Leeds Cup

Leeds Cup
Tournament information
Established 1902
Course(s) Moortown Golf Club (2015)
Current champion
Garry Houston (2015)

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.[1]

The Leeds Challenge Cup was first contested in May 1902 at Leeds Golf Club. The trophy was presented by Alderman Penrose-Green, Lord Mayor of Leeds and President of Leeds Golf Club to be competed for annually by professional golfers.[2] Harry Vardon was the first winner.[3] 2015 marked the 100th staging of the event.[3]

History

The Northern Counties Professional Golfers' Association was formed as a result of a meeting in Leeds on 9 January 1902.[4] At a subsequent meeting, also in Leeds, on 24 March it was decided that, subject to certain conditions, it would amalgamate with the London-based Professional Golfers' Association and become the northern section of the new enlarged association.[5] The same meeting also agreed to accept an offer from the Leeds Golf Club to host a tournament on 6 May at which the club would provide a prize.[5]

The tournament was contested over 36 holes of stroke play, on a single day. The winner received the Challenge Cup, a memento and the first of six small prizes. There was also a prize for the first apprentice.[6] It was the third tournament organised by the PGA with the Tooting Bec Cup having been contested in October 1901, followed by a tournament at Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club on 23 April 1902.[7]

The weather on 6 June was wintry and the professionals had to play in a blinding hailstorm which also made putting difficult. 26 professionals entered included three times Open Champions J.H. Taylor and Harry Vardon and Sandy Herd, twice runner-up in the Open. James Braid was absent, having a prior engagement. Vardon won the cup with score of 149, his second round 73 being the best of the day. Herd and Taylor tied for second place on 153. Bertie Snowball, then a young professional at Bradford, won the apprentice prize. 21 of the 26 players returned scores for the two rounds. Mrs Penrose-Green presented the cup to Vardon and Taylor made a short speech thanking the members of the Leeds club.[6]

Winners

Year Winner Country Venue Score Margin
of victory 		Runner(s)-up Winner's
share (£) 		Ref
1902 Harry Vardon  Jersey Leeds Golf Club 149 4 strokes Scotland Sandy Herd
England J.H. Taylor 		[8]
1903 Ted Ray  Jersey Cleveland Golf Club 147 1 stroke Jersey Harry Vardon [9]
1904 Sandy Herd  Scotland Manchester Golf Club 146 1 stroke England Fred Collins
Jersey Phil Gaudin 		[10]
1905 Sandy Herd  Scotland Bradford Golf Club 145 5 strokes England Fred Leach
England Bertie Snowball 		[11]
1906 George Duncan  Scotland Wallasey Golf Club 154 5 strokes England Wilfrid Reid [12]
1907 Ted Ray  Jersey Ilkley Golf Club 144 1 stroke England Walter Toogood [13]
1908 Tom Ball  England Hesketh Golf Club 148 2 strokes England Bill Leaver
England Tom Watt 		[14]
1909 James Kay  England Harrogate Golf Club 151 1 stroke Jersey Ted Ray [15]
1910 Ted Ray  Jersey Chorlton Golf Club 143 4 strokes England George Cawkwell
