Western Province Open

Last updated

Western Province Open
Tournament information
Established1936
Tour(s) Southern African Tour
Format Stroke play
Month playedJanuary
Final year1976
Tournament record score
Aggregate268 Gary Player (1971)
To par−16 as above
Final champion
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Allan Henning

The Western Province Open was a golf tournament in South Africa as part of the Southern Africa Tour. In the early years of the tournament, Bobby Locke and Harold Henning had much success, winning the event multiple times each. During the middle and later phase of the tournament legend Gary Player had much success, ultimately winning the event five times.

Contents

History

Bobby Locke, Gary Player, Harold Henning, and Bobby Verwey had the most success in the early years of the tournament. In 1956, Locke was victorious, defeating Australia's Peter Thomson by two shots. A young Gary Player finished solo third. [1] The following year, Player and Henning shared the championship, three ahead of Locke, the third place finisher. [2] Locke came back the following year with a blowout win, defeating joint runner-up Henning by 11 shots. [3] Henning won the following year, defeating Eric Moore by two. Locke finished third at 283. [4] Player won the following year but Henning captured the title again in 1961 defeating Bobby Verwey by a stroke. [5] Two years later Verwey "led throughout" and defeated Eric Moore by four. [6] [7]

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the tournament was dominated by Gary Player and Cobie Legrange. In 1968, Player set the course record in the third round on his way to an easy win. [8] The following year, Legrange was victorious, defeating England's Peter Oosterhuis down the stretch. [9] In 1970, Scotland's Bobby Walker won the tournament defeating fellow Briton Jimmy Hitchcock. According to The Guardian , Walker "became the first overseas player to win the Western Province open." [10] In 1971, however, Player came back and won easily, winning by seven. [11] The following year Player successfully defended his championship, defeating Legrange by four. [12]

In the final years of the event, a variety of golfers had success. In 1973, Hugh Baiocchi overcame a two shot deficit to Ireland's John O'Leary and win. [13] The following year, South African John Fourie won handily, defeating Legrange by seven. [14] Fourie finished joint runner-up the following year, one behind champion Bill Brask. [15] In 1976, at the final edition of the event, Allan Henning was victorious, defeating Baiocchi by six. [16]

Winners

YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of

victory

Runner(s)-upRef.
1936 Flag of England.svg Alf Padgham 2786 strokes Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Sid Brews
Flag of England.svg Bill Cox 		[17]
1956 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Locke 2872 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Peter Thomson [1]
1957 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Harold Henning
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Gary Player 		285Tied [2]
1958 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Locke (2)28611 strokes Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Harold Henning
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Ronnie Glennie (a)		 [3]
1959 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Harold Henning (2)2802 strokes Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Eric Moore [4]
1960 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Gary Player (2)271
1961 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Harold Henning (3)2841 stroke Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Verwey [5]
1962 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Tommy Trevena 289
1963 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Verwey 2864 strokes Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Eric Moore [6] [7]
1964 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Retief Waltman
1965 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Allan Henning
1966 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Cobie Legrange
1967 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Denis Hutchinson
1968 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Gary Player (3)280−124 strokes Flag of England.svg Clive Clark [8] [18]
1969 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Cobie Legrange (2)272−122 strokes Flag of England.svg Peter Oosterhuis [9] [19]
1970 Flag of Scotland.svg Bobby Walker 2841 stroke Flag of England.svg Jimmy Hitchcock [10] [20]
1971 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Gary Player (4)268−167 strokes Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Harold Henning
Flag of the United States.svg Craig Shankland		 [11]
1972 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Gary Player (5)278−104 strokes Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Cobie Legrange [12] [21]
1973 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Hugh Baiocchi 292E1 stroke Flag of Ireland.svg John O'Leary [13]
1974 (Jan) Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg John Fourie 277−117 strokes Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Cobie Legrange [14]
1974 (Nov) Flag of the United States.svg Bill Brask 280−41 stroke Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg John Fourie
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Allan Henning 		[15]
1975No tournament due to rescheduling from November to January
1976 Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Allan Henning 282−66 strokes Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Hugh Baiocchi [16]

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References

  1. 1 2 "Bobby Locke Downs Peter Thomson". The Canberra Times . Vol. 30, no. 8751. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 23 January 1956. p. 5. Retrieved 15 September 2022– via National Library of Australia.
  2. 1 2 "Rees and Hunt fifth in South Africa". The Daily Telegraph . 14 January 1958. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 "Rees 5th to Locke". The Daily Telegraph . 13 January 1958. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 "Henning has win in Open". The Age. 12 January 1959. p. 14.
  5. 1 2 "Golf Victory to H. Henning". The Age. 9 January 1961. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Bob Charles in Sixth Place". The Canberra Times. 7 January 1963.
  7. 1 2 "Hill Shares Sixth Place". Daily Post (Merseyside edition). 7 January 1963. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Player Triumphs". Western Daily Press. 19 February 1968. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Oosterhuis is edged out". The Observer. 19 February 1969. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Walker wins Western Province". The Guardian. 9 February 1970. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Player in winning form for U.S. trip". Evening Post. 8 February 1971. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  12. 1 2 "Player wins by four strokes". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 17 January 1972. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  13. 1 2 "Baiocchi slips by O'Leary". The Glasgow Herald. 15 January 1973. p. 5.
  14. 1 2 "Seven-shot win for Fourie". The Glasgow Herald. 14 January 1974. p. 5.
  15. 1 2 "Gullane post for Hume". The Glasgow Herald. 2 December 1974. p. 5.
  16. 1 2 "Holiday sport". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. 26 January 1976. p. 11 (18 in paper). Retrieved 10 September 2023– via Google News Archive.
  17. ↑ "Padgham's record round" . The Times . 23 November 1936. p. 7. Retrieved 27 December 2023– via The Times Digital Archive.
  18. ↑ "Player's victory in Cape Town". The Glasgow Herald. 19 February 1968. p. 5.
  19. ↑ "Golf". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 February 1969. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
  20. ↑ "Walker wins by one stroke". The Glasgow Herald. 9 February 1970. p. 5.
  21. ↑ "Player in top spot". Western Daily Press. 17 January 1972. Retrieved 26 December 2023.
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