Northern Professional Championship

Last updated

Northern Professional Championship
Tournament information
Location Northern England
Established1920

The Northern Professional Championship was a professional golf tournament played in Northern England. The event was generally a regional tournament but between 1923 and 1927 and in 1936 it was an open event with significant prize money.

Contents

The event was started in 1920 by the Northern section of the PGA with entry restricted to members of that section. In 1923 the Championship became a national event; the Championship being extended to 72 holes with £350 in prize money under the sponsorship of the Manchester Daily Dispatch. [1] In 1925 the prize money was increased to £1000 with £350 for the winner. [2] In early 1928 the Daily Dispatch withdrew their support for the championship which had been planned for Birkdale in July. [3] The tournament did take place but it reverted to an event for the professionals in the Northern section of the PGA. In 1936 the event again became an open tournament called the Morecambe-Penfold Northern Open Championship with prize money of £750. [4] However, this sponsorship only lasted for one event and the championship again became a closed tournament.

History

The first Championship was held in 1920 at the Manchester Golf Club, Hopwood Park. It was a 36-hole medal event and was won by Thomas Renouf after a playoff. [5] The winner received the "Manchester Guardian Cup" and the total prize money was £40. [6] The second event was held at Alwoodley Golf Club, Leeds and was won by Arthur Havers, again after a playoff. [7] In 1922 Havers retained the Championship at Blackpool. [8] [9]

The 1928 Championship was held at Birkdale Golf Club and was won by Bill Large, Sr. [10] Thomas Renouf, 1920 champion, regained the title in 1929 at Pleasington Golf Club, Blackburn. [11] the 1930 event was held at Brancepeth Castle Golf Club, Durham and was won by local professional Charles Gadd, brother of George, the 1924 and 1926 champion. [12] The event returned to Lytham in 1931 and was won by Bill Davies, a runner-up in 1926 and 1927. [13] Philip Rodgers won in 1932 at Furness Golf Club [14] while Cyril Fryer won in 1933 at Fleetwood Golf Club. [15] Dick Burton won in 1934, played again at Fleetwood Golf Club [16] while Bill Davies, 1931 winner, regained the title in 1935 at Moortown Golf Club. [17]

In 1936 the Championship was an open event called the Morecambe-Penfold Northern Open Championship. It was played at Heysham Golf Club from 9–11 September with prize money of £750. The Times reported that "much of the old prestige has returned to the Northern Professional Championship, which has been thrown open, as in the days when famous players were among the winners". [18] There were 18 holes on the first two days after which the leading 60 played 36 holes on the final day. After the first day Tom Pierpoint led after a 68 with Ted Jarman a stroke behind. [18] After two rounds Jarman led on 139 with four players on 142. Pierpoint faded after a 77. On the final day Jarman scored 74 and 79 to drop well down the leaderboard. Percy Alliss scored 68 and a course record 67 to win by 5 shots from Henry Cotton with Paddy Mahon a further shot behind. [19]

Percy Alliss retained the title in 1937 at Mere Golf and Country Club in Cheshire. The event was held in conjunction with the Leeds Cup, the winner of which was based on the first 36 holes. [20] The Championship was not contested in 1938 and 1939 but was contested again in 1946 using the same format as in 1937. Norman Sutton won the championship, having won the Leeds Cup the previous day. [21] [22] [23] In 1947 the Championship was reduced to 36 holes and was combined with the Leeds Cup. [24] Eric Green beat Frank Jowle after a 36-hole playoff. [25] [26] In 1948 the events were again separated with the Leeds Cup being used for the qualifying for the Daily Mail Tournament, the Northern Professional Championship remaining as a 36-hole event for the News of the World Matchplay qualifying. It was held at North Manchester, Alf Perry winning by 8 strokes. [27] The same system was used in 1949. Norman Quigley won the event, played at Fulford. [28] In 1950 at Stand, John Fallon won after beating John Burton in a playoff. [29]

Winners

This table only gives details from 1923 to 1927 and in 1936 when the Championship was an open event.

YearWinnerCountryVenueScoreMargin
of victory
Runner(s)-upWinner's
share (£)
Ref
Daily Dispatch Northern Professional Championship
1923 Gene Sarazen Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Lytham & St Annes Golf Club 2902 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Walter Hagen 100 [30]
1924 George Gadd Flag of England.svg  England Wilmslow Golf Club 2873 strokes Flag of England.svg Frank Ball
Flag of England.svg Albert Hallam
100 [31]
1925 Abe Mitchell Flag of England.svg  England Lytham & St Annes Golf Club 3052 strokes Flag of England.svg Tom Walton 350 [32]
1926 George Gadd Flag of England.svg  England Formby Golf Club 2963 strokes Flag of England.svg Bill Davies
Flag of the United States.svg Bill Mehlhorn
Flag of England.svg Ernest Whitcombe
350 [33]
1927 Charles Whitcombe Flag of England.svg  England Blackpool Golf Club 2806 strokes Flag of England.svg Bill Davies 350 [34]
Morecambe-Penfold Northern Open Championship
1936 Percy Alliss Flag of England.svg  England Heysham Golf Club 2775 strokes Flag of England.svg Henry Cotton [19]

