Tooting Bec Cup

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The Tooting Bec Cup is a trophy currently awarded by the Professional Golfers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland to the association member born in, or with a parent or parents born in, the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland who returns the lowest single-round score in The Open Championship. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Inaugurated in 1901 the Tooting Bec Challenge Cup was originally a separate competition. From 1910 it was awarded to the winner of a southern section qualifying competition for a major tournament and then since 1924 it has been awarded to the best round in The Open Championship by a British or Irish member of the PGA. It is the PGA's oldest trophy, predating the northern section's Leeds Cup which was first contested in 1902. [4]

History

The Tooting Bec Challenge Cup was originally a 36-hole stroke play tournament organised by the London and Counties Professional Golfers' Association, the forerunner of the Professional Golfers' Association. The tournament was held on 15 October 1901 at the Tooting Bec Golf Club, Furzedown and the cup was donated by the Tooting Bec club. Of the 50 members who entered 46 played. J.H. Taylor won the event and was presented with the cup by the club captain, Norman Bailey. [5] With the formation of the PGA in late 1901, the cup became an event organised by the southern section of the PGA.

Since 1924, it has not been a standalone tournament, and the trophy has been awarded to the PGA member from the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland who records the lowest single-round score in the Open. The precise qualification rule has varied. Henry Cotton did not receive it in 1934, despite his rounds of 65 and 67, because at the time the award went "to the member of P.G.A. living in Great Britain who accomplishes the best single round during the championship" and Cotton was then living in Belgium. [6]

Winners

YearPlayer(s)Score
2021 Shane Lowry [7] 65
2020 Not awarded
2019 Danny Willett [8] 65
2018
2017 Paul Casey [9] 66
Ross Fisher [10]
2016 Rory McIlroy 67
2015 Pádraig Harrington 65
2014 Rory McIlroy 66
2013 Ian Poulter 67
2012 Paul Lawrie 65
2011 Darren Clarke 68
Graeme McDowell
2010 Andrew Coltart 66
2009 Luke Donald 67
2008 David Howell 67
2007 Pádraig Harrington 67
Paul McGinley
2006 Greg Owen 67
2005 Colin Montgomerie 66
2004 Lee Westwood 67
2003 Nick Faldo 67
2002 Colin Montgomerie 64
2001 Colin Montgomerie 65
Des Smyth
2000 Darren Clarke 68
Pádraig Harrington
Dean Robertson
1999 Paul Lawrie 67
1998 Andrew Coltart 68
Philip Walton
1997 Stephen Ames 66
Darren Clarke
David Tapping
1996 Paul Broadhurst 65
Paul McGinley
1995 Nick Faldo 67
1994 Nick Faldo 64
1993 Nick Faldo 63
1992 Nick Faldo 64
1991 Roger Chapman 66
Eamonn Darcy
1990 Paul Broadhurst 63
1989 Wayne Stephens 66
1988 Sandy Lyle 67
1987 Ross Drummond 66
1986 Gordon J. Brand 68
1985 Christy O'Connor Jnr 64
1984 Sam Torrance 66
1983 Denis Durnian 66
1982 Sandy Lyle 66
1981 Gordon J. Brand 65
1980 Ken Brown 68
Eamonn Darcy
Bill McColl
1979 Bill Longmuir 65
1978 Gary Cullen 67
1977 Tommy Horton 65
1976 Mark James 66
1975 Maurice Bembridge 67
Neil Coles
Bernard Gallacher
David Huish
1974 John Garner 69
John Morgan
Peter Townsend
1973 Neil Coles 66
1972 Harry Bannerman 67
Guy Hunt
Tony Jacklin
1971 Peter Oosterhuis 66
1970 Neil Coles 65
1969 Christy O'Connor Snr 65
1968 Brian Barnes 70
Gordon Cunningham
1967 Hugh Boyle 68
Lionel Platts
1966 Peter Butler 65
1965 Brian Huggett 68
1964 Malcolm Gregson 67
Bernard Hunt
1963 Tom Haliburton 68
Christy O'Connor Snr
1962 Syd Scott 68
1961 Christy O'Connor Snr 67
1960 Bernard Hunt 66
1959 Peter Alliss 67
1958 Eric Brown 65
1957 Laurie Ayton, Jnr 67
Eric Brown
John Fallon
1956 Dennis Smalldon 68
1955 John Fallon 67
1954 Jack Hargreaves 67
Syd Scott
1953 Dai Rees 70
Eric Lester
1952 Fred Daly 67
1951 Jimmy Adams 68
Charlie Ward
1950 Fred Daly 66
1949 Jimmy Adams 67
Ken Bousfield
1948 Henry Cotton 66
1947 Laurie Ayton, Jnr 69
Henry Cotton
1939 Dick Burton 70
Jack Busson
Max Faulkner
1938 Dick Burton 69
Jack Busson
1937 Reg Whitcombe 70
1936 Bill Branch 68
1935 Alf Perry 67
1934 Bill Davies 68
1933 Abe Mitchell 68
1932 Arthur Havers 68
1931 Held in abeyance
1930 Archie Compston 68
1929 Percy Alliss 69
1928 Held in abeyance
1927 Fred Robson 69
1926 Held in abeyance
1925 Ted Ray 73
1924 Ernest Whitcombe 70

