Benson & Hedges International Open
Encyclopedia
The Benson & Hedges International Open was a men's professional golf
tournament which was played in England
. It was founded in 1971 and for its first five years it was called the Benson & Hedges Festival of Golf. It was sponsored by Benson & Hedges
, a cigarette company. It was part of the European Tour
's annual schedule from the tour's first season in 1972 until the tournament ceased in 2003, following the introduction of a ban on tobacco advertising
and sponsorship of sporting events by the British government. The prize fund for the final edition of the tournament was €
1,596,861, which was mid-range for a European Tour event at the time.
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
tournament which was played in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was founded in 1971 and for its first five years it was called the Benson & Hedges Festival of Golf. It was sponsored by Benson & Hedges
Benson & Hedges
Benson & Hedges is a British brand of cigarettes owned by the Gallaher Group, which became a subsidiary of Japan Tobacco in 2007. They are registered in Old Bond Street in London, and are manufactured in Lisnafillen, Ballymena, Northern Ireland for the UK and Irish markets.-History:Benson & Hedges...
, a cigarette company. It was part of the European Tour
PGA European Tour
The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
's annual schedule from the tour's first season in 1972 until the tournament ceased in 2003, following the introduction of a ban on tobacco advertising
Tobacco advertising
Tobacco advertising is the advertising of tobacco products or use by the tobacco industry through a variety of media including sponsorship, particularly of sporting events. It is now one of the most highly regulated forms of marketing...
and sponsorship of sporting events by the British government. The prize fund for the final edition of the tournament was €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
1,596,861, which was mid-range for a European Tour event at the time.
Winners
| Year | Venue | Winner | Country | Score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Country | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benson & Hedges International Open | ||||||||
| 2003 | The Belfry The Belfry The Belfry is a golf resort in Wishaw, Warwickshire, England, very near the Sutton Coldfield district of Birmingham, and owned since 2005 by Irish businessman Sean Quinn.... |
Paul Casey Paul Casey Paul Alexander Casey is an English golfer who is a member of the world's top two professional golf tours, the U.S.-based PGA Tour and the European Tour. In 2009 he achieved his highest position, third, in the Official World Golf Rankings.... |
277 (−11) | 4 strokes | Pádraig Harrington Padraig Harrington Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:... |
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| 2002 | The Belfry | Ángel Cabrera Angel Cabrera Ángel Cabrera is an Argentine professional golfer who plays on both the European Tour and PGA Tour. He is known affectionately as "El Pato" in Spanish or in English as "The duck" for his waddling gait. He is a former U.S. Open champion and Masters champion. He is the first Argentine to win either... |
278 (−10) | 1 stroke | Barry Lane Barry Lane Barry Lane is an English professional golfer.Lane was born in Hayes, Middlesex. He turned professional in 1976 and first played on the European Tour in 1982. For the first few seasons he failed to finish high enough on the Order of Merit to retain his card and he made several visits to the... |
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| 2001 | The Belfry | Henrik Stenson Henrik Stenson Henrik Stenson is a Swedish professional golfer who plays both on the US and European tours. He has spent over 100 weeks ranked in the World top ten and his career high ranking of fourth is the best by any Swedish golfer.-Career:... |
275 (−13) | 3 strokes | Ángel Cabrera Angel Cabrera Ángel Cabrera is an Argentine professional golfer who plays on both the European Tour and PGA Tour. He is known affectionately as "El Pato" in Spanish or in English as "The duck" for his waddling gait. He is a former U.S. Open champion and Masters champion. He is the first Argentine to win either... |
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| Paul McGinley Paul McGinley Paul McGinley is an Irish golfer who plays on the European Tour. He is most famous for holing the winning putt for the European team in the 2002 Ryder Cup. He currently resides in Sunningdale, England.... |
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| 2000 | The Belfry | José María Olazábal José María Olazábal José María Olazábal Manterola is a Spanish professional golfer who has enjoyed success on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour, and has won two major championships.-Career outline:... |
