Tooting Bec Cup

The Tooting Bec Cup is a trophy currently awarded by the Professional Golfers' Association of Great Britain and Ireland to the association member born in, or with a parent or parents born in, the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland who returns the lowest single-round score in The Open Championship.[1][2][3]

Inaugurated in 1901 the Tooting Bec Challenge Cup was originally a separate competition. From 1910 it was awarded to the winner of a southern section qualifying competition for a major tournament and then since 1924 it has been awarded to the best round in The Open Championship by a British or Irish member of the PGA. It is the PGA's oldest trophy, predating the northern section's Leeds Cup which was first contested in 1902.[4]

## History

[edit]

The Tooting Bec Challenge Cup was originally a 36-hole stroke play tournament organised by the London and Counties Professional Golfers' Association, the forerunner of the Professional Golfers' Association. The tournament was held on 15 October 1901 at the Tooting Bec Golf Club, Furzedown and the cup was donated by the Tooting Bec club. Of the 50 members who entered 46 played. J.H. Taylor won the event and was presented with the cup by the club captain, Norman Bailey.[5] With the formation of the PGA in late 1901, the cup became an event organised by the southern section of the PGA.

Since 1924, it has not been a standalone tournament, and the trophy has been awarded to the PGA member from the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland who records the lowest single-round score in the Open. The precise qualification rule has varied. Henry Cotton did not receive it in 1934, despite his rounds of 65 and 67, because at the time the award went "to the member of P.G.A. living in Great Britain who accomplishes the best single round during the championship" and Cotton was then living in Belgium.[6]

## Winners

[edit]

Year | Player(s) | Score

|
|

2024 | Shane Lowry[7] | 66
2023 | Tommy Fleetwood[8] | 66
2022 | Rory McIlroy[9] | 66
Matt Fitzpatrick
Tyrrell Hatton
Tommy Fleetwood
2021 | Shane Lowry[10] | 65
2020 | Not awarded
2019 | Danny Willett[11] | 65
2018 |
2017 | Paul Casey[12] | 66
Ross Fisher[13]
2016 | Rory McIlroy | 67
2015 | Pádraig Harrington | 65
2014 | Rory McIlroy | 66
2013 | Ian Poulter | 67
2012 | Paul Lawrie | 65
2011 | Darren Clarke | 68
Graeme McDowell
2010 | Andrew Coltart | 66
2009 | Luke Donald | 67
2008 | David Howell | 67
2007 | Pádraig Harrington | 67
Paul McGinley
2006 | Greg Owen | 67
2005 | Colin Montgomerie | 66
2004 | Lee Westwood | 67
2003 | Nick Faldo | 67
2002 | Colin Montgomerie | 64
2001 | Colin Montgomerie | 65
Des Smyth
2000 | Darren Clarke | 68
Pádraig Harrington
Dean Robertson
1999 | Paul Lawrie | 67
1998 | Andrew Coltart | 68
Philip Walton
1997 | Stephen Ames | 66
Darren Clarke
David Tapping
1996 | Paul Broadhurst | 65
Paul McGinley
1995 | Nick Faldo | 67
1994 | Nick Faldo | 64
1993 | Nick Faldo | 63
1992 | Nick Faldo | 64
1991 | Roger Chapman | 66
Eamonn Darcy
1990 | Paul Broadhurst | 63
1989 | Wayne Stephens | 66
1988 | Sandy Lyle | 67
1987 | Ross Drummond | 66
1986 | Gordon J. Brand | 68
1985 | Christy O'Connor Jnr | 64
1984 | Sam Torrance | 66
1983 | Denis Durnian | 66
1982 | Sandy Lyle | 66
1981 | Gordon J. Brand | 65
1980 | Ken Brown | 68
Eamonn Darcy
Bill McColl
1979 | Bill Longmuir | 65
1978 | Gary Cullen | 67
1977 | Tommy Horton | 65
1976 | Mark James | 66
1975 | Maurice Bembridge | 67
Neil Coles
Bernard Gallacher
David Huish
1974 | John Garner | 69
John Morgan
Peter Townsend
1973 | Neil Coles | 66
1972 | Harry Bannerman | 67
Guy Hunt
Tony Jacklin
1971 | Peter Oosterhuis | 66
1970 | Neil Coles | 65
1969 | Christy O'Connor Snr | 65
1968 | Brian Barnes | 70
Gordon Cunningham
1967 | Hugh Boyle | 68
Lionel Platts
1966 | Peter Butler | 65
1965 | Brian Huggett | 68
1964 | Malcolm Gregson | 67
Bernard Hunt
1963 | Tom Haliburton | 68
Christy O'Connor Snr
1962 | Syd Scott | 68
1961 | Christy O'Connor Snr | 67
1960 | Bernard Hunt | 66
1959 | Peter Alliss | 67
1958 | Eric Brown | 65
1957 | Laurie Ayton, Jnr | 67
Eric Brown
John Fallon
1956 | Dennis Smalldon | 68
1955 | John Fallon | 67
1954 | Jack Hargreaves | 67
Syd Scott
1953 | Dai Rees | 70
Eric Lester
1952 | Fred Daly | 67
1951 | Jimmy Adams | 68
Charlie Ward
1950 | Fred Daly | 66
1949 | Jimmy Adams | 67
Ken Bousfield
1948 | Henry Cotton | 66
1947 | Laurie Ayton, Jnr | 69
Henry Cotton
1939 | Dick Burton | 70
Jack Busson
Max Faulkner
1938 | Dick Burton | 69
Jack Busson
1937 | Reg Whitcombe | 70
1936 | Bill Branch | 68
1935 | Alf Perry | 67
1934 | Bill Davies | 68
1933 | Abe Mitchell | 68
1932 | Arthur Havers | 68
1931 | Held in abeyance
1930 | Archie Compston | 68
1929 | Percy Alliss | 69
1928 | Held in abeyance
1927 | Fred Robson | 69
1926 | Held in abeyance
1925 | Ted Ray | 73
1924 | Ernest Whitcombe | 70

