The PGA Assistants' Championship is a golf tournament for golf club assistant professionals. It is held by the British PGA. The first championship was held in 1930 but earlier national tournaments for assistant professionals had been held since 1910.

PGA Assistants' Championship
Tournament information
Established1930
Course(s)Farleigh Golf Club (2024)
FormatStroke play
54 holes
Current champion
Matty Lamb (2024)

History

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The Championship traces its origin back to the PGA's first major assistants' tournament at Bushey Hall Golf Club in October 1910. The prizes for this tournament were "presented by the proprietors of Perrier Water", the winner receiving 20 guineas (£21) and a gold watch.[1] The event was organised like the News of the World Match Play with regional qualifying over 36 holes and a knock-out stage for the 16 qualifiers. Willie Ritchie, assistant to James Braid at Walton Heath Golf Club won the Southern section qualifying by a clear 7 strokes. Willie Watt was the Scottish qualifier, although there were only four entries, assistants not being common in Scotland at the time.[2] Ritchie and Watt, both from Scotland, met in the final. Watt was 1 up after five holes but lost the next four holes. Ritchie also won the 11th and 13th and eventually won 5&4.[3] Ritchie had played well all year, finishing in a tie for 16th place in the 1910 Open Championship.

Regional qualifying was retained for 1911 but the final stages were decided by 36 holes of stroke play. The Perrier Water tournament continued until World War I. The final stage of the 1914 tournament was cancelled although some of the qualifying competitions had been played. The Perrier Water tournament restarted in 1920 and was won by Percy Alliss, an assistant at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club.

There was no tournament in 1921 but a new event started in 1922. Findlater, Mackie, Todd & Company, wine and spirit merchants, presented a trophy, the Findlater Shield, and prizes of £100 for the tournament. The tournament "which virtually represents the championship of the assistants"[4] was won by Michael Daragon.[5] Alf Perry won the shield in 1924 and 1925. The Findlater Shield continued until 1928.

In 1930 the PGA started the Assistants' Championship. The event was a 36-hole stroke-play event on a single day. The first championship was won by Bill Branch from Henbury Golf Club near Bristol. The 1933 event, planned for July at Hallamshire Golf Club, was cancelled because of a shortage of entries[6] but was replaced by an important new £750 tournament sponsored by the Daily Mirror.

The 1933 Daily Mirror tournament was played from 25 to 28 September at Moor Park Golf Club. The first day consisted of a 36-hole qualifying stage on the High and West courses with the leading 64 playing knock-out match-play on the next three days.[7] Sam King beat Herbert Hardman 3&2 in the final and "gained the unofficial title of 'Champion Assistant'".[8]

The 1934 tournament was played at Wentworth Golf Club and was extended to six days, 28 May to 2 June. The prize money was £800. The 36-hole qualifying stage was over two days on the East and West courses. The match-play stage was played on the East course. The 36-hole final was won by Robert Porter, who beat Dai Rees 3&2 in the final.[9]

In 1935, sectional qualifying was re-introduced. 64 players qualified and the event became a 72-hole stroke-play tournament. The tournament was over 3 days, 30 July to 1 August, with 18 holes on the first two-day and the leading 32 playing 36 holes on the final day. Dai Rees won the tournament with a score of 284 a shot ahead of Bill Cox.[10] Rees won again in 1936, by three strokes from Herbert Osborne.[11]

As winners of major tournaments, Sam King and Dai Rees were excluded from the 1937 tournament, despite still being assistants.[12] After 72 holes Albert Chevalier and Eddie Whitcombe were tied on 289.[13] In the 36-hole playoff the following day Chevalier beat Whitcombe by a shot, scoring 145. Whitcombe had a yard putt at the last to tie but missed.[14]

Bill Laidlaw won the 1938 tournament by 9 strokes from Geoff White and Alan Waters.[15] White, runner-up in 1938, won the 1939 event by 7 strokes from RJ Taylor.[16]

For financial reasons the championship was not played again until 1949. Harry Weetman won the championship by 5 strokes from Peter Alliss and Harry Gould.[17] Weetman won again in 1950, this time by 7 strokes from Dennis Smalldon.[18] The leading 16 players in the 1950 championship qualified for the Gor-Ray match-play tournament at Hartsbourne Golf Club, with prize money of £580. Weetman lost in the quarter-final and the event was won by Brian Shelton.[19][20]

Having made large losses from the previous two Championships, the P.G.A. initially cancelled the Assistants' Championship for 1951.[21] Because of this the Coombe Hill Golf Club, who had been running a southern section assistants' tournament for a few years, decided to open up the Coombe Hill Assistants' Tournament to all assistants, while extending the event from 36 to 72 holes.[22] This tournament and another held at Fairhaven Golf Club, acted as qualifying events for the Gor-Ray Cup at Hartsbourne which became the official Assistants' Championship, although now a match-play event. Unlike the Coombe Hill Assistants' Tournament, the Gor-Ray Cup was restricted to P.G.A. members. In 1952 and 1953 the Coombe Hill Assistants' Tournament was the only qualifying event, with the leading 16 and ties qualifying for the Gor-Ray Cup. From 1954 the Gor-Ray Cup became a 72-hole stroke-play event. In 1968 the assistants event was changed to an age-restricted event, the Gor-Ray Under-24 Championship. This new event was reduced to 54 holes in 1969 and was not contested again.

