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Leeds Cup
Plaque on Leeds Golf Club clubhouse where the cup was first played
Tournament information
Established1902
Course(s)Leeds Golf Club (2024)
Current champion
Paul Kinnear (2024)

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

[edit]

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

[edit]
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
Scotland 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 Jr.  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 Keighley 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 Robert Leather  England Manchester Golf Club 150 4 strokes England Cedric Sayner [31]
1928 D. C. Jones  Wales 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  Wales 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 Alf 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 Morecambe Golf Club 135 Playoff
(36 holes)		 England Frank Jowle [48][49]
1948 Bill Shankland  Australia Heysham Golf Club 140 1 stroke England Alf Perry [50]
1949 John Fallon  Scotland Reddish Vale Golf Club 137 2 strokes England Bob Kenyon [51]
1950 Syd Scott  England Carlisle City Golf Club 148 Playoff
(18 holes)		 England Bob Kenyon [52]
1951 Norman Sutton  England Heysham Golf Club 142 Playoff
(18 holes)		 England George Howard [53]
1952 Syd Scott  England Worsley Golf Club 145 3 strokes England Bill Branch
England John Jacobs
England Ben Shelton		 [54]
1953 Syd Scott  England Harrogate Golf Club 137 2 strokes Scotland John Fallon
England Ben Shelton		 [55]
1954 Bill Branch  England Blackpool Park Golf Club 138 1 stroke Scotland John Fallon [56]
1955 Syd Scott  England Huddersfield Golf Club 146 1 stroke South Africa Gary Player [57]
1956 Eric Lester  England Scarcroft Golf Club 136 1 stroke England Syd Scott [58]
1957–58: Not contested
1959 Tom Fairbairn  England Rotherham Golf Club 137 2 strokes England Tony Coop [59]
1960: Not contested
1961 George Parton  England Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club 142 2 strokes South Africa Harold Henning [60]
1962 Hedley Muscroft  England Heysham Golf Club 139 Playoff
(5 holes)		 England Malcolm Hill [61]
1963: Not contested
1964 Alex Caygill  England
1965 Tony Coop  England Manchester Golf Club 141 1 stroke England Mack Gunn
England Jack Wilkshire		 [62]
1966 David Naylor  England Manchester Golf Club 141 4 strokes England B Allen [63]
1967 Alex Caygill  England Manchester Golf Club 140 [64]
1968 Bryon Hutchinson  England Manchester Golf Club 140 4 strokes England B Allen
England Fred Boobyer
England Nigel Casson (a)
England Jimmy Hume
England Sandy Wilson		 [65]
1969 Bryon Hutchinson  England Manchester Golf Club 142 1 stroke England Fred Boobyer
England George Tomlinson		 [66]
1970 Hedley Muscroft  England Leeds Golf Club 139 1 stroke England Bryon Hutchinson [67]
1971 Bryon Hutchinson  England Scarcroft Golf Club 135 4 strokes England Mack Gunn [68]
1972 Bryon Hutchinson  England Carlisle Golf Club 138 3 strokes England Alex Caygill
Wales David Vaughan		 [69]
1973 Alex Caygill  England Pontefract Golf Club 138 4 strokes England Mike Ingham
Wales Lionel Platts		 [70]
1974: Not contested
1975 David Dunk  England Scarcroft Golf Club 136 4 strokes England Ian Mosey [71]
1976 David Dunk  England Scarcroft Golf Club 144 Playoff England Brian Evans [72]

Source:[73]

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 1947 Green beat Jowle 137 to 139 in the playoff, played the following day. In 1950 Scott beat Kenyon 72 to 76 in the playoff, played the same evening. In 1951 Sutton beat Howard 68 to 75 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, 1947, 1951, 1955 and 1961 the cup was awarded to the winner of the northern section qualifying competition for the News of the World Matchplay. From 1952 to 1954 the cup was held in connection with qualifying for the Goodwin Foursomes. In 1956 it was held in connection with qualifying for the Goodwin Tournament and similarly in 1959 for the Sherwood Forest Foursomes Tournament.

