Midland Professional Championship

The Midland Professional Championship is an annual golf tournament played in the English Midlands. The event is organised by the Midlands Region of the Professional Golfers' Association. It is the oldest tournament in professional golf having been first contested in 1897.[1] It was originally organised by the Midland Counties Professional Golf Club, a forerunner of the PGA.

Midland Professional Championship
Tournament information
Established1897
Course(s)Shifnal Golf Club (2019)
Current champion
James Brittain (2019)

For a number of years, until at least 1924, the Championship winner also received the Chance Challenge Cup. In 1911 the Midland Professional Championship and the Chance Challenge Cup were contested separately. The Midland Professional Championship was played on 6 April and served as the Midland section qualifying event for the Sphere and Tatler Foursomes Tournament, the winner receiving the Midland Challenge Cup. The Chance Challenge Cup was awarded to the winner of Midland section qualifying event for the News of the World Match Play, played on 13 September. Wilfrid Reid won the Midland Professional Championship (and with it, the Midland Challenge Cup) while Tom Williamson won the Chance Cup.[2][3][4]

Winners

Source:[5]

YearWinnerCountryVenueScoreMargin
of victory		Runner(s)-upWinner's
share (£)		Ref
1897Tom Williamson
1898Tom Williamson
1899Alfred Toogood EnglandSandwell Park Golf Club1671 stroke James Sherlock[6]
1900Tom Williamson EnglandDerbyshire Golf Club1572 strokes George Cawsey
1901James Sherlock EnglandAtherstone Golf Club1564 strokes George Cawsey
1903James Sherlock
1904Alfred Lewis
1906Jack Fulford EnglandDerbyshire Golf Club1531 stroke William Jeffries[7]
1907Tom Williamson EnglandRobin Hood Golf Club1511 stroke George Cawsey
George Coburn		[8]
1908George Cawsey EnglandNotts Golf Club1502 strokes Tom Williamson[9]
1909Tom Williamson EnglandLeicestershire Golf Club1454 strokes Frank Coltart[10]
1910Edward Veness EnglandStourbridge Golf Club1512 strokes Jack Oke[11]
1911Wilfrid Reid EnglandHarborne Golf Club1533 strokes Jack Oke[3]
1912George Buckle EnglandSeacroft Golf Club150Playoff
(18+18 holes)		 Harry Cawsey[12][13]
1913George Tuck EnglandLittle Aston Golf Club1531 stroke George Buckle[14]
1914–18: No tournament
1919Bert Weastell EnglandSandwell Park Golf Club149Playoff
(9 holes)		 Len Holland5[15]
1920Tom Williamson EnglandMoseley Golf Club151Playoff
(36+9 holes)		 George Buckle
Dick Wheildon		[16]
1921Willie Robertson EnglandRobin Hood Golf Club1441 stroke George Buckle
1922Tom Williamson EnglandCopt Heath Golf Club1441 stroke Len Holland[17]
1923George Buckle EnglandEdgbaston Golf Club138Playoff
(18 holes)		 Ernest Hanton[18]
1924Jack Bloxham EnglandOlton Golf Club146Playoff
(18 holes)		 George Buckle
Len Holland
George Tuck		[19][20]
1925George Buckle EnglandWalmley Golf Club1443 strokes Jim Morris
George Tuck
Tom Williamson		[21]
1926Ted Douglas ScotlandFinham Park Golf Club1441 stroke Tom Barber[22]
1927Tom Barber EnglandHarborne Golf Club147Playoff Archie Compston[23][24]
1928Frank Weston EnglandHandsworth Golf Club149Playoff
(18 holes)		 Moses O'Neill
C Pixton
T Richards
Dick Wheildon		[25][26]
1929George Buckle EnglandNorth Worcestershire Golf Club144Playoff
(18 holes)		 Tom Green
1930Tom Green WalesCopt Heath Golf Club1441 stroke Michael Bingham
Tom Williamson		[27]
