Natal Open

Last updated

Natal Open
Tournament information
Established1925
Tour(s) Southern African Tour
Format Stroke play
Month playedJanuary
Final year1975
Tournament record score
Aggregate277 Bobby Cole (Dec 1972)
Final champion
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg John Fourie

The Natal Open was a golf tournament in South Africa. It was organised by the Natal Golf Union and ran from 1925 through to 1975. In latter years it was included within the Southern African Tour's Order of Merit. During the mid-20th century, major champions Bobby Locke and Gary Player had much success, winning several times each. In the 1960s, the tournament received international media coverage as Sewsunker Sewgolum, a colored golfer, controversially was allowed to enter the event and won it twice. In the final years of the Natal Open, Bobby Cole dominated, winning four times apiece.

Contents

History

The early years of the tournament were dominated by the Brews brothers, Jock Brews and Sid Brews, who won the first four tournaments. In 1935, a young Bobby Locke won the Natal Open. He repeated the following year. Due to his amateur status, he also won he amateur division of the event too. [1] In the late 1950s, a young Gary Player had much success at the event. In 1958, Player won the event defeating runner-up Trevor Wilkes by five shots. Locke and Harold Henning finished a further shot back. [2] The following year, Player defeated Locke in a 36-hole playoff, 135-142. [3]

In the 1960s, the tournament was dominated by coverage of colored golfer Sewsunker Sewgolum. Sewgolum, recent back-to-back champion of the Dutch Open, had his application for entry into the 1961 event rejected. [4] [5] However, in 1963, Sewgolum was allowed to participate in the tournament. He won the event, defeating Denis Hutchinson and Bobby Verwey by a stroke. Sewgolum earned a 400 pound cheque and a silver trophy. He had to accept these prizes outside in the rain, however, due to the country's racial discrimination laws prohibiting non-whites from the clubhouse. [6] [7] Sewgolum's win and discriminatory victory celebration received international media attention, including from The New York Times . [8] He became the first non-white person "to win a sanctioned golf tournament in competition with whites" in South Africa. [9] Sewgolum also won the event two years later, defeating Gary Player and Harold Henning. Once again he had to accept his prizes outside of the clubhouse. [10] [11]

The later years of the tournament were dominated by Bobby Cole. In 1969, he defeated Peter Oosterhuis by a shot. [12] Cole repeated as champion. [13] The following year, Cole was tied for the third-round lead with Terry Westbrook. Cole shot a final round 69 but was overtaken by Westbrook's 68. He finished solo runner-up. [14] Cole, however, came back and won the following year, in December 1972. [15] Cole again repeated as champion a year and a half later. [16]

In December 1975, the Natal Open scheduled for the following year was cancelled. New owners of tournament sponsors, Vavasseur International, withdrew support for the event, and the Natal Golf Union were unable to find a replacement. [17]

Winners

YearWinnerScoreMargin of

victory

Runner(s)-upRef.
Natal Open
1925 Red Ensign of South Africa (1912-1951).svg Jock Brews
1926 Red Ensign of South Africa (1912-1951).svg Sid Brews
1927 Red Ensign of South Africa (1912-1951).svg Sid Brews (2)
1928No tournament
1929 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Sid Brews (3)
1930-34No tournament
1935 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Locke (a)
1936 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Locke (a) (2)1 stroke Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Sid Brews [1]
1937 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Sid Brews (4)
1938 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Otway Hayes (a)
1939 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Jock Verwey
1940-45No tournament due to World War II
1946 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Otway Hayes (2)
1947 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Eric Moore
1948 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Otway Hayes (3)
1949No tournament
1950 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg George Van Niekerk 299
1951 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Sandy Guthrie 279
1952 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Sandy Guthrie (2)291
1953 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Locke (3)
1954 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bruce Keyter (a)
1955 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Denis Hutchinson (a)
1956 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Harold Henning 289
1957 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bruce Keyter 286
1958 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Gary Player 2895 strokes Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Trevor Wilkes [2]
1959 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Gary Player (2)Playoff [lower-alpha 1] Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Locke [3]
1960 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Gary Player (3)282
1961 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Harold Henning 278Playoff [lower-alpha 2] Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Alan Brookes [18]
1962 Flag of Scotland.svg Stewart Davies 285 [19]
1963 (Jan) Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Sewsunker Sewgolum 2931 stroke Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Denis Hutchinson
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Verwey 		[20]
1963 (Dec) Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Cedric Amm 291Playoff [lower-alpha 3] Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Verwey [21] [22]
1965 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Sewsunker Sewgolum (2)2851 stroke Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Gary Player
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Harold Henning 		[10] [11]
1966 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Gary Player (4)2862 strokes Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Cobie Legrange [23] [24]
1967 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Cobie Legrange 2811 stroke Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Verwey [25]
1968 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Gary Player (5)2816 strokes Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Cobie Legrange [26]
1969 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Cole 2821 stroke Flag of England.svg Peter Oosterhuis [12]
1970 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Cole (2)2851 stoke Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Cobie Legrange [13]
1971 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Terry Westbrook 2831 stroke Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Cole [14] [27]
1972 (Jan) Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Tienie Britz 2821 stroke Flag of Rhodesia (1968-1979).svg Simon Hobday [16]
1972 (Dec) Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Cole (3)2771 stroke Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Dale Hayes [15] [16]
Vavasseur Natal Open
1974 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Cole (4)2841 stroke Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Tienie Britz [16]
1975 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg John Fourie 2811 stroke Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Hugh Baiocchi
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg David Wren 		[16]
1976 Cancelled [17]