Related Research Articles

Peter Alliss was an English professional golfer, television presenter, commentator, author and golf course designer. Following the death of Henry Longhurst in 1978, he was regarded by many as the "Voice of golf". In 2012 he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in the Lifetime Achievement category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scottish Open (golf)</span> Golf tournament

The Genesis Scottish Open is a professional golf tournament in Scotland, and is one of five tournaments that are part of the Rolex Series, which identifies it as one of the European Tour's premier events. It has been played on various courses, but in recent years it has been played on a links course, appealing to players who wish to gain experience before the Open, which takes place in the following week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Faulkner</span> English professional golfer

Herbert Gustavus Max Faulkner, OBE was an English professional golfer who won the Open Championship in 1951.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Daly (golfer)</span> Northern Irish professional golfer (1911–1990)

Frederick J. Daly, MBE was a Northern Irish professional golfer, best known for winning The Open Championship in 1947 at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake. Born in Portrush, County Antrim, he was the first Irishman from either side of the border to win the Open and the first to play in the Ryder Cup. He remained the only Irish winner of the Open until Pádraig Harrington won it in 2007 and the only Northern Irish major winner until Graeme McDowell won the U.S. Open in 2010.

The Irish Open, currently titled as the Amgen Irish Open for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tournament on the European Tour.

The German Open was a men's golf tournament. It was first staged in 1911 when the winner was Harry Vardon. The following year the champion was another of the Great Triumvirate of late 19th and early 20th century British golfers, John Henry Taylor. The tournament was then not played again for over a decade. It was played each year from 1926 to 1939; Percy Alliss won five times in this era, Auguste Boyer four times and Henry Cotton three.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Percy Alliss</span> English professional golfer

Percy Alliss was one of the leading English professional golfers in the 1920s and 1930s, winning many tournaments in Britain and Continental Europe. He was also the father of commentator and former golfer Peter Alliss.

Norman Vico Drew was a Northern Irish professional golfer. He had a successful amateur career, winning a number of Irish championships and playing in the 1953 Walker Cup. In the 1959 season, he won the Yorkshire Evening News Tournament and played in the Ryder Cup. Drew later represented Ireland in the Canada Cup, becoming the first golfer to play in the Walker Cup, Ryder Cup and Canada Cup. He was renowned for his short game.

Peter Joseph Butler was an English professional golfer. He was one of the leading British golfers of the 1960s and early 1970s. He won a number of important tournaments including the 1963 PGA Close Championship and the 1968 French Open. He played in four Ryder Cup matches between 1965 and 1973 and three times in the World Cup. He played in the Open Championship 23 times, with two top-10 finishes, and seven successive times in the Masters from 1964 to 1970.

The British PGA Matchplay Championship was a match play golf tournament that began in 1903 and ran until 1979. Between 1903 and 1969, the event was sponsored by the now defunct British newspaper the News of the World, and was commonly known by the paper's name. Initially organised as the championship of British professionals, the event came to include invited players from other countries – in particular from around the Commonwealth. On occasion, American professionals also took part, notably in 1949 when eight members of the victorious U.S. Ryder Cup side accepted invites to the event, Lloyd Mangrum reaching the semi-finals.

The Piccadilly Medal was a men's professional golf tournament on the British PGA tournament circuit that was played in 1962 and from 1964 to 1976. Since the circuit later evolved into the European Tour, the tournament is recognised as an official European Tour event from 1972. It was played in a variety of formats. From 1962 to 1967 it was a 72-hole stroke-play event, in 1968 it was a four-ball better-ball match play event, from 1969 to 1975 it was a knockout stroke-play event while in 1976 it reverted to the 72-hole stroke-play format. From 1964 to 1968 the event was played on the East course at Wentworth, just before the Piccadilly World Match Play Championship which was played on the West Course there. Carreras withdrew their golf sponsorship after the 1976 season.

Gordon Alexander Caygill is an English professional golfer. He had considerable early success as a young professional from 1960 to 1963 but then had a lean period, partly due to a stomach ulcer. He made a comeback in the late 1960s, winning two tournaments in early 1969, and gained a place in the 1969 Ryder Cup team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeds Cup</span>

The Leeds Cup is a golf tournament that has been played annually in northern England since 1902. The event is organised by the north region of the Professional Golfers' Association. It is the oldest trophy in professional golf that is still played for. The Tooting Bec Cup is older, having been first played for in 1901, but is no longer contested.

The PGA Assistants' Championship is a golf tournament for golf club assistant professionals. It is held by the British PGA. The first championship was held in 1930 but earlier national tournaments for assistant professionals had been held since 1910.