275 (−13) | 3 strokes | Phillip Price Phillip Price John Phillip Price is a Welsh professional golfer who plays on the European Tour.-Professional golfer:Price turned professional in 1989 and qualified for membership of the European Tour for the 1991 season via the 1990 Qualifying School. His best year on the tour came in 2000, when he finished... |
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| 1999 | The Oxfordshire Golf Club The Oxfordshire Golf Club The Oxfordshire Golf Club is a private golf club in England, that is located Southwest of Thame, Oxfordshire.It is owned by Leaderboard Golf along with 4 other golfing venues in the South East including Dale Hill Golf Club Wadhurst, East Sussex, Sandford Springs Golf Club near Basingstoke and... |
Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... |
273 (−15) | 3 strokes | Ángel Cabrera Angel Cabrera Ángel Cabrera is an Argentine professional golfer who plays on both the European Tour and PGA Tour. He is known affectionately as "El Pato" in Spanish or in English as "The duck" for his waddling gait. He is a former U.S. Open champion and Masters champion. He is the first Argentine to win either... |
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| Per-Ulrik Johansson Per-Ulrik Johansson Per-Ulrik Johansson is a Swedish golfer. Like many European golfers he took a golf scholarship in the United States as sports scholarships do not exist in Europe... |
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| 1998 | The Oxfordshire Golf Club | Darren Clarke Darren Clarke Darren Christopher Clarke is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who currently plays on the European Tour and has previously played on the PGA Tour. He has won 22 tournaments worldwide on a number of golf's main tours including the European Tour, the PGA Tour, the Sunshine Tour and the... |
273 (−15) | 3 strokes | Santiago Luna Santiago Luna Santiago Luna Torres is a Spanish professional golfer.Luna's father was on the staff at Puerta de Hierro Golf Club in Madrid. He turned professional in 1982 and has spent over twenty years on the European Tour, playing in over five hundred tournaments. He ranked in the top one hundred on the Order... |
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| 1997 | The Oxfordshire Golf Club | Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986... |
276 (−12) | 2 strokes | Ian Woosnam Ian Woosnam Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup... |
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| 1996 | The Oxfordshire Golf Club | Stephen Ames Stephen Ames Stephen Michael Ames is a professional golfer on the PGA Tour holding dual citizenship of Trinidad and Tobago and Canada.... |
283 (−5) | 1 stroke | Jon Robson | |||
| 1995 | St Mellion International Hotel, G. & C.C. St. Mellion International Resort The St. Mellion International Resort is a golf centred hotel and recreation complex near Saltash, Cornwall in the South West of England. The resort comprises a hotel, conference facilities, health club, spa and two championship golf courses.The St... |
Peter O'Malley Peter O'Malley (golfer) Peter O'Malley is an Australian professional golfer.O'Malley was born in Bathurst, New South Wales. He won the Australian Junior Championship and the New Zealand Amateur Championship in 1986, and turned professional the following year. He has won several times on the PGA Tour of Australasia, but... |
280 (−8) | 1 stroke | Mark James | |||
| Costantino Rocca Costantino Rocca Costantino Rocca is the most successful male golfer that Italy has produced. After a long career on the European Tour he is now playing on the European Seniors Tour. He has five European Tour wins and is best known for his second place finish in the 1995 Open Championship.-Career outline:Rocca... |
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| 1994 | St Mellion International Hotel, G. & C.C. | Seve Ballesteros | 281 (−7) | 3 strokes | Nick Faldo Nick Faldo Sir Nicholas Alexander "Nick" Faldo, MBE is an English professional golfer on the European Tour who now mainly works as an on air golf analyst. Over his career, he has won six majors: three Open Championships and three Masters. He was ranked the World No... |
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| 1993 | St Mellion International Hotel, G. & C.C. | Paul Broadhurst Paul Broadhurst Paul Andrew Broadhurst is an English golfer, originally from Atherstone in Warwickshire.Broadhurst was the leading amateur at the 1988 Open Championship. He joined the European Tour in 1989, picked up his first win at the Credit Lyonnais Cannes Open that year, and was the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie... |
