Bob Benning photograph

Robert Michael Benning graduated from Purdue in 1954. Per the 1954 Debris, while a student at Purdue, Benning was a member of Phi Gamma Delta, Gimlet Cub (President), “P” Men’s Club, Senior Cord Cabinet, Skull and Crescent, and Varsity Golf, and Co-Captain of the 1953 – 1954 golf squad. Benning won the Big 10 golf championship in 1954.

During his military service, he won the All-Marine championship. As a professional golfer, he took part in two U.S. Opens and two PGA championships. During his professional golf career, Benning competed with many of the world’s top professionals on the PGA Tour, the Latin American Tour and the South African Tour.

Benning was Head Professional at Plainfield, New Jersey Country Club for nine years before moving to Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, MD where he served as the Head Professional for 11 years. He later became Director of Golf at Stoneleigh Golf Club in Round Hill, VA, where he later started his own golf school.

Throughout his career Benning worked with ABC-TV golf telecasts, assisting Chris Schenkel, Jim McKay and Byron Nelson in their descriptions of major golf championships throughout the U.S. He also worked with Mutual Radio Network as an on-course reporter for major championships in the U.S. and Great Britain. Benning has also been recognized by Golf Digest as one of the “top golf instructors in Virginia.”