Tournament winners

This table gives details of the tournament winners from 1901 to 1923. From 1910 the cup was awarded to the winner of a qualifying competition for a major tournament.

YearWinnerCountryVenueScoreMargin
of victory		Runner(s)-upWinner's
share (£)		Ref
1901 J.H. Taylor Flag of England.svg  England Tooting Bec Golf Club 1493 strokes Flag of Scotland.svg James Hepburn
Flag of England.svg Rowland Jones 		[5]
1902 James Braid Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland Romford Golf Club 1486 strokes Flag of Scotland.svg Ralph Smith [11]
1903 James Braid Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland Hanger Hill Golf Club 1483 strokes Flag of Jersey.svg Harry Vardon
Flag of Scotland.svg Jack White 		[12]
1904 James Braid Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland West Middlesex Golf Club 147Playoff
(18 holes)		 Flag of Scotland.svg John McLaren [13]
1905 Alfred Toogood Flag of England.svg  England Northwood Golf Club 1501 stroke Flag of England.svg J.H. Taylor [14]
1906 William Lonie Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland Ashford Manor Golf Club 1524 strokes Flag of England.svg Wilfrid Reid [15]
1907 James Braid Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland South Herts Golf Club 1513 strokes Flag of England.svg J.H. Taylor [16]
1908 Rowland Jones Flag of England.svg  England Neasden Golf Club 153Playoff
(18 holes)		 Flag of England.svg Ernest Gray [17]
1909 James Sherlock Flag of England.svg  England Maidenhead Golf Club 1494 strokes Flag of Scotland.svg James Braid [18]
1910 James Sherlock Flag of England.svg  England Stoke Poges Golf Club 1484 strokes Flag of England.svg Tom Ball
Flag of Jersey.svg Ernest Gaudin
Flag of England.svg Charles Mayo
Flag of Jersey.svg Tom Vardon 		[19]
1911 Harry Vardon Flag of Jersey.svg  Jersey Banstead Downs Golf Club 154Playoff
(18 holes)		 Flag of England.svg Wilfrid Reid [20] [21]
1912 Phil Gaudin Flag of Jersey.svg  Jersey Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club 147Playoff
(18 holes)		 Flag of Scotland.svg James Braid [22] [23]
1913 Ted Ray Flag of Jersey.svg  Jersey Old Fold Manor Golf Club 145Playoff
(18 holes)		 Flag of England.svg James Batley [24] [25] [26]
1914–19: No tournament
1920 Ted Ray Flag of Jersey.svg  Jersey Worplesdon Golf Club 1491 stroke Flag of England.svg Abe Mitchell 10 [27]
1921 Arnaud Massy Flag of France.svg  France Cooden Beach Golf Club 1471 stroke Flag of England.svg Fred Robson
Flag of Jersey.svg Ted Ray 		25 [28]
1922: No tournament
1923 George Duncan Flag of Scotland.svg  Scotland Purley Downs Golf Club 1422 strokes Flag of Jersey.svg Ted Ray [29]

In 1904 the PGA experimented with handicaps and John McLaren, a new professional, was one of six professionals to receive strokes. Vardon won the playoff, played the same evening, scoring 76 to McLaren's 81−3=78. [30] The 1908 playoff was also played in the evening after the tournament.

The 1910 event was planned for 11 May at Banstead Downs but was cancelled because of the death of Edward VII. The cup was awarded to the winner of the southern section qualifying competition for the News of the World Match Play.