## Tournament winners

[edit]

This table gives details of the tournament winners from 1901 to 1923. From 1910 the cup was awarded to the winner of a qualifying competition for a major tournament.

Year | Winner | Country | Venue | Score | Margin
of victory | Runner(s)-up | Winner's
share (£) | Ref

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1901 | J.H. Taylor |  England | Tooting Bec Golf Club | 149 | 3 strokes |  James Hepburn
Rowland Jones |  | [5]
1902 | James Braid |  Scotland | Romford Golf Club | 148 | 6 strokes |  Ralph Smith |  | [14]
1903 | James Braid |  Scotland | Hanger Hill Golf Club | 148 | 3 strokes |  Harry Vardon
Jack White |  | [15]
1904 | James Braid |  Scotland | West Middlesex Golf Club | 147 | Playoff
(18 holes) |  John McLaren |  | [16]
1905 | Alfred Toogood |  England | Northwood Golf Club | 150 | 1 stroke |  J.H. Taylor |  | [17]
1906 | William Lonie |  Scotland | Ashford Manor Golf Club | 152 | 4 strokes |  Wilfrid Reid |  | [18]
1907 | James Braid |  Scotland | South Herts Golf Club | 151 | 3 strokes |  J.H. Taylor |  | [19]
1908 | Rowland Jones |  England | Neasden Golf Club | 153 | Playoff
(18 holes) |  Ernest Gray |  | [20]
1909 | James Sherlock |  England | Maidenhead Golf Club | 149 | 4 strokes |  James Braid |  | [21]
1910 | James Sherlock |  England | Stoke Poges Golf Club | 148 | 4 strokes |  Tom Ball
Ernest Gaudin
Charles Mayo
Tom Vardon |  | [22]
1911 | Harry Vardon |  Jersey | Banstead Downs Golf Club | 154 | Playoff
(18 holes) |  Wilfrid Reid |  | [23][24]
1912 | Phil Gaudin |  Jersey | Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club | 147 | Playoff
(18 holes) |  James Braid |  | [25][26]
1913 | Ted Ray |  Jersey | Old Fold Manor Golf Club | 145 | Playoff
(18 holes) |  James Batley |  | [27][28][29]
1914–19: No tournament
1920 | Ted Ray |  Jersey | Worplesdon Golf Club | 149 | 1 stroke |  Abe Mitchell | 10 | [30]
1921 | Arnaud Massy |  France | Cooden Beach Golf Club | 147 | 1 stroke |  Fred Robson
Ted Ray | 25 | [31]
1922: No tournament
1923 | George Duncan |  Scotland | Purley Downs Golf Club | 142 | 2 strokes |  Ted Ray |  | [32]

In 1904 the PGA experimented with handicaps and John McLaren, a new professional, was one of six professionals to receive strokes. Vardon won the playoff, played the same evening, scoring 76 to McLaren's 81−3=78.[33] The 1908 playoff was also played in the evening after the tournament.

The 1910 event was planned for 11 May at Banstead Downs but was cancelled because of the death of Edward VII. The cup was awarded to the winner of the southern section qualifying competition for the News of the World Match Play.

