Sphere and Tatler Foursomes Tournament
The Sphere and Tatler Foursomes Tournament was a professional golf tournament played annually from 1911 to 1914. Total prize money was £350 provided by the owners of The Sphere and The Tatler. The winners received individual silver trophies. It followed a similar format to that used for the popular News of the World Matchplay except that it was a foursomes event rather than singles.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | England |
| Established | 1911 |
| Month played | May |
| Final year | 1914 |
| Final champion | |
| James Batley and Len Holland | |
Tournament history
Qualification process
As for the News of the World Matchplay, players qualified through regional competitions, playing individual stroke play over 36 holes. However, since 32 pairs contested the final stages, a total of 64 players qualified rather than the 32 who qualified for the News of the World Matchplay. The number qualifying from each section was predetermined. After the qualifying, the players were then drawn randomly into 32 pairs for the final stages, which consisted of a three-day knockout competition with two 18-hole matches per day on the first two days and then a 36-hole final on the final day.
Prize money
The winners received £50 each with the losing finalists getting £15 15s, the losing semi-finalists £8 8s, losing quarter-finalists £6 6s, second round losers £4 4s and first round losers £2 2s each.[1]
1911
Qualification was by a series of 36-hole stroke-play competitions; one for each of the eight PGA sections. The Southern section had 24 qualifiers, the Northern section 14, the Midland section 9, the Western section 5, the Scottish section 4, the Welsh and Eastern sections 3 and the Irish section 2. Qualifying took place between 8 March and 9 May. The Southern section qualifying had over 150 entries and there were major problems finishing the 36 holes in a single day, even though a cut was introduced after the first round.
1912
The Scottish and Welsh section had an extra qualifier compared to 1911, while the Western and Eastern sections had one less. The Southern section was split into two, with 12 players qualifying from each venue. Qualifying took place between 7 March and 2 May.
1913
The Midland section had an extra qualifier compared to 1912, while the Western section had one less. The Southern section was again split into two, with 12 players qualifying from each venue. Qualifying took place between 17 April and 7 May.
1914
The number qualifying from the Southern section was increased by two compared to 1913, to 26, while Midland section and Welsh sections had one less. The Southern section was again split into two, with 13 players qualifying from each venue. Qualifying took place between 2 and 29 April.
Winners
| Year | Winners | Country | Venue | Margin of victory | Runners-up | Winner's share (£) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | James Bradbeer & Sandy Herd |  England Scotland | Walton Heath Golf Club | 8 & 7 | Walter Hambleton & J.H. Taylor | 50 (each) | [2] |
| 1912 | George Duncan & James Sherlock | Scotland England | Royal Liverpool Golf Club | 4 & 2 | James Braid & Charles Roberts | 50 (each) | [1] |
| 1913 | Harry Vardon & Tom Williamson |  Jersey England | Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club | 7 & 5 | Bert James & Josh Taylor | 50 (each) | [3] |
| 1914 | James Batley & Len Holland | England England | Sunningdale Golf Club | 5 & 4 | C McIntosh & George Smith | 50 (each) | [4] |
Harry Vardon Memorial Trophy
After his death, Harry Vardon's widow presented his 1913 trophy to South Herts Golf Club. The trophy is now awarded to the winner of the Harry Vardon Memorial Trophy, a club handicap competition.[5]
References
- "£350 foursomes tournament – Success of Duncan and Sherlock". The Glasgow Herald. 17 May 1912. p. 16.
- "Professional foursome tournament – Victory of Herd and Bradbeer". The Glasgow Herald. 19 May 1911. p. 14.
- "£350 foursome tournament – Easy win for Vardon and Williamson". The Glasgow Herald. 23 May 1913. p. 13.
- "The £350 tournament – Easy win for Batley and Holland". The Glasgow Herald. 15 May 1914. p. 17.
- http://www.southhertsgolfclub.co.uk/golf/competitions/mens/harry_vardon_memorial_trophy