Penfold Tournament Was a Long-Running Euro Event

The Penfold Tournament was a professional golf tournament on the British circuit that preceded the European Tour, and, briefly, on the young European Tour itself. It was played over four decades, beginning in the 1930s.

First played: 1932

Last played: 1974

Percy Alliss won twice prior to World War II, and his son Peter Alliss won in the 1960s. Harry Weetman won four of the six times the Penfold was played from 1957-62, the tournament record for wins, and was runner-up one of the other years in that stretch.

Henry Cotton's victory in the 1954 Penfold Tournament was the 30th and last of his major European wins. One year later, Christy O'Connor Sr. won the 1955 tournament for the first of his 22 career wins in major European events. O'Connor Sr. was also twice runner-up. Christy O'Connor Jr. did not win this tournament, but did finish second in 1972, three years after Senior's last runner-up showing. (They were not father-son, but rather uncle-nephew.)

The tournament's 72-hole scoring record was 266, set by Ken Bousfield in 1961. The largest margin of victory was the nine strokes by which Bernhard Hunt won in 1963. ... The European Tour's inaugural season was 1972, and the final three years the Penfold Tournament was played it was part of that new tour.

Also known as: Penfold Bournemouth Tournament, Swallow-Penfold Tournament, Penfold-Bournemouth Festival of Britain Tournament

Winners of the Penfold Tournament

1932 — Percy Alliss, 278
1933 — John Burton, 292
1934 — Reg Whitcombe, 284 (def. Mark Seymour in playoff)
1935 — Percy Alliss, 273
1936 — Jimmy Adams, 287 (def. Tom Collinge in playoff)
1937-45 — Not played
1946 — Norman Sutton, 287
1947 — Dai Rees, Norman Von Nida and Reg Whitcombe, 270 (tie)
1948 — Fred Daly, 273
1949 — John Burton/Max Faulkner def. Ken Bousfied/Dai Rees, 1-up(team match play format)
1950 — Norman Sutton/Joan Gee def. Sam King/Audrey Barrett, 1-up (mixed team match play format)
1951 — Arthur Lees, 278
1952 — Eric Brown def. Laurie Ayton Jr., 6 and 5 (match play)
1953 — Arthur Lees def. Ken Bousfied, 2-up (match play)
1954 — Henry Cotton def. John Jacobs, 5 and 4 (match play)
1955 — Christy O'Connor Sr., 292
1956 — Eric Lester, 275
1957 — Harry Weetman, 270
1958 — Harry Weetman, 289 (def. Harry Bradshaw in playoff)
1959 — Peter Butler, 280
1960 — Harry Weetman, 271
1961 — Ken Bousfield, 266
1962 — Harry Weetman, 280
1963 — Bernard Hunt, 272
1964 — Peter Alliss, 293
1965 — Angel Miguel, 287 (def. Lionel Platts in playoff)
1966 — Dave Thomas, 281
1967 — John Cockin, 275 (def. Stan Peach in playoff)
1968 — Peter Butler, 281 (def. Dave Thomas in playoff)
1969 — Alex Caygill, 278
1970 — Bernard Hunt, 271
1971 — Neil Coles, 284
1972 — Peter Oosterhuis, 285 (def. Christy O'Connor Jr. in playoff)
1973 — Eddie Polland, 281
1974 — Tommy Horton, 272

Golf Courses: The tournament visited many courses around Great Britain, including: Royal Porthcawl, Sutton Coldfield, Stoke Park, Gleneagles, Southport & Ainsdale and Prestwick.