Penfold Professional Golf League
The Penfold Professional Golf League was a professional golf tournament played in England. The event was held twice, in 1938 and 1939. It was contested by 12 players, each playing the other in a round robin format. Everyone played two matches per day for the first five days and another match on the final day, a Saturday. Two points were awarded for a win and one point for a halved match. Total prize money was £1,000 with £200 for the winner. The tournament was sponsored by Penfold Golf.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Northwood, London Sutton Coldfield, Staffordshire |
| Established | 1938 |
| Course(s) | Sandy Lodge Golf Club Little Aston Golf Club |
| Month played | June |
| Final year | 1939 |
| Final champion | |
| Henry Cotton and Charles Whitcombe | |
1938
The event was held at Sandy Lodge Golf Club in Northwood, London from 13–18 June. The field consisted of the leading 11 in the 1937 Harry Vardon Trophy standings together with Percy Alliss who had won the 1937 News of the World Matchplay. The Harry Vardon Trophy standings were based on the average score in major stroke play events during the season. The winner of the Yorkshire Evening News Tournament also qualified but since the winner, Arthur Lacey, finished fourth in the averages, there were places for the leading 11 in the averages.[1]
Final table
| Pos | Player | W | H | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Percy Alliss |
7 | 2 | 2 | 16 |
| 2 | Bert Gadd |
5 | 5 | 1 | 15 |
| Reg Whitcombe |
7 | 1 | 3 | ||
| 4 | Dick Burton |
5 | 2 | 4 | 12 |
| Henry Cotton |
5 | 2 | 4 | ||
| Arthur Lacey |
5 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 7 | Sam King |
5 | 1 | 5 | 11 |
| Alf Padgham |
4 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 9 | Bill Branch |
3 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| 10 | Charles Whitcombe |
3 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
| 11 | Abe Mitchell |
3 | 0 | 8 | 6 |
| 12 |  Paddy Mahon |
1 | 3 | 7 | 5 |
1939
The event was held at Little Aston Golf Club in Sutton Coldfield, Staffordshire from 12–17 June. The field consisted of the defending champion, Percy Alliss and the leading 11 in the 1938 Harry Vardon Trophy standings. As in 1937 the Harry Vardon Trophy standings were based on the average score in major stroke play events during the season.[2]
Final table
| Pos | Player | W | H | L | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henry Cotton |
9 | 0 | 2 | 18 |
| Charles Whitcombe |
8 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 3 | Bert Gadd |
7 | 0 | 4 | 14 |
| 4 | Sam King |
5 | 3 | 3 | 13 |
| 5 |  Jimmy Adams |
6 | 0 | 5 | 12 |
| Alf Padgham |
6 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 7 | Reg Whitcombe |
4 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
| 8 | Arthur Lacey |
4 | 1 | 6 | 9 |
| Alf Perry |
4 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 10 | Dick Burton |
4 | 0 | 7 | 8 |
| 11 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Dai Rees |
1 | 3 | 7 | 5 |
| 12 | Percy Alliss |
1 | 2 | 8 | 4 |
Winners
| Year | Winner | Country | Venue | Score | Margin of victory | Runner-up | Winner's share (£) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | Percy Alliss | England | Sandy Lodge Golf Club | 16 | 1 point | Bert Gadd Reg Whitcombe | 200 | [3] |
| 1939 | Henry Cotton Charles Whitcombe | England England | Little Aston Golf Club | 18 | Tie | Shared 200 and 150 | [4] |
References
- "Golf – A new professional event". The Times. 23 November 1937. p. 6.
- "Professional league tournament – The order of play". The Times. 18 May 1939. p. 5.
- "League victory for Alliss – Halved match with Mahon – R Whitcombe and Gadd second". The Glasgow Herald. 20 June 1938. p. 4.
- "Another tournament ends in tie – Henry Cotton's fine finish". The Glasgow Herald. 19 June 1939. p. 6.