Tooting Bec Cup
title: "Tooting Bec Cup" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["the-open-championship", "golf-tournaments-in-england"] topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tooting_Bec_Cup" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
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.
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.
History
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. 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.
Winners
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Tournament winners
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. ::data[format=table] | Year | Winner | Country | Venue | Score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Winner's share (£) | Ref | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1901 | J.H. Taylor | | Tooting Bec Golf Club | 149 | 3 strokes | SCO James Hepburn ENG Rowland Jones | | | | 1902 | James Braid | | Romford Golf Club | 148 | 6 strokes | SCO Ralph Smith | | newspaper=The Times |date=18 September 1902 |page=10 |title=Professional competition at Romford}} | | 1903 | James Braid | | Hanger Hill Golf Club | 148 | 3 strokes | JER Harry Vardon SCO Jack White | | newspaper=The Times |date=13 May 1903 |page=9 |title=Professional Golfers' Association}} | | 1904 | James Braid | | West Middlesex Golf Club | 147 | Playoff (18 holes) | SCO John McLaren | | newspaper=The Times |date=5 May 1904 |page=12 |title=Professional Golfers' Association}} | | 1905 | Alfred Toogood | | Northwood Golf Club | 150 | 1 stroke | ENG J.H. Taylor | | newspaper=The Times |date=4 May 1905 |page=12 |title=Professional Golfers' Association's tournament}} | | 1906 | William Lonie | | Ashford Manor Golf Club | 152 | 4 strokes | ENG Wilfrid Reid | | newspaper=The Times |date=26 April 1906 |page=11 |title=Professional Golfers' Association}} | | 1907 | James Braid | | South Herts Golf Club | 151 | 3 strokes | ENG J.H. Taylor | | newspaper=The Times |date=16 May 1907 |page=12 |title=Professional Golfers' Association}} | | 1908 | Rowland Jones | | | Neasden Golf Club | 153 | Playoff (18 holes) | ENG Ernest Gray | | newspaper=The Times |date=14 May 1908 |page=19 |title=Professional Golfers' Association}} | | 1909 | James Sherlock | | | Maidenhead Golf Club | 149 | 4 strokes | SCO James Braid | | newspaper=The Times |date=13 May 1909 |page=18 |title=Tooting Bec Cup competition}} | | 1910 | James Sherlock | | | Stoke Poges Golf Club | 148 | 4 strokes | ENG Tom Ball JER Ernest Gaudin ENG Charles Mayo JER Tom Vardon | | newspaper=The Times |date=21 July 1910 |page=18 |title=The £240 competition – Southern section}} | | 1911 | Harry Vardon | JER | Banstead Downs Golf Club | 154 | Playoff (18 holes) | ENG Wilfrid Reid | | newspaper=The Times |date=4 May 1911 |page=15 |title=Southern professional tournament}} | | 1912 | Phil Gaudin | JER | Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club | 147 | Playoff (18 holes) | SCO James Braid | | newspaper=The Times |date=25 Apr 1912 |page=13 |title=Professional foursomes tournament – Qualifying competitions}} | | 1913 | Ted Ray | JER | Old Fold Manor Golf Club | 145 | Playoff (18 holes) | ENG James Batley | | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7cVAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EqYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5230%2C1009949 |title=Professional golfers association – Southern qualifying competition |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=14 |date=8 May 1913}} | | 1914–19: No tournament | | | | | | | | | | 1920 | Ted Ray | JER | Worplesdon Golf Club | 149 | 1 stroke | ENG Abe Mitchell | 10 | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_MRAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JKYMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5128%2C5893578 |title=Worplesdon tournament – Ray's great round |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=13 |date=16 April 1920}} | | 1921 | Arnaud Massy | | Cooden Beach Golf Club | 147 | 1 stroke | ENG Fred Robson JER Ted Ray | 25 | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WhY-AAAAIBAJ&sjid=EkoMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5865%2C6236690 |title=The £600 tournament – Southern section qualifying play |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=4 |date=22 April 1921}} | | 1922: No tournament | | | | | | | | | | 1923 | George Duncan | | Purley Downs Golf Club | 142 | 2 strokes | JER Ted Ray | | newspaper=The Times |date=20 April 1923 |page=6 |title=Great round by Duncan}} | ::
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. 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
References
- "Tooting Bec Cup". [[Professional Golfers' Association (Great Britain & Ireland).
- "Tooting Bec Cup". PGA European Tour.
- "The Open's prized silverware". [[Professional Golfers' Association (Great Britain & Ireland).
- "Another PGA medal haul for Rory". [[Professional Golfers' Association (Great Britain & Ireland).
- (16 October 1901). "London and Counties Professional Golfers' Association". The Times.
- (2 August 1934). "Awards for Cotton and Davies". The Times.
- (18 September 2024). "Lowry and Rose honoured by the PGA". The PGA.
- (14 September 2023). "McIlroy and Fleetwood add to their PGA trophy collection". The PGA.
- (12 September 2022). "McIlroy presented with PGA’s Open Championship medals at Wentworth". The PGA.
- (27 July 2021). "Lowry doubles up in The Open by winning two PGA awards". The PGA.
- (17 September 2019). "Danny Willett of England is presented with the Tooting Bec Cup". Getty Images.
- The PGA. (23 May 2018). "Historic honour". Twitter.
- The PGA. (23 May 2018). "Medal winner". Twitter.
- (18 September 1902). "Professional competition at Romford". The Times.
- (13 May 1903). "Professional Golfers' Association". The Times.
- (5 May 1904). "Professional Golfers' Association". The Times.
- (4 May 1905). "Professional Golfers' Association's tournament". The Times.
- (26 April 1906). "Professional Golfers' Association". The Times.
- (16 May 1907). "Professional Golfers' Association". The Times.
- (14 May 1908). "Professional Golfers' Association". The Times.
- (13 May 1909). "Tooting Bec Cup competition". The Times.
- (21 July 1910). "The £240 competition – Southern section". The Times.
- (4 May 1911). "Southern professional tournament". The Times.
- (6 May 1911). "The Tooting Bec cup". The Times.
- (25 Apr 1912). "Professional foursomes tournament – Qualifying competitions". The Times.
- (1 April 1913). "The Tooting Bec cup". The Times.
- (8 May 1913). "Professional golfers association – Southern qualifying competition". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
- (15 April 1914). "Professionals at Thorpe Hall". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
- (21 April 1914). "Ray wins the "Tooting Bec" cup". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
- (16 April 1920). "Worplesdon tournament – Ray's great round". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
- (22 April 1921). "The £600 tournament – Southern section qualifying play". [[The Glasgow Herald]].
- (20 April 1923). "Great round by Duncan". The Times.
- "Club Makers, Professionals and Course Designers: Alexander and John McLaren". North Berwick.
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