Ernest William Henry "Bob" Kenyon was an English professional golfer. He won the Irish Open in 1931 and 1933 and finished tied for ninth place in the 1939 Open Championship. He won the World Senior Championship in 1956.

Frank Jowle was an English professional golfer. His best season was 1958 when he won the Spalding Tournament and was joint winner of the Irish Hospitals Tournament in the space of a month. He finished third in the 1955 Open Championship.

Brian J. Bamford was an English professional golfer. He won the Schweppes PGA Close Championship in 1961.

Hedley W. Muscroft was an English professional golfer. He played regularly on the European circuit and later on the European Tour when it started in 1972. He won the 1970 Classic International and played in The Open Championship 16 times with a best finish of 18th place in 1967.

Patrick Joseph Mahon was an Irish professional golfer. He was one of the leading Irish professionals of the 1930s and had one exceptional season, 1937, where he was runner-up in three important British tournaments, third in another, finished second in the Harry Vardon Trophy standings and won the Irish Professional Championship. He won the Western Isles Open Championship in 1935 and won the Irish Professional Championship again in 1938 and 1939.

The Frinton Invitation Tournament was a professional golf tournament played at Frinton Golf Club in Frinton-on-Sea, Essex, England. It was invitation event held in early 1927 and 1929, before the Ryder Cup, and provided competition for most of the British Ryder Cup team. It was a 36-hole stroke play event held on a single day.

References

  1. "The Northern Professional Championship". The Times. 27 January 1923. p. 5.
  2. "Golf – Northern Professional Championship". The Times. 20 January 1925. p. 5.
  3. "Northern Professional Championship". The Times. 10 January 1928. p. 5.
  4. "Professionals at Morecambe – Fine win for Alliss". The Times. 12 September 1936. p. 5.
  5. "Northern Professional Championship". The Glasgow Herald . 14 May 1920. p. 5.
  6. "Northern Professional Championship". The Times. 13 May 1920. p. 6.
  7. "The Northern Professional Championship". The Glasgow Herald . 27 May 1921. p. 12.
  8. "Havers retains Northern Championship". The Glasgow Herald . 4 May 1922. p. 12.
  9. "Appendix 2: The Records and Highlights of a Remarkable Career".
  10. "The Northern Professional Championship". The Glasgow Herald . 20 July 1928. p. 6.
  11. "The Northern Professional title winner". The Glasgow Herald . 6 September 1929. p. 19.
  12. "The Northern Professional Tournament". The Times. 22 August 1930. p. 5.
  13. "W H Davies wins Northern Championship". The Glasgow Herald . 20 September 1931. p. 19.
  14. "Northern Professional Championship". The Glasgow Herald . 10 September 1932. p. 17.
  15. "Northern Professional Championship". The Glasgow Herald . 8 September 1933. p. 20.
  16. "Golf – Northern Professional Championship". The Times. 31 August 1934. p. 4.
  17. "W H Davies beats Ryder Cup players". The Glasgow Herald . 23 August 1935. p. 18.
  18. 1 2 "Northern Professional Championship – T Pierpoint leading". The Times. 10 September 1936. p. 5.
  19. 1 2 "Alliss now Northern Champion – Record final round at Heysham". The Glasgow Herald . 12 September 1936. p. 6.
  20. "Northern title retained – Alliss wins professional championship". The Glasgow Herald . 20 August 1937. p. 7.
  21. "Chapter 13. The Fateful Year".
  22. "N Sutton leads golf qualifiers". The Glasgow Herald . 1 August 1946. p. 6.
  23. "Sutton wins Northern championship". The Glasgow Herald . 2 August 1946. p. 6.
  24. "Test for our Ryder Cup nominees" . Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 27 August 1947. Retrieved 28 June 2022 via British Newspaper Archive.
  25. "Green and Jowle tie at Morecambe". The Guardian . 29 August 1947. p. 6 via Newspapers.com.
  26. "E. Green (Hurst Park)". The Guardian . 30 August 1947. p. 7 via Newspapers.com.
  27. "Perry's success". The Guardian . 27 August 1948. p. 6 via Newspapers.com.
  28. "Northern titles at Fulford". The Guardian . 12 August 1949. p. 6 via Newspapers.com.
  29. "Fallon beats Burton". The Guardian . 26 August 1950. p. 6 via Newspapers.com.
  30. "Northern Championship – An American victory". The Glasgow Herald . 2 June 1923. p. 15.
  31. "Golf – Northern Championship – G Gadd wins championship". The Glasgow Herald . 20 June 1924. p. 5.
  32. "Northern Professional Championship – Abe Mitchell's victory". The Glasgow Herald . 19 June 1925. p. 15.
  33. "Golf – Gadd's fine victory – Championship won under difficult conditions". The Glasgow Herald . 11 June 1926. p. 6.
  34. "Golf – Whitcombe the wizard – Wins northern title by record score". The Glasgow Herald . 13 August 1927. p. 6.