276 (−12) | 1 stroke | Mark James | |||
| José María Olazábal José María Olazábal José María Olazábal Manterola is a Spanish professional golfer who has enjoyed success on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour, and has won two major championships.-Career outline:... |
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| 1992 | St Mellion International Hotel, G. & C.C. | Peter Senior Peter Senior Peter Albert Charles Senior is an Australian professional golfer who has won more than twenty tournaments around the world.... |
287 (−1) | Playoff | Tony Johnstone Tony Johnstone Anthony Alastair Johnstone is a Zimbabwean professional golfer.Johnstone was born in Bulawayo, Rhodesia and attended Christian Brothers College. He lives in Sunningdale in England. He turned professional in 1979 and has spent his career playing mainly on the Southern African Sunshine Tour and in... |
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| 1991 | St Mellion International Hotel, G. & C.C. | Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986... |
286 (−2) | 2 strokes | Vijay Singh Vijay Singh Vijay Singh, CF , nicknamed "The Big Fijian", is a Fijian professional golfer who was Number 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. He has won three major championships and was the leading PGA Tour money winner in 2003, 2004 and 2008... |
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| 1990 | St Mellion International Hotel, G. & C.C. | José María Olazábal José María Olazábal José María Olazábal Manterola is a Spanish professional golfer who has enjoyed success on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour, and has won two major championships.-Career outline:... |
279 (−9) | 1 stroke | Ian Woosnam Ian Woosnam Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup... |
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| 1989 | Fulford Golf Club Fulford Golf Club Fulford Golf Club is a private golf club located approximately south of York, England. It was founded in 1906, moving to its current site, which had been approved by James Braid, in 1935... |
Gordon Brand, Jnr Gordon Brand, Jnr Gordon Brand, Jnr is a Scottish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour.Brand was born in Kirkcaldy. He turned professional in 1981 and quickly achieved success. He won that year's European Tour Qualifying School, and went on to win two European Tour events in his rookie season... |
272 (−12) | 1 stroke | Derrick Cooper Derrick Cooper Derrick Cooper is an English golfer. He turned professional in 1972. It took him some time to establish himself on the European Tour, but he held a tour card for sixteen consecutive seasons from 1984 and made the top one hundred on the European Tour Order of Merit a total of fifteen times, with a... |
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| 1988 | Fulford Golf Club | Peter Baker Peter Baker (golfer) Peter A. Baker is an English professional golfer.Baker was born in Shifnal, Shropshire, and currently lives near Wolverhampton. He learned golf at his father's nine hole Himley Hall course and was taught by Sandy Lyle's father Alex.... |
271 (−17) | Playoff | Nick Faldo Nick Faldo Sir Nicholas Alexander "Nick" Faldo, MBE is an English professional golfer on the European Tour who now mainly works as an on air golf analyst. Over his career, he has won six majors: three Open Championships and three Masters. He was ranked the World No... |
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| 1987 | Fulford Golf Club | Noel Ratcliffe Noel Ratcliffe Noel Anthony Ratcliffe is an Australian professional golfer.Ratcliffe turned to golf exceptionally late for a future professional, and didn't own a set of clubs until he was twenty-one. He studied pharmacy and worked for an insurance company and in public service before turning professional in 1974... |
275 (−13) | 2 strokes | Ove Sellberg Ove Sellberg Ove Bertil Sellberg is a Swedish professional golfer.Sellberg was born in Stockholm. He turned professional in 1982 and played on the European Tour through most of the 1980s and 1990s, twice finishing in the top twenty of the Order of Merit... |
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| 1986 | Fulford Golf Club | Mark James | 274 (−14) | Playoff | Hugh Baiocchi Hugh Baiocchi Hugh John Baiocchi is a South African professional golfer who has won more than twenty professional tournaments around the world.... |
 South Africa |
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| Lee Trevino Lee Trevino Lee Buck Trevino is an American professional golfer. He is an icon for Mexican Americans, and is often referred to as "The Merry Mex" and "Supermex". He won six major championships over the course of his career.-Early life:... |
