Northern Open
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1931 |
| Course(s) | Royal Dornoch Golf Club (2016) |
| Current champion | |
| Greig Hutcheon (2016) | |
The Northern Open is a golf tournament played annually in Scotland since 1931. It is one of only two 72-hole tournaments on the "Tartan Tour", the PGA Tour in Scotland's schedule, the other being the Scottish PGA Championship. The 2016 event, was held from 21 to 24 June at Royal Dornoch Golf Club.[1]
The Scottish PGA Championship was originally called the Scottish Professional Championship and was only open to professionals while the Northern Open was also opened to amateurs.
History
The tournaments was originally played over 2 days with 2 rounds played each day. In 1947 the event was extended to a third day with one round played on the first two days. The leading 50 players and those tied for 50th place played two rounds on the third day. Originally called the "Northern Open Amateur and Professional Golf Tournament", the name was changed "Northern Open Championship" for 1948. The 1948 event was reduced to two days again with play in groups of three on the first day and a cut reducing the field to 80 for the final day. With a large number of entries the 1949 event was again played over three days. The playoff between Ballingall and Thomson was played at Murcar, the day after the Championship finished. The day had been allocated for Scottish qualifying for the Daily Mail Tournament. Thomson practised in the morning while Ballingall played a competitive round. The two played together in the afternoon, Ballingale scoring 72 to Thomson's 74.
Winners
| Year | Winner | Country | Venue | Score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Winner's share (£) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Greig Hutcheon (2) |  Scotland | Royal Dornoch | 267 | 6 strokes | Chris Kelly | 3,900 | |
| 2015 | Chris Kelly | Scotland | Cruden Bay | 267 | 5 strokes |  Gareth Wright | 4,250 | |
| 2014 | David Law (2) | Scotland | Murcar Links | 207 + | 3 strokes | Greig Hutcheon | 6,000 | |
| 2013 | James Byrne (2) | Scotland | Meldrum House | 261 | 1 stroke | David Law | 4,000 | |
| 2012 | James Byrne | Scotland | Meldrum House | 268 | 5 strokes | David Law David Orr | 4,000 | |
| 2011 | David Law (a) | Scotland | Meldrum House | 266 | 2 strokes | Stephen Gray | (4,000) | |
| 2010 | Greig Hutcheon | Scotland | Meldrum House | 132 ++ | 1 stroke | Scott Larkin (a) | (3,800) | |
| 2009 | Craig Lee | Scotland | Spey Valley | 281 | 5 strokes |  Martyn Hamer | 2,500 | |
| 2008 | Chris Doak | Scotland | ||||||
| 2007 | Murray Urquhart | Scotland | ||||||
| 2006 | Jason McCreadie (2) | Scotland | ||||||
| 2005 | Chris Doak | Scotland | ||||||
| 2004 | Jason McCreadie | Scotland | ||||||
| 2003 | Gordon Law | Scotland | ||||||
| 2002 | Fraser Mann | Scotland | ||||||
| 2001 | Graham Rankin | Scotland | ||||||
| 2000 | Jim Payne | England | ||||||
| 1999 | Alastair Forsyth | Scotland | ||||||
| 1998 | Lee James | England | ||||||
| 1997 | David Thomson | Scotland | ||||||
| 1996 | Scott Henderson | Scotland | ||||||
| 1995 | Joe Higgins | Scotland | ||||||
| 1994 | Kevin Stables (2) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1993 | Kevin Stables | Scotland | ||||||
| 1992 | Peter Smith | Scotland | ||||||
| 1991 | Craig Cassells | England | ||||||
| 1990 | Colin Brooks (2) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1989 | Colin Brooks | Scotland | ||||||
| 1988 | David Huish (4) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1987 | Adam Hunter | Scotland | ||||||
| 1986 | Russell Weir | Scotland | ||||||
| 1985 | Brian Barnes (2) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1984 | David Huish (3) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1983 | Derrick Cooper | Scotland | ||||||
| 1982 | Tony Minshall | England | ||||||
| 1981 | Alistair Thomson | Scotland | ||||||
| 1980 | David Huish (2) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1979 | Jim Farmer | Scotland | ||||||
| 1978 | Brian Barnes | Scotland | ||||||
| 1977 | Ewen Murray | Scotland | ||||||
| 1976 | David Chillas | Scotland | ||||||
| 1975 | Willie Milne (2) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1974 | Willie Milne | Scotland | ||||||
| 1973 | David Huish | Scotland | ||||||
| 1972 | Harry Bannerman (3) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1971 | Frank Rennie | Scotland | ||||||
| 1970 | Sandy Pirie (a) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1969 | Harry Bannerman (2) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1968 | David Webster | Scotland | ||||||