1931Tom Green WalesCastle Bromwich Golf Club1394 strokes Bill Firkins
Bob Pemberton
1932Tom Barber EnglandHenbury Golf Club143Playoff
(18 holes)		 James Adwick
Bert Gadd
1933Charlie Ward EnglandLittle Aston Golf Club1452 strokes Tom Barber
A Holton
1934Charlie Ward EnglandOlton Golf Club1432 strokes Bill Martin
T Richards
Willie Robertson		[28]
1935Bill Firkins EnglandLittle Aston Golf Club1501 stroke Bill Hancock
Norman Roffe		[29]
1936Bill Branch EnglandSandwell Park Golf Club1377 strokes Freddie Beck[30]
1937Freddie Beck EnglandHarborne Golf Club1411 stroke George Buckle[31]
1938Herbert Manton EnglandBeau Desert Golf Club1394 strokes Jack Hargreaves
Jack Loach
1939Bill Martin EnglandWoodhall Spa Golf Club1455 strokes Norman Roffe
George Johnson		[32]
1940–45: No tournament
1946Walter Lees EnglandSandwell Park Golf Club1404 strokes Jack Cawsey
Leslie Cliffe		[33]
1947Ken Adwick EnglandNorth Shore Golf Club1441 stroke Bill Branch
Charlie Ward
1948Arthur Lees EnglandTrentham Golf Club143Playoff
(18 holes)		 Tom Hassall[34]
1949Arthur Lees EnglandBlackwell Golf Club1361 stroke Charlie Ward
1950Charlie Ward EnglandSutton Coldfield Golf Club138Playoff
(9 holes)		 Jack Hargreaves
1951J R Moses
1952Jack Hargreaves
1953Charlie Ward
1954A Cunningham
1955Charlie Ward
1956R L Hastleow
1957David Snell
1958Jack Cawsey
1959G A Maisey
1960Jack Hargreaves
1961Peter Butler
1964Stuart Murray
1965S A Hunt
1966J Anderson
1967Stuart Murray
1968Stuart Murray
1969T R Squires
1970David Llewellyn
1971R A Beattie
1972Brian Waites
1973R D S Livingston
1974M Gallagher
1975Hugh Boyle
1976P R Herbert
1977Brian Waites
1978Brian Waites
1979Brian Waites
1980David Vaughan
1981D A Stewart
1982P A Elson
1983A R Minshall
1984Mark Mouland
1985K Hayward
1986A Skingle
1987Ross McFarlane[35]
1988G Farr
1989J Higgins
1990G Stafford
1991K Dickens
1992J Higgins
1993Peter Baker
1994Peter Baker
1995S Rose
1996David J. Russell
1997J Higgins
1998Steve Webster
1999C Hall
2000David J. Russell
2001T Rouse
2002Robert Rock
2003P Edwards
2004P Streeter
2005A Carey
2006P Streeter
2007I Lyner
2008I Walley
2009Cameron Clark
2010Cameron Clark
2011Matthew Cort
2012Jak Hamblett
2013Matthew Cort
2014Paul Broadhurst
2015Matthew Cort
2016Paul Streeter and
Andrew Willey
2017Luke Towler
2018Andrew Willey
2019James Brittain

In 1912 Buckle and Cawsey tied at 76 after a playoff the following morning. They played a further 18 holes in the afternoon with Buckle scoring 79 and Cawsey 82. In 1919 Weastell beat Holland 39 to 41 in the playoff, played the same evening. In 1920 Williamson and Wheildon tied on 148 with Buckle on 153 after the 36-hole playoff, played the following day. Williamson beat Wheildon 39 to 40 after a further 9 holes. In 1923 Buckle beat Hanton 74 to 75 in the playoff, played the following day. In 1924 Bloxham scored 73 in the playoff, played the following day, Holland and Tick scored 75 while Buckle scored 76. In 1927 Compston left immediately after the championship to play in the German Open and did not turn up for the playoff on the following day. In 1928 Weston won the playoff, played the following day, with 74, ahead of Wheildon with 76 and O'Neill with 77. In 1929 Buckle beat Green 74 to 76 in the playoff. In the 1932 playoff Barber scored 73, Adwick 78 and Gadd 82. In 1948 Lees beat Hassall 68 to 75. In 1950 Ward beat Hargreaves 33 to 38 in the playoff, played the same evening.