Sources: [28] [29]

Notes

  1. ↑ Player defeated Locke 135-142 in a 36-hole playoff.
  2. ↑ Henning defeated Brookes 141-144 in a 36-hole playoff.
  3. ↑ Amm defeated Verwey in a 36-hole playoff.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Locke Defeats Brews". Cairns Post. 17 December 1936. p. 10.
  2. 1 2 "Gary Player wins Natal open golf". The Guardian Journal. 10 February 1958. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Gary Player wins in play-off". Liverpool Daily Post (Merseyside edition). 3 March 1959. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  4. ↑ "PGA asked to act on colour bar". The Guardian Journal. 15 February 1961. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  5. ↑ "Late Decision Over Golfer". The Age. 24 February 1961. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  6. ↑ "Coloured golf winner gets cup in rain". Evening Chronicle. 28 January 1963. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  7. ↑ "I'm Off To See How Good Emile Is". Daily Mirror. 2 February 1963. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  8. ↑ "Gary Player Ties for Second". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  9. ↑ Boyd, Denny (19 April 1967). "Denny Boyd". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  10. 1 2 "Sewgolum wins in Durban". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 1 February 1965. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  11. 1 2 "Indian Golfer Humbles Player". The Boston Globe. 1 February 1965. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  12. 1 2 "Cole wins by one". Western Daily Press. 20 January 1969. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  13. 1 2 "Cole Retains Golf Title". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  14. 1 2 "Oosterhuis top Briton in Natal". The Glasgow Herald . 25 January 1971. p. 13.
  15. 1 2 "Cole Just Holds Off Hayes". The Daily Telegraph. 11 December 1972. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 The Allied Book of South African Sport & Sports Records. SASBOR. 1988. pp. 1941–1943. ISBN   0620128828 – via Google Books.
  17. 1 2 McCormack, Mark H. (1977). The World of Professional Golf 1977. Collins. pp. 254–255. ISBN   0002168790.
  18. ↑ "Henning Wins Natal Open". The Press. New Zealand Press Association. 1 February 1961. p. 6. Retrieved 16 January 2024– via Papers Past.
  19. ↑ "Natal Golf Champion". Coventry Evening Telegraph. 12 February 1962. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  20. ↑ "Apartheid Forces Golf Champion To Wait in Rain". The Montreal Star. 28 January 1963. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  21. ↑ "Play-off in Natal Open". The Age. 31 December 1963. p. 14. Retrieved 20 December 2023– via Newspapers.com.
  22. ↑ Seitzinger, Jack (20 June 1964). "Puttin' Around". Pottsville Republican. p. 7. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  23. ↑ "Horton third". The Glasgow Herald. 7 February 1966. p. 15.
  24. ↑ "Natal Win to Player". Arizona Republic. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  25. ↑ "Barnes shares third place". The Glasgow Herald. 6 February 1967. p. 6.
  26. ↑ "Player win is record". Western Daily Press. 12 February 1968. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  27. ↑ "Bad putting foils Jacklin". Hull Daily Mail. 25 January 1971. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  28. ↑ Donaldson, K. C. (1949). The South African Sporting Encyclopaedia and Who's Who. Donaldson's. p. 50 – via Google Books.
  29. ↑ Scharff, Robert, ed. (1970). Golf Magazine's Encyclopedia of Golf. Harper & Row. p. 109. ISBN   978-0-06-011579-1 – via Google Books.
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