North Coast Open

Golf tournament

The North Coast Open was a professional golf tournament in Australia from 1951 to 1975.[1]

## History

[edit]

It was always held at Coffs Harbour Golf Club in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales.[1][2] It was a PGA Tour of Australia event from 1973 to 1975.[1]

The name "North Coast Open" was not used until the 1953 championship, the first two events being referred to as Coffs Harbour Golf Club £200 Professional Purse.[3] Initially the event was played over 36 holes, increasing to 54 holes in 1959, and 72 holes in 1962.

The 1974 event was the largest with 188 players; 119 professionals and 69 amateurs. It also had its highest hitherto purse at $A8,000.[4]

## Winners

[edit]

Year | Winner | Country | Score | To par | Margin
of victory | Runner(s)-up | Ref

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

North Coast Open
1975 | Vaughan Somers |  Australia | 279 | −9 | 2 strokes |  Noel Ratcliffe | [5]
1974 | Allan Cooper |  Australia | 278 | −10 | 5 strokes |  Rob McNaughton | [6]
1973 | Stewart Ginn |  Australia | 279 | −9 | 5 strokes |  Tom Linskey | [7]
1972 | Terry Kendall |  New Zealand | 282 | −6 | 1 stroke |  Bill Dunk | [8]
1971 | Bill Dunk (4) |  Australia | 269 | −19 | 10 strokes |  Randall Vines | [9]
1970 | Bill Dunk (3) |  Australia | 212 | −4 | 5 strokes |  Peter Harvey
Randall Vines | [10]
1969 | Tony Mangan |  Australia | 291 | +3 | 3 strokes |  David Graham | [11]
1968 | Vic Bennetts |  Australia | 283 | −5 | 2 strokes |  Les Wilson | [12]
1967 | Bill Dunk (2) |  Australia | 288 | E | 5 strokes |  Bob Swinbourne | [13]
1966 | Bill Dunk |  Australia | 276 | −12 | 1 stroke |  Col Johnston | [14]
1965 | Norman Von Nida |  Australia | 284 | −2 | Playoff |  Jack Donald | [15]
1964 | Ron Howell |  United States | 278 | −10 | 1 stroke |  Bill Dunk | [16]
1963 | Alan Murray |  Australia | 278 | −10 | 4 strokes |  Col Johnston | [17]
1962 | Frank Phillips (2) |  Australia | 272 | −16 | 8 strokes |  Stan Peach | [18]
1961 | Len Woodward |  Australia | 211 | −5 | 2 strokes |  Stan Leonard | [19]
North Coast Open Championship and Ampol Purse
1960 | Frank Phillips |  Australia | 211 | −5 | 1 stroke |  Peter Thomson | [20]
1959 | John Sullivan |  Australia | 212 | +2 | 1 stroke |  Frank Phillips
Les Wilson | [21]
1958 | Bruce Crampton |  Australia | 138 | −2 | 2 strokes |  Eric Cremin
Frank Phillips
Darrell Welch | [22]
1957 | Gary Player (2) |  South Africa | 135 | −5 | 1 stroke |  Eric Cremin | [23]
1956 | Gary Player |  South Africa | 136 | −4 | Playoff |  Norm Berwick | [24]
North Coast Open Championship
1955 | Kel Nagle (4) |  Australia | 138 |  | 6 strokes |  Eric Cremin
Jim McInnes | [25]
1954 | Kel Nagle (3) |  Australia | 136 |  | 4 strokes |  Frank Phillips | [26][27]
1953 | Allan Myers |  Australia | 135 |  | 1 stroke |  Eric Cremin | [3]
Coffs Harbour Professional Purse
1952 | Kel Nagle (2) |  Australia | 141 |  | 1 stroke |  Jim McInnes | [28]
1951 | Kel Nagle |  Australia | 134 |  | 5 strokes |  Eric Cremin | [29][30]

The 1970 event was reduced to 54 holes by bad weather. In 1956 Player beat Berwick in a playoff for the championship but they were tied when determining the prize money.

Source:[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d 2006 Media Guide. PGA Tour of Australasia. p. 168.
2. ^ "North Coast Championship for Coffs Harbour". Coffs Harbour Advocate. 16 January 1953. p. 10 - via Trove.
3. ^ a b "North Coast Open Golf Championship Won by Young Bexley Professional". Coffs Harbour Advocate. New South Wales, Australia. 22 September 1953. p. 1. Retrieved 11 February 2020 - via Trove.
4. ^ "Open Field a Record". Bananacoast Opinion. Coffs Harbour, NSW. 3 October 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
5. ^ "Somers' 69 settles it". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 October 1975. p. 16.
6. ^ "Golf 'old head' in youth's fling". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 October 1974. p. 22.
7. ^ "Ginn charges past a 'shaky' Godfrey". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 October 1973. p. 14.
8. ^ "Kendall's coast golf 66 beats Dunk". The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 October 1972. p. 22.
9. ^ "Dunk 'hot' in 19 under Open win". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 October 1971. p. 16.
10. ^ "Dunks 51st record". The Age. 23 November 1970. p. 25.
11. ^ "Mangan pulls off 100-1 Open". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 November 1969. p. 13.
12. ^ "Bennetts gets golf title but no prize money". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 November 1968. p. 12.
13. ^ "Dunk coasts to easy triumph". The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 November 1967. p. 14.
14. ^ "Dunk pressed but wins by stroke". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 November 1966. p. 14.
15. ^ "Open golf win to von Nida". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 November 1965. p. 14.
16. ^ "N. Coast Open to Howell". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 October 1964. p. 16.
17. ^ "Murray by 4 strokes". The Sydney Morning Herald. 14 October 1963. p. 19.
18. ^ "Brilliant Golf by Phillips". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 November 1962. p. 20.
19. ^ "Woodward by Two Strokes". The Age. 6 November 1961. p. 17.
20. ^ "Phillips wins golf purse". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 November 1960. p. 20.
21. ^ "Sullivan wins golf open and purse". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 October 1959. p. 12.
22. ^ "£1,000 purse to Bruce Crampton". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 October 1958. p. 12.
23. ^ "Close Golf Victory to Player". The Sydney Morning Herald. 14 October 1957. p. 14.
24. ^ "Player, Berwick Share Purse". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 October 1956. p. 13.
25. ^ "Six-stroke Win to Kel Nagle". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 September 1955. p. 12.
26. ^ "Third North Coast Open Title To Nagle". Daily Examiner. New South Wales, Australia. 27 September 1954. p. 7. Retrieved 11 February 2020 - via Trove.
27. ^ "Purse To Kel Nagle". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 September 1954. p. 9.
28. ^ "Kel Nagle Wins At Coffs Harbour". Daily Examiner. New South Wales, Australia. 6 October 1952. p. 3. Retrieved 11 February 2020 - via Trove.
29. ^ "Jubilee Purse to Kel Nagle". Daily Examiner. New South Wales, Australia. 17 September 1951. p. 5. Retrieved 11 February 2020 - via Trove.
30. ^ "Nagle Too Strong". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 September 1951. p. 7.