Frances Stephens (golfer)
English golfer

Frances "Bunty"[1] Stephens (married name Frances Stephens Smith or Frances Smith Stephens; 26 July 1924[2] – 23 July 1978[3][dead link][non-primary source needed][4][dead link]) was an English amateur golfer.

Early life

In 1924, Stephens was born in Lancashire. Her father Fred was club professional at Bootie Golf Club.[1] She faced discrimination from golf administrators because of his working class occupation.[5]

Golf career

During the 1940s and 1950s, she was, according to The Bolton News, "Britain's No. 1 woman golfer."[6] In 1948, she won the English Women's Amateur Championship. She was also victorious in 1954 and 1955. In 1959, she finished runner-up. She also won the British Ladies Amateur in 1949 and 1954 and earned runner-up honors in 1951 and 1952. Her home club was Royal Birkdale.[7]

She played in all six Curtis Cups from 1950 to 1960, and was non-playing captain of the Great Britain and Ireland team in 1962 and 1972.[8] Her final-hole victories over Polly Riley in the 1956 and 1958 tournaments secured a win and a draw, respectively, for the British and Irish team, the first time it retained the cup.[1] According to Sports Illustrated, in the United States she was "hardly known."[1] She did manage to tie for 6th place at the 1949 U.S. Women's Open though. She was also a non-playing captain of the British team in the Vagliano Trophy.[4]

Legendary golf writer Herbert Warren Wind referred to her a "slight, quiet, entirely undramatic girl" and an outstanding clutch player.[1] English golfer Enid Wilson wrote she had "a very frail physique but ... the temperament of a tigress."[9] Her swing had a pronounced hiatus at the top,[1][10] which Wind called "most unimpressive,"[1] although Henry Cotton said she had "one of the prettiest swings in the game."[11]

In the 1960s, Stephens curtailed her playing career to raise her daughter but subsequently was active in golf administration and developing junior golf.[4]

Personal life

In 1955, she married Roy Smith, a Scottish Airlines pilot. In 1957, he died in a plane crash in Libya.[1][4][12] They had one daughter.[1]

In 1978, she died from cancer.[4]

Amateur wins

Awards and honours

She was made OBE for "services to Ladies Golf" at the 1977 New Year Honours.[13]

Team appearances

  • Curtis Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1950, 1952 (winners), 1954, 1956 (winners), 1958 (tied), 1960, 1962 (non-playing captain), 1972 (non-playing captain)
  • Vagliano Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1947 (winners), 1948 (winners), 1949 (winners), 1953 (winners), 1955 (winners), 1959 (winners), 1971 (non-playing captain, winners)
  • Commonwealth Trophy (representing Great Britain): 1959 (winners), 1963 (winners)

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Les girls: life under pressure". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Archived from the original on 28 April 2025. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
  2. ^ "Stephens [married name Smith], Frances [Bunty]". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/31696. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
  3. ^ "Probate 1978". gov.uk. p. 7549. Retrieved 12 February 2018. Smith, Frances of 49A Lulworth Road Birkdale Southport died 23 July 1978 Probate Liverpool 3 November £65485
  4. ^ a b c d e "Frances "Bunty" Smith" (PDF). Lancashire Ladies County Golf Association. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  5. ^ De Albuquerque E Castro Amaro Dos Santos Reis De Figueiredo, Helena Maria (2013). Gender Asymmetries In Golf Participation: Tradition Or Discrimination? (PDF) (PhD). University of Algarve. p. 94. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  6. ^ "May 31, 1958, page 4 - The Bolton News at Newspapers.com™". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 16 December 2025.
  7. ^ Corlett, W. H. (April 1954). "Birkdale Rated Stiffest Course for British Open" (PDF). Golfdom: 60–61. Retrieved 12 February 2018. Not only is the Course a Championship Course but the Club is a Club of Champions — for among its members are Ronnie White ... and Frances (Bunty) Stephens who is acknowledged to be Britain's leading lady
  8. ^ "Previous Matches". Official Website Of The 2008 Curtis Cup Match. United States Golf Association. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  9. ^ Glenn, Rhonda (1991). The Illustrated History of Women's Golf. Taylor Publishing Company. p. 91. ISBN 9780878337439.
  10. ^ "Young boy who definitely has right name to go far". HeraldScotland. 14 July 1999. Retrieved 12 February 2018. Macdonald Smith, Cary Middlecoff, Bunty Stephens and England's Gordon Brand, to name but four, all had a pronounced hiatus.
  11. ^ Cotton, Henry (1948). This Game of Golf. Country Life. p. 85.
  12. ^ "ASN Aircraft accident Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer 1 G-AOEO Fezzan". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  13. ^ "Order of the British Empire (Civil Division); OBE". The London Gazette (Supplement to 47102): 9–12 : 12. 31 December 1976.
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