Martini International Golf Tournament

The Martini International is a former golf tournament on the European Tour (and its predecessor circuit), played throughout Great Britain from the 1960s through the early 1980s. Many of the top British golfers of that era were among the winners.

First played: 1961

Last played: 1983

At the 1971 Martini International, the last one played before it became an event on the modern European Tour, John Hudson made aces on back-to-back holes during a tournament round. That would be remarkable enough on its own, but one of those aces also happened on a par-4 hole. In the second round, Hudson aced the par-3, 195-yard 11th hole. Then, on the downhill par-4 12th hole, which measured 311 yards, he aced again using a driver.

During a round in the 1973 tournament, Paul Leonard recorded three eagles and five birdies. At the time, it was the European Tour record for most combined eagles and birdies in a single round.

The first and last times this tournament was played, it ended in a playoff. But in-between, there were six years in which two golfers shared the title because the tournament chose not to hold a playoff.

Greg Norman was a 3-time winner. Norman's first career win on the European Tour was the 1977 Martini International. And his second was this tournament in 1979. Seve Ballasteros and Peter Thomson were among the two-time champs. The 72-hole scoring record of 268 was first established by Doug Sewell and Thomson in 1970 (one of the years with a shared title), then matched in the tournament's final year (1983) by Nick Faldo.

Also known as: No other names used.

Winners of the Martini International

1983 — Nick Faldo, 268 (def. Jose Maria Canizares in playoff)
1982 — Bernard Gallacher, 277
1981 — Greg Norman, 287
1980 — Seve Ballesteros, 286
1979 — Greg Norman, 288
1978 — Seve Ballesteros, 270
1977 — Greg Norman, 277
1976 — Sam Torrance, 280
1975 — (tie) Christy O'Connor Jr. and Ian Stanley, 279 (no playoff)
1974 — Stewart Ginn, 286
1973 — Maurice Bembridge, 279
1972 — Brian Barnes, 277
1971 — Bernard Gallacher, 282
1970 — (tie) Douglas Sewell and Peter Thomson, 268 (no playoff)
1969 — (tie) Alex Caygill and Graham Henning, 282 (no playoff)
1968 — Brian Huggett, 278
1967 — (tie) Malcolm Gregson and Brian Huggett, 279 (no playoff)
1966 — (tie) Peter Alliss and Bill Large, 275 (no playoff)
1965 — Peter Butler, 275
1964 — Christy O'Connor Sr., 286
1963 — (tie) Neil Coles and Christy O'Connor Sr., 298 (no playoff)
1962 — Peter Thomson, 275
1961 — Bernard Hunt, 270 (def. George Low in playoff)

Golf Courses: Played throughout the UK, rotating mostly annually. The most frequently used course was Wentworth Club. Among the other host sites were Royal Liverpool, The Old Course at St. Andrews, Fulford, Royal Norwich and Royal North Devon.

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