Esso Golden Tournament
Tournament information
LocationRickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England
Established1961
Course(s)Moor Park Golf Club
Month playedJuly/August
Final year1967
Final champion
Kel Nagle and Peter Thomson (tie)
Moor Park Golf Club is located in England
Moor Park Golf Club
Moor Park Golf Club
Location in England

The Esso Golden Tournament was a golf tournament on the British PGA circuit from 1961 to 1967. It was played in a round-robin format at the Moor Park Golf Club in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England. The event was sponsored by Esso,[1] and was cancelled in 1968 when they terminated their sponsorship following disagreements with the PGA.[2]

There were 15 competitors in each tournament who played each of the other 14 in an 18-hole match play contest. Most matches were played as a three-ball with three players playing a match against one another, each player playing two distinct matches. Some matches were played as ordinary singles match play. Two points were awarded for each match won while halved matches earned one point.

Prize money for each tournament was £5,700. Players received £20 for each point won, a total of £4,200 for the 210 matches. In addition, the first four in the final table received prize money of £750, £400, £250 and £100.

A similar round-robin tournament, the Penfold Professional Golf League, was played in 1938 and 1939, while the Goodall Palm Beach Round Robin, was played on the PGA Tour from 1938 to 1957. Round-robin tournaments became popular at this time with the Royal Gold Tournament contested in 1962 and Hennessy Round-robin Tournament being played in 1964.

Winners

YearWinnerCountryScoreMargin
of victory		Runner(s)-upWinner's
share (£)		Ref
1961Dave Thomas
Peter Thomson		 Wales
 Australia		21Tie995
(each)		[3]
1962Dave Thomas Wales191 pointEngland Jimmy Hitchcock
Australia Kel Nagle
Australia Peter Thomson		1,130[4]
1963Kel Nagle Australia232 pointsEngland Bernard Hunt
Australia Peter Thomson
England Harry Weetman		1,210[5]
1964Peter Alliss England257 pointsRepublic of Ireland Christy O'Connor Snr
Wales Dave Thomas		1,250[6]
1965George Will Scotland244 pointsWales Dave Thomas1,230[7]
1966Dave Thomas Wales232 pointsEngland Neil Coles1,210[8]
1967Kel Nagle
Peter Thomson		 Australia
 Australia		20Tie975
(each)		[9]
1968Tournament cancelled[2]

The winner's share includes £20 won for each point.

References

  1. ↑ Horne, Cyril (23 August 1961). "Esso Golden Tournament – Unusual form for British event". Glasgow Herald. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  2. 1 2 "Sponsorship of Esso withdrawn". The Glasgow Herald. 19 June 1968. p. 6.
  3. ↑ "Exciting finish to Esso tournament". The Glasgow Herald. 28 August 1961. p. 3.
  4. ↑ "Thomas wins Esso tournament". The Glasgow Herald. 30 July 1962. p. 4.
  5. ↑ "Great stroke earns Nagle victory". The Glasgow Herald. 29 July 1963. p. 8.
  6. ↑ "Alliss wins £1250 at Moor Park". The Glasgow Herald. 27 July 1964. p. 10.
  7. ↑ "Will's first success in big tournament". The Glasgow Herald. 26 July 1965. p. 4.
  8. ↑ "D C Thomas triumphs in Esso tournament". The Glasgow Herald. 25 July 1966. p. 5.
  9. ↑ "Australians tie in Esso". The Glasgow Herald. 24 July 1967. p. 4.
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