North Coast Open

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The North Coast Open was a professional golf tournament in Australia from 1951 to 1975. [1]

Contents

History

It was always held at Coffs Harbour Golf Club in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales. [1] [2] It was a PGA Tour of Australia event from 1973 to 1975. [1]

The name "North Coast Open" was not used until the 1953 championship, the first two events being referred to as Coffs Harbour Golf Club £200 Professional Purse. [3] Initially the event was played over 36 holes, increasing to 54 holes in 1959, and 72 holes in 1962.

The 1974 event was the largest with 188 players; 119 professionals and 69 amateurs. It also had its highest hitherto purse at $A8,000. [4]

Winners

YearWinnerCountryScoreTo parMargin
of victory
Runner(s)-upRef
North Coast Open
1975 Vaughan Somers Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 279−92 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Noel Ratcliffe [5]
1974 Allan Cooper Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 278−105 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rob McNaughton [6]
1973 Stewart Ginn Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 279−95 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tom Linskey [7]
1972 Terry Kendall Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 282−61 stroke Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill Dunk [8]
1971 Bill Dunk (4)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 269−1910 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Randall Vines [9]
1970 Bill Dunk (3)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 212−45 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Harvey
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Randall Vines
[10]
1969 Tony Mangan Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 291+33 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg David Graham [11]
1968 Vic Bennetts Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 283−52 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Les Wilson [12]
1967 Bill Dunk (2)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 288E5 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Swinbourne [13]
1966 Bill Dunk Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 276−121 stroke Flag of Australia (converted).svg Col Johnston [14]
1965 Norman Von Nida Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 284−2Playoff Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jack Donald [15]
1964 Ron Howell Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 278−101 stroke Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill Dunk [16]
1963 Alan Murray Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 278−104 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Col Johnston [17]
1962 Frank Phillips (2)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 272−168 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Stan Peach [18]
1961 Len Woodward Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 211−52 strokes Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Stan Leonard [19]
North Coast Open Championship and Ampol Purse
1960 Frank Phillips Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 211−51 stroke Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Thomson [20]
1959 John Sullivan Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 212+21 stroke Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank Phillips
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Les Wilson
[21]
1958 Bruce Crampton Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 138−22 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Eric Cremin
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank Phillips
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Darrell Welch
[22]
1957 Gary Player (2)Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa 135−51 stroke Flag of Australia (converted).svg Eric Cremin [23]
1956 Gary Player Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa 136−4Playoff Flag of Australia (converted).svg Norm Berwick [24]
North Coast Open Championship
1955 Kel Nagle (4)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 1386 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Eric Cremin
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim McInnes
[25]
1954 Kel Nagle (3)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 1364 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Frank Phillips [26] [27]
1953 Allan Myers Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 1351 stroke Flag of Australia (converted).svg Eric Cremin [3]
Coffs Harbour Professional Purse
1952 Kel Nagle (2)Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 1411 stroke Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim McInnes [28]
1951 Kel Nagle Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 1345 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Eric Cremin [29] [30]

The 1970 event was reduced to 54 holes by bad weather. In 1956 Player beat Berwick in a playoff for the championship but they were tied when determining the prize money.

Source: [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 2006 Media Guide. PGA Tour of Australasia. p. 168.
  2. "North Coast Championship for Coffs Harbour". Coffs Harbour Advocate. 16 January 1953. p. 10 via Trove.
  3. 1 2 "North Coast Open Golf Championship Won by Young Bexley Professional". Coffs Harbour Advocate. New South Wales, Australia. 22 September 1953. p. 1. Retrieved 11 February 2020 via Trove.
  4. "Open Field a Record". Bananacoast Opinion. Coffs Harbour, NSW. 3 October 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  5. "Somers' 69 settles it". The Sydney Morning Herald . 13 October 1975. p. 16.
  6. "Golf 'old head' in youth's fling". The Sydney Morning Herald . 7 October 1974. p. 22.
  7. "Ginn charges past a 'shaky' Godfrey". The Sydney Morning Herald . 8 October 1973. p. 14.
  8. "Kendall's coast golf 66 beats Dunk". The Sydney Morning Herald . 9 October 1972. p. 22.
  9. "Dunk 'hot' in 19 under Open win". The Sydney Morning Herald . 11 October 1971. p. 16.
  10. "Dunks 51st record". The Age . 23 November 1970. p. 25.
  11. "Mangan pulls off 100-1 Open". The Sydney Morning Herald . 24 November 1969. p. 13.
  12. "Bennetts gets golf title but no prize money". The Sydney Morning Herald . 25 November 1968. p. 12.
  13. "Dunk coasts to easy triumph". The Sydney Morning Herald . 20 November 1967. p. 14.
  14. "Dunk pressed but wins by stroke". The Sydney Morning Herald . 21 November 1966. p. 14.
  15. "Open golf win to von Nida". The Sydney Morning Herald . 22 November 1965. p. 14.
  16. "N. Coast Open to Howell". The Sydney Morning Herald . 19 October 1964. p. 16.
  17. "Murray by 4 strokes". The Sydney Morning Herald . 14 October 1963. p. 19.
  18. "Brilliant Golf by Phillips". The Sydney Morning Herald . 26 November 1962. p. 20.
  19. "Woodward by Two Strokes". The Age . 6 November 1961. p. 17.
  20. "Phillips wins golf purse". The Sydney Morning Herald . 7 November 1960. p. 20.
  21. "Sullivan wins golf open and purse". The Sydney Morning Herald . 19 October 1959. p. 12.
  22. "£1,000 purse to Bruce Crampton". The Sydney Morning Herald . 13 October 1958. p. 12.
  23. "Close Golf Victory to Player". The Sydney Morning Herald . 14 October 1957. p. 14.
  24. "Player, Berwick Share Purse". The Sydney Morning Herald . 8 October 1956. p. 13.
  25. "Six-stroke Win to Kel Nagle". The Sydney Morning Herald . 26 September 1955. p. 12.
  26. "Third North Coast Open Title To Nagle". Daily Examiner . New South Wales, Australia. 27 September 1954. p. 7. Retrieved 11 February 2020 via Trove.
  27. "Purse To Kel Nagle". The Sydney Morning Herald . 27 September 1954. p. 9.
  28. "Kel Nagle Wins At Coffs Harbour". Daily Examiner . New South Wales, Australia. 6 October 1952. p. 3. Retrieved 11 February 2020 via Trove.
  29. "Jubilee Purse to Kel Nagle". Daily Examiner . New South Wales, Australia. 17 September 1951. p. 5. Retrieved 11 February 2020 via Trove.
  30. "Nagle Too Strong". The Sydney Morning Herald . 17 September 1951. p. 7.