Since the championship restarted in 1981 it has been sponsored by Dorset Foods (1981–1982), Footjoy (1983–1984), Wilson Sporting Goods. (1985), Peugeot Talbot (1986–1987), Peugeot (1988–1992), Standard Life (1994), Reebok (1995–97), Maxfli (1999–2001), Powerade (2004), Powerade in association with FootJoy (2005–2014), Galvin Green (2015–2017), Birdietime (2019) and Coca-Cola (2020–2024).[23]

Winners

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Year Champion Venue Score
Coca-Cola PGA Assistants' Championship
2024 Matty Lamb Farleigh Golf Club 200
2023 Lewis Scott Farleigh Golf Club 202
2022 James Walker Royal Cromer Golf Club 212
2021 Michael Farrier-Twist Farleigh Golf Club 201 PO
2020 Michael Bullen Oakmere Golf Club 212
Birdietime PGA Assistants' Championship
2019 Michael Bullen Pleasington Golf Club 205 PO
PGA Assistants' Championship
2018 Lee Corfield Farleigh Golf Club 209
Galvin Green PGA Assistants' Championship
2017 Matthew Fieldsend Coxmoor Golf Club 212
2016 Mathew Webb Little Aston Golf Club 204
2015 Jack Harrison Coventry Golf Club 203
Powerade PGA Assistants' Championship
2014 Gareth Davies Coventry Golf Club 207 PO
2013 Matthew Cort Coventry Golf Club 203
2012 Matthew Cort East Sussex National Golf Club 211
2011 Matthew Cort East Sussex National Golf Club 211
2010 Guy Woodman East Sussex National Golf Club 208
2009 Jon Lupton London Golf Club 206
2008 Guy Woodman London Golf Club 210
2007 Jon Lupton London Golf Club 213
2006 Brett Taylor London Golf Club 206
2005 Matthew Tottey London Golf Club 211
2004 Matthew Ford Coventry Golf Club 208
PGA Assistants' Championship
2003 Matthew Tottey St Annes Old Links Golf Club 204
2002 David Orr St Annes Old Links Golf Club 271
Maxfli PGA Assistants' Championship
2001 Craig Goodfellow St Annes Old Links Golf Club 207
2000 Thor Andersen St Annes Old Links Golf Club 273
1999 Darren Parker Bearwood Lakes Golf Club 274
PGA Assistants' Championship
1998 Andrew Raitt Bearwood Lakes Golf Club 280
Reebok PGA Assistants' Championship
1997 Peter Sefton Heron's Reach Golf Club 273
1996 Stephen Purves Moor Allerton Golf Club 281
1995 Ian Sparkes Warwickshire Golf Club 284
Standard Life PGA Assistants' Championship
1994 Mark Plummer Foxhills Golf Club 278
PGA Assistants' Championship
1993 Craig Everett Oaklands Golf Club 280
Peugeot PGA Assistants' Championship
1992 Paul Mayo East Sussex National Golf Club 285
1991 Simon Wood Wentworth Golf Club 288
1990 Tony Ashton Hillside Golf Club 213
1989 Colin Brooks Hillside Golf Club 291
1988 John Oates Coventry Golf Club 284
Peugeot Talbot PGA Assistants' Championship
1987 John Hawksworth Coombe Hill Golf Club 282
1986 John Brennand Sand Moor Golf Club 280
Wilson PGA Assistants' Championship
1985 Gary Coles Coombe Hill Golf Club 284
Footjoy PGA Assistants' Championship
1984 Gary Weir Coombe Hill Golf Club 286
1983 Barry Lane Coombe Hill Golf Club 287
Dorset Foods PGA Assistants' Matchplay Championship
1982 Hogan Stott Henbury Golf Club 4&3
1981 Ian Grant Henbury Golf Club 3&1
1968–80: No tournament
Gor-Ray Cup
1967 Maurice Bembridge Coventry Golf Club 277
1966 Vince Hood Harborne Golf Club 277
1965 Tony Jacklin Hartsbourne Golf Club 283
1964 Malcolm Gregson Hartsbourne Golf Club 216
1963 George Will Hartsbourne Golf Club 282
1962 Ross Whitehead Hartsbourne Golf Club 277
1961 Lionel Platts Hartsbourne Golf Club 277
1960 Derek Nash Hartsbourne Golf Club 280
1959 Peter Gill Hartsbourne Golf Club 282
1958 Tony Grubb Hartsbourne Golf Club 285
1957 George Low Hartsbourne Golf Club 280
1956 Neil Coles Hartsbourne Golf Club 277
1955 Dave Thomas Hartsbourne Golf Club 282
1954 Geoffrey Hunt Hartsbourne Golf Club 284
1953 Bernard Hunt Hartsbourne Golf Club 2&1
1952 Peter Alliss Hartsbourne Golf Club 5&4
1951 Alex King Hartsbourne Golf Club 9&7
PGA Assistants' Championship
1950 Harry Weetman Worsley Golf Club 287
1949 Harry Weetman Sandwell Park Golf Club 295
1940–48: No tournament
Daily Mirror Assistants' Tournament
1939 Geoff White Notts Golf Club 290
1938 Bill Laidlaw Blackpool North Shore Golf Club 289
1937 Albert Chevalier Fulwell Golf Club 289 PO
1936 Dai Rees Moseley Golf Club 278
1935 Dai Rees St Annes Old Links Golf Club 284
1934 Robert Porter Wentworth Golf Club 3&2
1933 Sam King Moor Park Golf Club 3&2
PGA Assistants' Championship
1932 Gwyn James South Herts Golf Club 139 PO
1931 Walter Hammond Hendon Golf Club 145
1930 Bill Branch Moseley Golf Club 144
Assistant Professionals' Tournament
1929 Edward Rimmer Fulwell Golf Club 145[24]
Findlater Shield
1928 Doug Brown Stoke Poges Golf Club 147
1927 Jack Smith Oxhey Golf Club 144
1926 Walter Thomas St George's Hill Golf Club 146 PO
1925 Alf Perry Moor Park Golf Club 151
1924 Alf Perry Broxbourne Golf Club 155 PO
1923 Jack Taylor Bushey Hall Golf Club 144
1922 Michael Daragon Northwood Golf Club 150
1921: No tournament
Perrier Water Assistant Professionals' Tournament
1920 Percy Alliss Porters Park Golf Club 149
1914-19: No tournament
1913 Fred Jewell South Herts Golf Club 142
1912 William Brown West Middlesex Golf Club 150
1911 Charles Macey Bexhill Golf Club 155
1910 Willie Ritchie Bushey Hall Golf Club 5&4
  • Since 2003 the championship has been decided over 54 holes. In 2001, 1990, 1969 and 1964 it was also decided over 54 holes.
  • In 1924 Perry (77) beat Tom King, Jr. (81) in an 18-hole playoff. In 1926 Thomas (73) beat Don Curtis (82) in an 18-hole playoff. In 1932 James (73) beat Sam King (74) in an 18-hole playoff. In 1937 Chevalier (145) beat Eddie Whitcombe (146) in a 36-hole playoff. In 2014 Davies beat Charles Wilson at the first hole of a sudden-death playoff.[25] In 2019 Bullen beat Billy Hemstock at the second hole of a sudden-death playoff.

