Coombe Hill Assistants' Tournament

The Coombe Hill Assistants' Tournament was a professional golf tournament for assistant professionals played from 1951 to 1964.

Coombe Hill Assistants' Tournament
Tournament information
LocationKingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey, England
Established1951
Course(s)Coombe Hill Golf Club
Month playedMay
Final year1964
Final champion
Tony Jacklin
Coombe Hill Golf Club
Location in England

History

The Coombe Hill Club had held a 36-hole tournament for southern assistants for a few years before 1951. However, in 1951 the P.G.A. cancelled the PGA Assistants' Championship, leading the Coombe Hill Golf Club to open up their tournament to all assistants, and extending the event from 36 to 72 holes. It was later decided that the Gor-Ray Cup at Hartsbourne Golf Club would become the official Assistants' Championship. The Coombe Hill Assistants' Tournament acted as one of the two qualifying events for the Championship.

In 1952 the event was not open to foreign assistants.[1] The event acted as the sole qualifying event for the Gor-Ray Cup in 1952 and 1953. With the Gor-Ray Cup becoming a 72-hole stroke-play event in 1954 the Coombe Hill Assistants' Tournament used a format similar to that previously used for the Gor-Ray Cup. There was a 36 stroke-play qualification stage, after which the leading 16 played match-play. In the 1954 event, assistants who had finished fourth or higher in a PGA tournament were not eligible to play.[2] The event reverted to 72-hole medal play in 1955.

Coombe Hill hosted the PGA Assistants' Championship in 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1987.

Winners

YearWinnerCountryScoreMargin
of victory
Runner(s)-upWinner's
share (£)
Ref
1951Peter Mills England29111 strokes Arthur Devulder100[3]
1952Bernard Hunt England2838 strokes Peter Mills75[4]
1953Bernard Hunt England2778 strokes Fred Boobyer[5]
1954Jimmy Martin Ireland19 holes Peter Mills100[6]
1955Peter Mills England2843 strokes Peter Butler
Len Roberts
100[7]
1956Alex Fox Scotland2861 stroke David Beard100[8]
1957George Low Scotland2801 stroke Neil Coles100[9]
1958Ross Whitehead England2862 strokes A H Freeman
Geoffrey Hunt
100[10]
1959Peter Gill England281Playoff
(6 holes)
Billy Bingham100[11]
1960Neil Coles England2801 stroke Lionel Platts100[12]
1961Lionel Platts England2806 strokes Len Roberts[13]
1962Geoffrey Hunt England2746 strokes Len Roberts[14]
1963Alex Caygill England2162 strokes Malcolm Gregson
Tony Jacklin
100[15]
1964Tony Jacklin England2851 stroke Adrian Sadler100[16]

The 1963 event was held at Selsdon Park Golf Club because of reconstruction work at Coombe Hill. Because of heavy rain on the first day, the tournament was reduced to 54 holes. The 1964 event was held at Hill Barn Golf Club, Worthing.

References

  1. "Golf – Professional Tournaments". The Times. 9 January 1952. p. 4.
  2. "Golf assistants at Coombe Hill". The Times. 13 May 1954. p. 4.
  3. "Assistants' Tournament". The Times. 11 May 1951. p. 2.
  4. "Assistant's 64 at Coombe Hill". The Glasgow Herald. 9 May 1952. p. 7.
  5. "Assistant's tournament". The Glasgow Herald. 24 April 1953. p. 9.
  6. "Assistants' fine golf". The Glasgow Herald. 15 May 1954. p. 4.
  7. "Mills leading assistants". The Glasgow Herald. 13 May 1955. p. 4.
  8. "Scot wins assistants' title". The Glasgow Herald. 11 May 1956. p. 4.
  9. "Low wins tournament by one stroke". The Glasgow Herald. 24 May 1957. p. 4.
  10. "Whitehead wins assistants' event". The Glasgow Herald. 31 May 1958. p. 7.
  11. "Assistants' win for P E Gill". The Glasgow Herald. 29 May 1959. p. 11.
  12. "Assistants' win for Coles". The Glasgow Herald. 27 May 1960. p. 13.
  13. "Assistants' event won by Platts". The Glasgow Herald. 19 May 1961. p. 13.
  14. "Assistants' title well won by G M Hunt". The Glasgow Herald. 11 May 1962. p. 13.
  15. "G A Caygill's victory at Selsdon Park". The Glasgow Herald. 27 September 1963. p. 6.
  16. "Jacklin wins by a stroke". The Glasgow Herald. 23 May 1964. p. 5.
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