In 1911 it was to be awarded to the winner of the southern section qualifying competition for the Sphere and Tatler Foursomes Tournament. Vardon and Reid tied in the qualifying event and had a playoff two days later to determine the winner of the cup. Vardon won with a score of 76 to Reid's 78.

Because of congestion during the 1911 qualifying, the 1912 southern section qualifying competition for the Sphere and Tatler tournament was played on two courses. Half played at West Herts Golf Club and half at Purley Downs Golf Club. Phil Gaudin and James Braid led their respective events, both scoring 147, and a playoff between them would determine the winner of the cup. The playoff did not take place for nearly a year, being played on 31 March 1913 at Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club. Gaudin scored 76 to Braid's 81.

The same system was used in 1913. Half played at Fulwell Golf Club and half at Denham Golf Club. At Fulwell, Rowland Jones and Ted Ray tied on 145 while at Denham, James Batley and Harry Vardon led on 152. A playoff between the four players would determine the winner of the cup. As in 1912, the playoff did not take place for nearly a year, being played on 14 April 1914 at Thorpe Hall Golf Club. 18 holes were played and resulted in another tie. Batley and Ray scoring 74, with Jones on 77 and Vardon on 78. There was then a further playoff on 20 April 1914 at Old Fold Manor Golf Club. Again 18 holes were played, Ray winning with a score of 74 to Batley's 76.

In 1920, 1921 and 1923 the trophy was awarded to the winner of the southern section qualifying competition for the Daily Mail Tournament.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Tooting Bec Cup". PGA. Archived from the original on 30 April 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2009.
2. ^ "Tooting Bec Cup". PGA European Tour. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
3. ^ "The Open's prized silverware". PGA. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
4. ^ "Another PGA medal haul for Rory". PGA. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
5. ^ a b "London and Counties Professional Golfers' Association". The Times. 16 October 1901. p. 9.
6. ^ "Awards for Cotton and Davies". The Times. 2 August 1934. p. 4.
7. ^ "Lowry and Rose honoured by the PGA". The PGA. 18 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
8. ^ "McIlroy and Fleetwood add to their PGA trophy collection". The PGA. 14 September 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
9. ^ "McIlroy presented with PGA's Open Championship medals at Wentworth". The PGA. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
10. ^ "Lowry doubles up in The Open by winning two PGA awards". The PGA. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
11. ^ "Danny Willett of England is presented with the Tooting Bec Cup". Getty Images. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
12. ^ The PGA (23 May 2018). "Historic honour". Twitter. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
13. ^ The PGA (23 May 2018). "Medal winner". Twitter. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
14. ^ "Professional competition at Romford". The Times. 18 September 1902. p. 10.
15. ^ "Professional Golfers' Association". The Times. 13 May 1903. p. 9.
16. ^ "Professional Golfers' Association". The Times. 5 May 1904. p. 12.
17. ^ "Professional Golfers' Association's tournament". The Times. 4 May 1905. p. 12.
18. ^ "Professional Golfers' Association". The Times. 26 April 1906. p. 11.
19. ^ "Professional Golfers' Association". The Times. 16 May 1907. p. 12.
20. ^ "Professional Golfers' Association". The Times. 14 May 1908. p. 19.
21. ^ "Tooting Bec Cup competition". The Times. 13 May 1909. p. 18.
22. ^ "The £240 competition – Southern section". The Times. 21 July 1910. p. 18.
23. ^ "Southern professional tournament". The Times. 4 May 1911. p. 15.
24. ^ "The Tooting Bec cup". The Times. 6 May 1911. p. 15.
25. ^ "Professional foursomes tournament – Qualifying competitions". The Times. 25 April 1912. p. 13.
26. ^ "The Tooting Bec cup". The Times. 1 April 1913. p. 16.
27. ^ "Professional golfers association – Southern qualifying competition". The Glasgow Herald. 8 May 1913. p. 14.
28. ^ "Professionals at Thorpe Hall". The Glasgow Herald. 15 April 1914. p. 15.
29. ^ "Ray wins the "Tooting Bec" cup". The Glasgow Herald. 21 April 1914. p. 14.
30. ^ "Worplesdon tournament – Ray's great round". The Glasgow Herald. 16 April 1920. p. 13.
31. ^ "The £600 tournament – Southern section qualifying play". The Glasgow Herald. 22 April 1921. p. 4.
32. ^ "Great round by Duncan". The Times. 20 April 1923. p. 6.
33. ^ "Club Makers, Professionals and Course Designers: Alexander and John McLaren". North Berwick. Retrieved 11 June 2015.