The 1911 championship was the Midland section qualifying event for the Sphere and Tatler Foursomes Tournament. The 1912, 1913, 1919, 1920, 1922 to 1928 and 1946 championships were the Midland section qualifying events for the News of the World Matchplay. The 1939 championship was the Midland section qualifying event for the Daily Mail Tournament.

From 1934 to 1937 the championship was sponsored by Dunlop and known as the "Dunlop-Midland Professional Championship".

The 2016 Championship resulted in a tie when darkness meant that a sudden-death playoff had to be stopped after three holes.

References
  1. "Threesy does it". PGA. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  2. "Golf – Midland professional championship – Victory of W E Reid". The Times. 7 April 1911. p. 15.
  3. "Golf – Midland professional championship – Victory of W E Reid". The Glasgow Herald. 7 April 1911. p. 14.
  4. "£400 professional tournament – Midland qualifying competition". The Glasgow Herald. 14 September 1911. p. 12.
  5. "PGA Midland Pro Championship – Past Champions". The PGA. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  6. "Midland professionals". The Times. 19 May 1899. p. 12.
  7. "Professional tournament at Derby". The Times. 19 April 1906. p. 11.
  8. "Midland professional tournament". The Glasgow Herald. 25 April 1907. p. 11.
  9. "Golf – Midland professional competition". The Glasgow Herald. 16 April 1908. p. 9.
  10. "Golf – Professional tournament at Leicester". The Glasgow Herald. 22 April 1909. p. 13.
  11. "Midland professional meeting". The Glasgow Herald. 21 April 1910. p. 15.
  12. "Professional tournament for £400". The Times. 26 September 1912. p. 9.
  13. "Midland professional championship". The Times. 27 September 1912. p. 9.
  14. "Midland section qualifying competition". The Times. 18 September 1913. p. 10.
  15. "P.G.A. tournament". The Times. 4 September 1919. p. 5.
  16. "Midland professional championship". The Times. 17 September 1920. p. 4.
  17. "The "News of the World" tournament". The Times. 14 September 1922. p. 6.
  18. "Midland professional competitions". The Times. 7 September 1923. p. 5.
  19. "The £750 tournament". The Times. 11 September 1924. p. 6.
  20. "The midland professional championship". The Times. 12 September 1924. p. 6.
  21. "Midland professional championship". The Times. 10 September 1925. p. 6.
  22. "The midland counties' championship". The Times. 9 September 1926. p. 6.
  23. ""News of the World" tournament". The Times. 8 September 1927. p. 6.
  24. "Midland professional championship". The Times. 9 September 1927. p. 6.
  25. ""News of the World" tournament". The Times. 6 September 1928. p. 5.
  26. "Midland championship". The Times. 7 September 1928. p. 6.
  27. "Midland professional championship". The Times. 22 May 1930. p. 8.
  28. "Midland tournament". The Times. 19 April 1934. p. 6.
  29. "Dunlop-Midland championship". The Times. 18 April 1935. p. 6.
  30. "The Dunlop-Midland tournament". The Times. 9 April 1936. p. 6.
  31. "The Dunlop-Midland tournament". The Times. 14 April 1937. p. 6.
  32. "The £2,000 tournament". The Times. 3 March 1939. p. 6.
  33. "Midland qualifiers". The Times. 12 September 1946. p. 8.
  34. "Professional championships". The Times. 25 May 1948. p. 8.
  35. "For the Record – Golf". The Times. 5 October 1987. p. 43.
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