English Open
Encyclopedia
The English Open was a professional golf
tournament on the European Tour
. In 2009, it was due to be played over the Jack Nicklaus
designed Signature Course at the St. Mellion International Resort
in Cornwall
, after a six year hiatus, but its return to the schedule had to be postponed for at least two years after developers ran into financial difficulties.
In most countries where golf is played there is a national open, but in England this role was effectively filled by The Open Championship
, sometimes referred to as the "British Open". The English Open was founded in 1979 as the Lada English Golf Classic, and was held until 1983 at The Belfry
. After a five year absence, the tournament returned in 1988 as the English Open. The first event was held at Royal Birkdale
, before moving back to The Belfry until 1993 when it moved to the Forest of Arden.
Aside from three years at Hanbury Manor, the English Open remained at the Forest of Arden until the tournament was cancelled following the 2002 season as part of long term plans for the European Tour to expand globally, by reducing the number of tournaments held in Europe
, especially the United Kingdom
. In the tour's first official season in 1972 12 out of 20 events were staged in the UK, but by 2005 this was down to 8 out of 47.
The English Open was due to return to the European Tour schedule in 2009, under a five year deal, initially as an alternate event to the PGA Championship
, one of professional golf's majors
. However early in 2009, the revival was postponed until 2011 at the earliest, after developers ran into financial problems, reportedly as a result of the ongoing recession. In March 2011 it was announced that the event had been cancelled due to insufficient sponsorship revenue having been raised by the organisers.
Only two players have won the tournament more than once; Darren Clarke
of Northern Ireland
with three victories, and England
's Mark James with two.
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
tournament on the European Tour
PGA European Tour
The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
. In 2009, it was due to be played over the Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
designed Signature Course at the St. Mellion International Resort
St. Mellion International Resort
The St. Mellion International Resort is a golf centred hotel and recreation complex near Saltash, Cornwall in the South West of England. The resort comprises a hotel, conference facilities, health club, spa and two championship golf courses.The St...
in Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, after a six year hiatus, but its return to the schedule had to be postponed for at least two years after developers ran into financial difficulties.
In most countries where golf is played there is a national open, but in England this role was effectively filled by The Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
, sometimes referred to as the "British Open". The English Open was founded in 1979 as the Lada English Golf Classic, and was held until 1983 at The Belfry
The Belfry
The Belfry is a golf resort in Wishaw, Warwickshire, England, very near the Sutton Coldfield district of Birmingham, and owned since 2005 by Irish businessman Sean Quinn....
. After a five year absence, the tournament returned in 1988 as the English Open. The first event was held at Royal Birkdale
Royal Birkdale Golf Club
Royal Birkdale Golf Club is a golf course in the town of Southport, England, and is one of the clubs in the Open Championship rotation for both men and women. The club has hosted the men's championship nine times since 1954, most recently in July 2008, and has hosted the women's tournament five...
, before moving back to The Belfry until 1993 when it moved to the Forest of Arden.
Aside from three years at Hanbury Manor, the English Open remained at the Forest of Arden until the tournament was cancelled following the 2002 season as part of long term plans for the European Tour to expand globally, by reducing the number of tournaments held in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, especially the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In the tour's first official season in 1972 12 out of 20 events were staged in the UK, but by 2005 this was down to 8 out of 47.
The English Open was due to return to the European Tour schedule in 2009, under a five year deal, initially as an alternate event to the PGA Championship
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
, one of professional golf's majors
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
. However early in 2009, the revival was postponed until 2011 at the earliest, after developers ran into financial problems, reportedly as a result of the ongoing recession. In March 2011 it was announced that the event had been cancelled due to insufficient sponsorship revenue having been raised by the organisers.
Only two players have won the tournament more than once; Darren Clarke
Darren Clarke
Darren Christopher Clarke is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who currently plays on the European Tour and has previously played on the PGA Tour. He has won 22 tournaments worldwide on a number of golf's main tours including the European Tour, the PGA Tour, the Sunshine Tour and the...
of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
with three victories, and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
's Mark James with two.