| 1967 | Harry Bannerman | Scotland | ||||||
| 1966 | Robin Liddle | Scotland | ||||||
| 1965 | Jock Brown | Scotland | ||||||
| 1964 | Lew Taylor | Scotland | ||||||
| 1963 | George Will (2) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1962 | John Panton (7) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1961 | Harry Weetman | England | ||||||
| 1960 | John Panton (6) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1959 | John Panton (5) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1958 | George Will | Scotland | ||||||
| 1957 | Eric Brown (5) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1956 | John Panton (4) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1955 | Eric Brown (4) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1954 | Eric Brown (3) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1953 | Eric Brown (2) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1952 | John Panton (3) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1951 | John Panton (2) | Scotland | ||||||
| 1950 | Eric Brown | Scotland | Moray | 294 | 1 stroke | John Panton | [3] | |
| 1949 | Hamish Ballingall (2) | Scotland | Royal Aberdeen (and Murcar Links) | 296 | Playoff | Hector Thomson | [4][5] | |
| 1948 | John Panton | Scotland | Inverness | 288 | 3 strokes | Hamish Ballingall Sandy Sinclair (a) | 65 | [6] |
| 1947 | Hamish Ballingall | Scotland | Peterhead | 300 | 6 strokes | Hugh Watt | 60 | [7] |
| 1946 | Willie Forrester | Scotland | Murcar Links | 305 | 2 strokes | Ian Macpherson | 35 | [8] |
| 1940–45: No tournament due to World War II | ||||||||
| 1939 | Jack McLean (3) | Scotland | Nairn | 285 | Playoff | Hector Thomson (a) | 30 | [9][10] |
| 1938 | Tom Haliburton | Scotland | Peterhead | 294 | 1 stroke | Wilie Don | 28 | [11] |
| 1937 | Jack McLean (2) | Scotland | Moray | 294 | Playoff | Gordon Durward | 25 | [12][13] |
| 1936 | Dick Walker (a) (2) | Scotland | Deeside | 290 | 10 strokes | Tom Dobson Willie Don | (25) | [14] |
| 1935 | Dick Walker (a) | Scotland | Royal Dornoch | 298 | Playoff | Willie Spark | (25) | [15][16] |
| 1934 | Jim Forrester | Scotland | Inverness | 287 | 6 strokes | Ken Forbes (a) | 25 | [17] |
| 1933 | Jack McLean (a) | Scotland | Murcar Links | 294 | 1 stroke | Jack McMillan | (20) | [18] |
| 1932 | James Henderson | Scotland | Nairn | 292 | Playoff | Jimmy McDowall | 20 | [19][20] |
| 1931 | Jimmy McDowall | Scotland | Royal Aberdeen | 289 | 7 strokes | Julian Jaffray | 20 | [21] |
In 1932 Henderson beat McDowall 77 to 79 in the 18-hole playoff. In 1935 Walker beat Spark 75 to 76 in the 18-hole playoff. In 1937 McLean beat Durward 73 to 79 in the 18-hole playoff. In 1939 McLean and Thomson tied on 74 after an 18-hole playoff but McLean won 73 to 75 in a second 18-hole playoff in the afternoon. In 1949 Ballingale scored 72 to Thomson's 74.
- + reduced to 54 holes because of fog.
- ++ reduced to 36 holes because of rain.
References
- ↑ http://www.pga.info/regions/scotland/news/2016/06/northern-exposure.aspx
- ↑ https://pgagbi.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/pgagbi16/event/pgagbi16783/champions.htm
- ↑ "Eric Brown wins "Northern"". The Glasgow Herald. 14 April 1950. p. 7.
- ↑ "Tie for Northern Open golf championship". The Glasgow Herald. 29 April 1949. p. 2.
- ↑ "Ballingall's day at Murcar". The Glasgow Herald. 30 April 1949. p. 2.
- ↑ "Panton wins at Inverness". The Glasgow Herald. 22 April 1948. p. 6.
- ↑ "Northern Open golf title". The Glasgow Herald. 18 April 1947. p. 6.
- ↑ "Forrester wins at Murcar". The Glasgow Herald. 18 April 1946. p. 6.
- ↑ "Young Scots renew golf revalry". The Glasgow Herald. 28 April 1939. p. 4.
- ↑ "M'Lean's revenge on old golf rival". The Glasgow Herald. 29 April 1939. p. 2.
- ↑ "T B Haliburton's fighting finish". The Glasgow Herald. 14 April 1938. p. 2.
- ↑ "M'Lean and Durward in Northern golf tie". The Glasgow Herald. 16 April 1937. p. 6.
- ↑ "Two holes decide golf tie for M'Lean". The Glasgow Herald. 17 April 1937. p. 3.
- ↑ "Second Northern "Open" win". The Glasgow Herald. 16 April 1936. p. 3.
- ↑ "Tie in Northern "Open"". The Glasgow Herald. 26 April 1935. p. 6.
- ↑ "Amateur wns North "Open"". The Glasgow Herald. 27 April 1935. p. 3.
- ↑ "New Northern "Open" record". The Glasgow Herald. 26 April 1934. p. 3.
- ↑ "Victory for Jack M'Lean". The Glasgow Herald. 21 April 1933. p. 4.
- ↑ "Thrilling tie at Nairn". The Glasgow Herald. 22 April 1932. p. 18.
- ↑ "Troon assistant wins Nairn play-off". The Glasgow Herald. 23 April 1932. p. 16.
- ↑ "Northern Open tournament". The Glasgow Herald. 1 May 1931. p. 4.