In 1911 it was to be awarded to the winner of the southern section qualifying competition for the Sphere and Tatler Foursomes Tournament. Vardon and Reid tied in the qualifying event and had a playoff two days later to determine the winner of the cup. Vardon won with a score of 76 to Reid's 78.

Because of congestion during the 1911 qualifying, the 1912 southern section qualifying competition for the Sphere and Tatler tournament was played on two courses. Half played at West Herts Golf Club and half at Purley Downs Golf Club. Phil Gaudin and James Braid led their respective events, both scoring 147, and a playoff between them would determine the winner of the cup. The playoff did not take place for nearly a year, being played on 31 March 1913 at Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club. Gaudin scored 76 to Braid's 81.

The same system was used in 1913. Half played at Fulwell Golf Club and half at Denham Golf Club. At Fulwell, Rowland Jones and Ted Ray tied on 145 while at Denham, James Batley and Harry Vardon led on 152. A playoff between the four players would determine the winner of the cup. As in 1912, the playoff did not take place for nearly a year, being played on 14 April 1914 at Thorpe Hall Golf Club. 18 holes were played and resulted in another tie. Batley and Ray scoring 74, with Jones on 77 and Vardon on 78. There was then a further playoff on 20 April 1914 at Old Fold Manor Golf Club. Again 18 holes were played, Ray winning with a score of 74 to Batley's 76.

In 1920, 1921 and 1923 the trophy was awarded to the winner of the southern section qualifying competition for the Daily Mail Tournament.

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References

  1. ↑ "Tooting Bec Cup". PGA. Archived from the original on 30 April 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
  2. ↑ "Tooting Bec Cup". PGA European Tour. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "The Open's prized silverware". PGA . Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "Another PGA medal haul for Rory". PGA . Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  5. 1 2 "London and Counties Professional Golfers' Association". The Times. 16 October 1901. p. 9.
  6. ↑ "Awards for Cotton and Davies". The Times. 2 August 1934. p. 4.
  7. ↑ "Lowry doubles up in The Open by winning two PGA awards". The PGA. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  8. ↑ "Danny Willett of England is presented with the Tooting Bec Cup". Getty Images. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  9. ↑ The PGA (23 May 2018). "Historic honour". Twitter. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  10. ↑ The PGA (23 May 2018). "Medal winner". Twitter. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  11. ↑ "Professional competition at Romford". The Times. 18 September 1902. p. 10.
  12. ↑ "Professional Golfers' Association". The Times. 13 May 1903. p. 9.
  13. ↑ "Professional Golfers' Association". The Times. 5 May 1904. p. 12.
  14. ↑ "Professional Golfers' Association's tournament". The Times. 4 May 1905. p. 12.
  15. ↑ "Professional Golfers' Association". The Times. 26 April 1906. p. 11.
  16. ↑ "Professional Golfers' Association". The Times. 16 May 1907. p. 12.
  17. ↑ "Professional Golfers' Association". The Times. 14 May 1908. p. 19.
  18. ↑ "Tooting Bec Cup competition". The Times. 13 May 1909. p. 18.
  19. ↑ "The £240 competition – Southern section". The Times. 21 July 1910. p. 18.
  20. ↑ "Southern professional tournament". The Times. 4 May 1911. p. 15.
  21. ↑ "The Tooting Bec cup". The Times. 6 May 1911. p. 15.
  22. ↑ "Professional foursomes tournament – Qualifying competitions". The Times. 25 April 1912. p. 13.
  23. ↑ "The Tooting Bec cup". The Times. 1 April 1913. p. 16.
  24. ↑ "Professional golfers association – Southern qualifying competition". The Glasgow Herald . 8 May 1913. p. 14.
  25. ↑ "Professionals at Thorpe Hall". The Glasgow Herald . 15 April 1914. p. 15.
  26. ↑ "Ray wins the "Tooting Bec" cup". The Glasgow Herald . 21 April 1914. p. 14.
  27. ↑ "Worplesdon tournament – Ray's great round". The Glasgow Herald . 16 April 1920. p. 13.
  28. ↑ "The £600 tournament – Southern section qualifying play". The Glasgow Herald . 22 April 1921. p. 4.
  29. ↑ "Great round by Duncan". The Times. 20 April 1923. p. 6.
  30. ↑ "Club Makers, Professionals and Course Designers: Alexander and John McLaren". North Berwick. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
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