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| 1985 | Fulford Golf Club | Sandy Lyle Sandy Lyle Alexander Walter Barr "Sandy" Lyle, MBE is a Scottish professional golfer. Lyle has won two major championships during his career. Along with Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, he became one of Britain's top golfers during the 1980s... |
274 (−14) | 1 stroke | Ian Woosnam Ian Woosnam Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup... |
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| 1984 | Fulford Golf Club | Sam Torrance Sam Torrance Sam Torrance OBE is a Scottish professional golfer and sports commentator. He was one of the leading players on the European Tour from the mid 1970s to the late 1990s, with 21 Tour wins. Torrance was a member of European Ryder Cup teams on eight occasions, from 1981 to 1995 consecutively; he was... |
270 (−18) | 1 stroke | Wayne Grady Wayne Grady Wayne Desmond Grady is an Australian professional golfer.Grady was born in Brisbane. He turned professional in 1978. He is best known for winning the PGA Championship, one of golf's four majors, in 1990. He was also runner up at The Open Championship in 1989, losing in a playoff against Greg... |
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| 1983 | Fulford Golf Club | John Bland John Bland John Louis Bland is a South African professional golfer who has won more than thirty professional tournaments around the world.... |
South Africa |
273 (−15) | 1 stroke | Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986... |
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| 1982 | Fulford Golf Club | Greg Norman Greg Norman Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s... |
283 (−5) | 1 stroke | Bob Charles Bob Charles (golfer) Sir Robert James Charles, ONZ, KNZM, CBE is a New Zealand professional golfer whose achievements over five decades rank him among the most successful left-handed golfers of all time, being the first lefty to win a golf major, winning more than 70 titles, and beating his age twice during a... |
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| Graham Marsh Graham Marsh Graham Vivian Marsh MBE was one of the leading Australian professional golfers of his generation.-Career outline:Marsh was born in Kalgoorlie, Australia... |
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| Ian Woosnam Ian Woosnam Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup... |
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| 1981 | Fulford Golf Club | Tom Weiskopf Tom Weiskopf Thomas Daniel Weiskopf is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. His most successful decade was the 1970s, and he won 16 PGA Tour titles between 1968 and 1982. After winding down his tournament career, Weiskopf has become a noted golf course... |
272 (−16) | 1 stroke | Eamonn Darcy Eamonn Darcy Eamonn Darcy is one of the most successful golfers produced by the Republic of Ireland.Darcy was born in Delgany, County Wicklow. He turned professional in 1968 and played on the European Tour from 1972, winning four European Tour tournaments. His best years were 1975, when he came third on the... |
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| Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer. He is a two-time Masters champion, and was one of the world's leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 90s, being the first official number one ranked player in 1986... |
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| 1980 | Fulford Golf Club | Graham Marsh Graham Marsh Graham Vivian Marsh MBE was one of the leading Australian professional golfers of his generation.-Career outline:Marsh was born in Kalgoorlie, Australia... |
272 (−16) | 2 strokes | John Bland John Bland John Louis Bland is a South African professional golfer who has won more than thirty professional tournaments around the world.... |
South Africa |
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| 1979 | St. Mellion Golf and Country Club | Maurice Bembridge Maurice Bembridge Maurice Bembridge is an English golfer.Bembridge turned professional at an early age in 1960 and won the British Assistants’ Professional Championship in 1966 and 1967... |
272 (−8) | 2 strokes | Ken Brown Ken Brown (golfer) Ken Brown is a Scottish former European Tour golfer who now works as a golf broadcaster and writer, primarily for the BBC. He also works as part of the commentary team for the international coverage of the European Tour on selected events which are not covered by the BBC... |