References

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  1. ^ "Golf – Assistant Professionals' Tournament". The Times. 19 October 1910. p. 21.
  2. ^ "Assistant Professionals' Championship". The Glasgow Herald. 28 July 1910. p. 12.
  3. ^ "Assistant' tournament for 100 guineas". The Glasgow Herald. 21 October 1910. p. 15.
  4. ^ "The Findlater Shield". The Times. 21 March 1922. p. 6.
  5. ^ "Assistants' Tournament". The Times. 31 March 1922. p. 6.
  6. ^ "Assistants' Championship". The Times. 11 July 1933. p. 5.
  7. ^ "Golf – Assistants' Tournament at Moor Park". The Times. 26 September 1933. p. 5.
  8. ^ "Champion assistant professional – Farmer's son wins at Moor Park". The Glasgow Herald. 29 September 1933. p. 6.
  9. ^ "Porter wins assistants tournament – Farmer's son wins at Moor Park". The Glasgow Herald. 4 June 1934. p. 9.
  10. ^ "Golf – Young Welshman wins £800 tournament – W J Cox and F Jowle break course record". The Glasgow Herald. 2 August 1935. p. 19.
  11. ^ "Winner leads in every round – Rees's brilliant scoring in assistants' tourney". The Glasgow Herald. 31 July 1936. p. 20.
  12. ^ "Golf – Assistants' Tournament". The Times. 21 July 1937. p. 6.
  13. ^ "Tie in assistants' tournament – Scot equals course record to finish third". The Glasgow Herald. 24 July 1937. p. 2.
  14. ^ "Assistants' replay won by A M Chevalier – Missed yard putt decides at Fulwell". The Glasgow Herald. 26 July 1937. p. 4.
  15. ^ "Scot clear of the field – Laidlaw wins by nine strokes – Assistant professionals' tourney ends". The Glasgow Herald. 29 July 1938. p. 19.
  16. ^ "G M White clear of the field – Assistants' championship for local player". The Glasgow Herald. 28 July 1939. p. 20.
  17. ^ "Assistants' Championship". The Times. 8 April 1949. p. 2.
  18. ^ "Assistants' Golf Championship". The Times. 8 April 1950. p. 6.
  19. ^ "Other golf events". The Glasgow Herald. 16 June 1950. p. 7.
  20. ^ "Perry beats Weetman". The Guardian. 16 June 1950. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Golf". The Times. 10 January 1951. p. 3.
  22. ^ "Assistants' Tournament". The Times. 11 May 1951. p. 2.
  23. ^ "The PGA | National and International Tournaments".
  24. ^ "Assistant Professionals' Tournament". The Manchester Guardian. 3 October 1929. p. 3. Retrieved 7 February 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ "The PGA | National and International Tournaments".
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