Winners
| Year | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|
| English Open | ||
| 2009–10 | Tournament cancelled | |
| 2003–08 | No tournament | |
| Compass Group English Open | ||
| 2002 |  Darren ClarkeDarren Clarke Darren Christopher Clarke is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who currently plays on the European Tour and has previously played on the PGA Tour. He has won 22 tournaments worldwide on a number of golf's main tours including the European Tour, the PGA Tour, the Sunshine Tour and the... |
271 (-17) |
| 2001 |  Peter O'MalleyPeter O'Malley (golfer) Peter O'Malley is an Australian professional golfer.O'Malley was born in Bathurst, New South Wales. He won the Australian Junior Championship and the New Zealand Amateur Championship in 1986, and turned professional the following year. He has won several times on the PGA Tour of Australasia, but... |
275 (-13) |
| 2000 | Darren Clarke Darren Clarke Darren Christopher Clarke is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who currently plays on the European Tour and has previously played on the PGA Tour. He has won 22 tournaments worldwide on a number of golf's main tours including the European Tour, the PGA Tour, the Sunshine Tour and the... |
275 (-13) |
| 1999 | Darren Clarke Darren Clarke Darren Christopher Clarke is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who currently plays on the European Tour and has previously played on the PGA Tour. He has won 22 tournaments worldwide on a number of golf's main tours including the European Tour, the PGA Tour, the Sunshine Tour and the... |
268 (-20) |
| National Car Rental English Open | ||
| 1998 |  Lee WestwoodLee Westwood Lee John Westwood OBE is an English professional golfer. Noted for his consistency, Westwood is one of the few golfers who has won tournaments on every major continent, including victories on the European Tour and the PGA Tour. He was named player of the year for the 1998, 2000, and 2009 seasons... |
271 (-17) |
| Alamo English Open | ||
| 1997 |  Per-Ulrik JohanssonPer-Ulrik Johansson Per-Ulrik Johansson is a Swedish golfer. Like many European golfers he took a golf scholarship in the United States as sports scholarships do not exist in Europe... |
269 (-19) |
| 1996 | Robert Allenby Robert Allenby Robert Allenby is an Australian professional golfer.Allenby was born in Melbourne, Australia. His father was from Leeds, England and emigrated to Australia as a young man.-Professional career:... |
278 (-10) |
| Murphy's English Open | ||
| 1995 |  Philip WaltonPhilip Walton Philip Walton is an Irish professional golfer.Walton attended Oklahoma State University in the United States and played for Great Britain & Ireland in the Walker Cup in 1981 and 1983... |
274 (-14)PO |
| 1994 |  Colin MontgomerieColin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... |
274 (-14) |
| 1993 |  Ian WoosnamIan Woosnam Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup... |
269 (-19) |
| 1992 |  Vicente FernandezVicente Fernandez (golfer) Vicente Fernández is an Argentine golfer who has won more than 60 professional tournaments around the world.Fernández was born in Corrientes, Argentina. He turned professional in 1964 and was a regular competitor on the European Tour from the mid 1970s to the mid 1990s... |
283 (-5) |
| NM English Open | ||
| 1991 | David Gilford David Gilford David Gilford is an English professional golfer.Gilford was born in Crewe. He won the English Amateur in 1984 and turned professional in 1986.... |
278 (-10) |
| 1990 | Mark James |
284 (-4)PO |
| 1989 | Mark James |
279 (-9) |
| English Open | ||
| 1988 | Howard Clark |
279 (-9) |
| 1984–87 | No tournament | |
| State Express English Classic | ||
| 1983 |  Hugh BaiocchiHugh Baiocchi Hugh John Baiocchi is a South African professional golfer who has won more than twenty professional tournaments around the world.... |
279 (-9)PO |
| 1982 | Greg Norman Greg Norman Gregory John Norman AO is an Australian professional golfer and entrepreneur who spent 331 weeks as the world's Number 1 ranked golfer in the 1980s and 1990s... |
279 (-13) |
| 1981 | Rodger Davis Rodger Davis Rodger Miles Davis is an Australian professional golfer.Davis was born in Sydney. He turned professional in 1974 and spent his regular career playing mainly on the PGA Tour of Australasia and the European Tour. He won the PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit in 1990 and 1991... |
283 (-5) |
| Mazda Cars English Classic | ||
| 1980 |  Manuel PiñeroManuel Piñero Manuel Piñero Sanchez is a Spanish professional golfer.Piñero was born in Badajoz. He turned professional in 1968 and established himself on the European Tour in the early 1970s. He won nine titles on the Tour, the most prestigious of them the 1977 British PGA Championship... |
286 (-2) |
| Lada English Golf Classic | ||
| 1979 | Seve Ballesteros |
286 (-2) |
External links
- English Open - official site
- Coverage on the European Tour's official site