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| 1978 | Fulford Golf Club | Lee Trevino Lee Trevino Lee Buck Trevino is an American professional golfer. He is an icon for Mexican Americans, and is often referred to as "The Merry Mex" and "Supermex". He won six major championships over the course of his career.-Early life:... |
274 (−10) | Playoff | Neil Coles Neil Coles Neil Chapman Coles, MBE is an English professional golfer. As of 2005, Coles is only the second man to win a professional golf tournament in six different decades, starting in the 1950s and extending into the 21st century.Coles was born in England... |
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| Noel Ratcliffe Noel Ratcliffe Noel Anthony Ratcliffe is an Australian professional golfer.Ratcliffe turned to golf exceptionally late for a future professional, and didn't own a set of clubs until he was twenty-one. He studied pharmacy and worked for an insurance company and in public service before turning professional in 1974... |
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| 1977 | Fulford Golf Club | Antonio Garrido | 280 (−4) | 3 strokes | Bob Charles Bob Charles (golfer) Sir Robert James Charles, ONZ, KNZM, CBE is a New Zealand professional golfer whose achievements over five decades rank him among the most successful left-handed golfers of all time, being the first lefty to win a golf major, winning more than 70 titles, and beating his age twice during a... |
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| 1976 | Fulford Golf Club | Graham Marsh Graham Marsh Graham Vivian Marsh MBE was one of the leading Australian professional golfers of his generation.-Career outline:Marsh was born in Kalgoorlie, Australia... |
272 (−12) | 2 strokes | Mark James | |||
| Benson & Hedges Festival of Golf | ||||||||
| 1975 | Fulford Golf Club | Vicente Fernandez Vicente Fernandez (golfer) Vicente Fernández is an Argentine golfer who has won more than 60 professional tournaments around the world.Fernández was born in Corrientes, Argentina. He turned professional in 1964 and was a regular competitor on the European Tour from the mid 1970s to the mid 1990s... |
266 (−18) | 1 stroke | Maurice Bembridge Maurice Bembridge Maurice Bembridge is an English golfer.Bembridge turned professional at an early age in 1960 and won the British Assistants’ Professional Championship in 1966 and 1967... |
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| 1974 | Fulford Golf Club | Philippe Toussaint Philippe Toussaint Philippe Toussaint was one of Belgium's most successful golfers.Toussaint was born in Brussels. As an amateur he won the Italian Amateur Championship, was runner up in the Belgian Amateur Championship, and twice represented Belgium in the Eisenhower Trophy. He turned professional in 1971 and... |
276 (−8) | Playoff | Bob Shearer Bob Shearer Robert A. Shearer is an Australian professional golfer and golf course architect.Shearer was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He won the 1969 Australian Amateur and turned pro in 1970.... |
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| 1973 | Fulford Golf Club | Vin Baker | South Africa |
276 (−8) | 2 strokes | Dale Hayes Dale Hayes Dale Hayes is a South African professional golfer.-Career outline:Hayes won the 15–17 Boys category at the Junior World Golf Championships in 1969. He turned professional the following year and quickly became a successful pro. He won more than a dozen events in South Africa, and was runner up on... |
South Africa |
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| 1972 | Fulford Golf Club | Jack Newton Jack Newton Jack Newton OAM is a former Australian professional golfer.-Golf career:Newton was born in Cessnock, New South Wales. He was one of Australia's most successful golfers in the 1970s and early 1980s. He turned professional in 1971 and won his first professional tournament – the Dutch Open... |
281 (−3) | 1 stroke | Harry Bannerman Harry Bannerman Harry Bannerman is a Scottish professional golfer. He is best known for playing in the 1971 Ryder Cup, winning two and a half points out of five... |
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| 1971 | Fulford Golf Club | Tony Jacklin Tony Jacklin Anthony Jacklin CBE is an English golfer, who was the most successful British player of his generation. He was also the most successful European Ryder Cup captain ever.-Early life and education:... |
279 (−5) | Playoff (2nd hole) |
Peter Butler Peter Butler (golfer) Peter J. Butler is an English professional golfer.Butler was born in Birmingham. He turned professional as a teenager in 1947. He featured in the top 20 on the European Order of Merit every year from 1960 to 1979 Peter J. Butler (born 25 March 1932) is an English professional golfer.Butler was... |
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