England Herbert Riseborough 		[16]
1911 Ted Ray  Jersey Roundhay Golf Club 147 1 stroke Jersey Thomas Renouf [17]
1912 Peter McEwan  Scotland Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club 154 Playoff
(18 holes) 		England George Pulford [18][19]
1913 Walter Hambleton  England Bradford Golf Club 155 Playoff
(9 holes) 		Jersey Tom Beck [20]
1914 Thomas Renouf  Jersey Northumberland Golf Club 153 2 strokes England Harry Crapper
England Charles Roberts
Scotland Wilfred Thomson 		[21]
1915–18: No tournament
1919 Ted Ray  Jersey Alwoodley Golf Club 158 Playoff
(9 holes) 		England Sam Whiting [22]
1920 Cyril Hughes  England West Lancashire Golf Club 152 2 strokes England Syd Wingate [23]
1921 Arthur Day  England Ganton Golf Club 147 4 strokes England Walter Bourne
England Jimmy Johnstone 		10 [24][25]
1922 Jack Gaudin  Jersey Manchester Golf Club 147 1 stroke England Jerry Bond
England John Jarman
England Tom Walton 		[26]
1923 Jack Gaudin  Jersey Hallamshire Golf Club 141 2 strokes England Archie Compston
England Albert Hallam 		[27]
1924 Willie Robertson  England West Lancashire Golf Club 150 1 stroke Jersey Jack Gaudin
England Cedric Sayner 		[28]
1925 Archie Compston  England Keithley Golf Club 140 11 strokes Jersey Thomas Renouf [29]
1926 Archie Compston  England Harrogate Golf Club 143 Playoff
(18 holes) 		England Cyril Fryer 10 [30]
1927 R Leather  England Manchester Golf Club 150 4 strokes England Cedric Sayner [31]
1928 D C Jones  England Oakdale Golf Club (Harrogate) 146 2 strokes England Bill Davies
1929 Abe Mitchell  England North Shore Golf Club 142 1 stroke England Henry Cotton [32]
1930 D C Jones  England Lytham & St Annes Golf Club 148 1 stroke England Jerry Bond
England Bob Kenyon
England Bob Porter 		[33]
1931 Bill Davies  England Harrogate Golf Club 137 6 strokes Scotland Allan Dailey
Scotland Willie McMinn 		[34]
1932 Bob Kenyon  England North Manchester Golf Club 149 Playoff
(18 holes) 		England Fred Taggart [35][36]
1933 Ted Jarman  England Pannal Golf Club 144 Playoff
(18 holes) 		Scotland Jock Ballantine [37]
1934 Jack Busson  England Lancaster Golf Club 140 1 stroke England Dick Burton [38]
1935 Frank Jowle  England Moor Allerton Golf Club 147 Playoff
(18 holes) 		Scotland John Fallon [39][40]
1936 Ted Jarman  England Morecambe Golf Club 142 3 strokes England Harry Busson
England Norman Sutton 		[41]
1937 John Fallon  Scotland Mere Golf and Country Club 142 1 stroke England Harry Busson
England Bert Gadd 		[42]
1938 Jack Busson  England Temple Newsam Golf Club 140 1 stroke England A E Bignell
England Harry Busson 		[43][44]
1939 Bill Davies  England Ormskirk Golf Club 139 1 stroke England Syd Scott [45][46]
1940–45: No tournament
1946 Norman Sutton  England Sand Moor Golf Club 140 5 strokes England Jack Busson [47]
1947 Eric Green  England
1948 Bill Shankland  Australia Heysham Golf Club 140 1 stroke England Alf Perry
1949 John Fallon  Scotland Reddish Vale Golf Club 137 2 strokes England Bob Kenyon
1950 Syd Scott  England Carlisle City Golf Club 148 Playoff
(18 holes) 		England Bob Kenyon

