature, Panton let his game speak for him and its qualiities of endurance were underline with his successes in seniors' golf.