In 1937 the event was combined with the 72-hole Northern Professional Championship; the Leeds Cup and qualifying for the News of the World Matchplay being based on the first two rounds. Ties for qualifying places were determined by the third round scores in the Northern Professional Championship.[74] The same system was used in 1946 when the Northern Professional Championship was revived.[75] In 1947 the Northern Professional Championship was reduced to 36 holes and the two events were combined.[76] 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 being used for the News of the World Matchplay qualifying.[77] The Daily Mail Tournament was not held in 1951 and the Leeds Cup was contested, as in 1947, at the same time as the Northern Professional Championship.

References

[edit]
  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. ^ a b "Moortown to host Leeds Cup". PGA. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  4. ^ "Golf". The Times. 10 January 1902. p. 9.
  5. ^ a b "Golf". The Times. 25 March 1902. p. 10.
  6. ^ a b "Golf – Professional competition at Leeds". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 7 May 1902. Retrieved 15 June 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "The London professional association tournament". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 24 April 1902. Retrieved 15 June 2015 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  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 April 1912. p. 15.
  19. ^ ""Leeds" challenge cup". The Glasgow Herald. 26 April 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 July 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. 6.
  48. ^ "Green and Jowle tie at Morecambe". The Guardian. 29 August 1947. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  49. ^ "E. Green (Hurst Park)". The Guardian. 30 August 1947. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  50. ^ "Shankland wins cup". The Guardian. 23 April 1948. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  51. ^ "J. Fallon leads the qualifiers". The Guardian. 29 April 1949. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  52. ^ ""Daliy Mail" group qualifiers". The Guardian. 2 April 1950. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  53. ^ "Sutton's play-off win". The Glasgow Herald. 20 July 1951. p. 6.
  54. ^ "Qualifiers for Sheffield". The Guardian. 30 May 1952. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  55. ^ "Scott keeps his lead". The Guardian. 30 May 1953. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  56. ^ "Leeds Cup for Branch". The Guardian. 4 June 1954. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  57. ^ "Scott again wins Leeds Cup". The Guardian. 28 July 1955. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  58. ^ "Leeds Cup for Lester". The Guardian. 17 August 1956. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  59. ^ "Fairbairn wins a long last". The Guardian. 14 August 1959. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  60. ^ "Surprise winner". The Glasgow Herald. 22 August 1961. p. 5.
  61. ^ "Play-off decides". The Glasgow Herald. 29 June 1962. p. 11.
  62. ^ "Coop keeps going to victory". The Guardian. 20 August 1965. p. 6.
  63. ^ "Naylor's splendid rounds". The Guardian. 30 July 1966. p. 12.
  64. ^ "Caygill does it". The Guardian. 29 July 1967. p. 11.
  65. ^ "Victory well earned". The Guardian. 27 July 1968. p. 14.
  66. ^ "Hutchinson retains Leeds Cup". The Guardian. 7 August 1969. p. 15.
  67. ^ "Muscroft makes up lost ground". The Guardian. 3 October 1970. p. 19.
  68. ^ "Melling slips to third". The Guardian. 29 May 1971. p. 17.
  69. ^ "Hutchinson retains Leeds Cup". The Guardian. 6 May 1972. p. 17.
  70. ^ "Caygill leaves Yorks in style". The Guardian. 5 May 1973. p. 21.
  71. ^ "Double for Dunk". The Guardian. 22 August 1975. p. 19.
  72. ^ "Dunk keeps cup". The Guardian. 6 August 1976. p. 18.
  73. ^ "The Leeds Cup winners". Leeds Golf Club. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  74. ^ "Northern title retained – Alliss wins professional championship". The Glasgow Herald. 20 August 1937. p. 7.
  75. ^ "Sutton wins Northern championship". The Glasgow Herald. 2 August 1946. p. 6.
  76. ^ "Test for our Ryder Cup nominees". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. 27 August 1947. Retrieved 28 June 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  77. ^ "Perry's success". The Guardian. 27 August 1948. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
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