In 1912 McEwan beat Pulford 78 to 83 in the playoff, played the following day. In 1913 Hambleton beat Beck 40 to 43 in the playoff, played the same evening. In 1919 Ray beat Whiting 40 to 46 in the playoff, played the same evening. In 1926 Compston beat Fryer 72 to 76 in the playoff, played the same evening. In 1932 Kenyon beat Taggart 71 to 74 in the playoff, played the following day. In 1933 Jarman beat Ballantine 72 to 74 in the playoff, played the following day. In 1935 Jowle beat Fallon 72 to 73 in the playoff, played the following day. In 1950 Scott beat Kenyon 72 to 76 in the playoff, played the same evening.

The 1904 and 1905 contests were the northern section qualifying events for the News of the World Matchplay. From 1911 to 1914 the cup was awarded to the winner of the northern section qualifying competition for the Sphere and Tatler Foursomes Tournament. From 1920 to 1927 and from 1948 to 1950 the cup was awarded to the winner of the northern section qualifying competition for the Daily Mail Tournament. From 1930 to 1939 and in 1946 and 1947 the cup was awarded to the winner of the northern section qualifying competition for the News of the World Matchplay.

References

  1. ↑ "Another PGA medal haul for Rory". PGA. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "History of Leeds Golf Club". Leeds Golf Club Limited. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Moortown to host Leeds Cup". PGA. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  4. ↑ "Golf". The Times. 10 January 1902. p. 9.
  5. 1 2 "Golf". The Times. 25 March 1902. p. 10.
  6. 1 2 "Golf – Professional competition at Leeds". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 7 May 1902. Retrieved 15 June 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required (help)).
  7. ↑ "The London professional association tournament". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 24 April 1902. Retrieved 15 June 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required (help)).
  8. ↑ "Northern professional tournament". The Glasgow Herald. 7 May 1902. p. 8.
  9. ↑ "Professional challenge cup competition". The Times. 16 July 1903. p. 12.
  10. ↑ "The professional association". The Glasgow Herald. 14 July 1904. p. 10.
  11. ↑ "Professional golfers' association". The Glasgow Herald. 27 July 1905. p. 11.
  12. ↑ "Professional tournament at Wallasey". The Glasgow Herald. 11 July 1906. p. 11.
  13. ↑ "Leeds challenge cup". The Times. 15 May 1907. p. 11.
  14. ↑ "The professional competitions – Northern section". The Glasgow Herald. 14 May 1908. p. 13.
  15. ↑ "Professional competition at Harrogate". The Glasgow Herald. 15 May 1909. p. 13.
  16. ↑ "Northern professional competition – Victory of E Ray". The Glasgow Herald. 12 May 1910. p. 12.
  17. ↑ "Northern competition – Victory of E Ray". The Glasgow Herald. 4 May 1911. p. 12.
  18. ↑ "£350 tournament – Qualifying competitions – At Southport". The Glasgow Herald. 25 Apr 1912. p. 15.
  19. ↑ ""Leeds" challange cup". The Glasgow Herald. 26 Apr 1912. p. 16.
  20. ↑ "Professional golfers' association – Northern section". The Glasgow Herald. 1 May 1913. p. 14.
  21. ↑ "Sphere and Tatler competition – Five qualifying competitions – Northern section". The Times. 30 April 1914. p. 15.
  22. ↑ "Golf – Professional competition at Leeds". The Glasgow Herald. 1 May 1919. p. 3.
  23. ↑ "The £520 tournament". The Glasgow Herald. 22 April 1920. p. 3.
  24. ↑ "Golf – The £600 tournament – Northern section". The Times. 21 April 1921. p. 6.
  25. ↑ "Golf – The £600 tournament – Northern section". The Glasgow Herald. 21 April 1921. p. 3.
  26. ↑ "Golf – The £1000 tournament – Northern section". The Glasgow Herald. 13 April 1922. p. 12.
  27. ↑ "The £1000 tournament". The Glasgow Herald. 12 April 1923. p. 15.
  28. ↑ "£1000 tournament – Trio of holes in one". The Glasgow Herald. 8 May 1924. p. 3.
  29. ↑ "The £1200 tournament – Record play at Keithley". The Glasgow Herald. 2 May 1925. p. 13.
  30. ↑ "The £1200 tournament – Northern section". The Glasgow Herald. 22 April 1926. p. 3.
  31. ↑ "Northern section". The Glasgow Herald. 28 April 1927. p. 4.
  32. ↑ "Mitchell wins Leeds cup". The Glasgow Herald. 6 Jul 1929. p. 3.
  33. ↑ "£1040 tournament – Sectional qualifying rounds – Northern section". The Glasgow Herald. 4 September 1930. p. 3.
  34. ↑ "Golf – Davies and McMinn in form – Lead qualifiers in £1040 tournament". The Glasgow Herald. 13 August 1931. p. 3.
  35. ↑ "Northern qualifiers for £1040 tourney". The Glasgow Herald. 18 August 1932. p. 10.
  36. ↑ "Kenyon wins Leeds cup". The Glasgow Herald. 19 August 1932. p. 10.
  37. ↑ "Golf – The "News of the World" tournament". The Times. 31 August 1933. p. 4.
  38. ↑ "Keen scoring for Leeds challenge cup". The Glasgow Herald. 2 August 1934. p. 16.
  39. ↑ "Northern professionals' competition". The Times. 18 July 1935. p. 7.
  40. ↑ "Leeds Cup replay". The Times. 19 July 1935. p. 5.
  41. ↑ "£1250 professional tournament – Qualifying surprises in northern section". The Glasgow Herald. 8 September 1936. p. 17.
  42. ↑ "Scot wins Leeds Cup – Alliss's task in £1250 tourney". The Glasgow Herald. 19 August 1937. p. 3.
  43. ↑ "£1,250 tournament – Alliss and Adams fail to qualify". The Times. 26 August 1938. p. 6.
  44. ↑ "Qualifying play surprises – Alliss and Adams fail in £1250 tourney". The Glasgow Herald. 26 August 1938. p. 20.
  45. ↑ "£1,250 tournament – W H Davies retains his form". The Times. 25 August 1939. p. 4.
  46. ↑ "Open golf champion fails to qualify – Adams and Fallon on same mark". The Glasgow Herald. 25 August 1939. p. 20.
  47. ↑ "N Sutton leads golf qualifiers". The Glasgow Herald. 1 August 1946. p. 20.
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