# 1908 News of the World Match Play

The 1908 News of the World Match Play was the sixth News of the World Match Play tournament. It was played from Tuesday 6 to Thursday 8 October at Mid-Surrey Golf Club. 32 players competed in a straight knock-out competition, with each match contested over 18 holes, except for the final which was over 36 holes. The winner received £100 out of a total prize fund of £240. J.H. Taylor defeated Fred Robson by 2 holes in the final to win the tournament.

## Qualification

Entry was restricted to members of the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA). Qualification was by a series of 36-hole stroke-play competitions; one for each of the six PGA sections. The Southern section had 14 qualifiers, the Northern section 7, the Midland and the Scottish sections 4, the Irish section 2 and the Welsh section 1. Compared to 1907 there was one extra qualifier for the Northern section and one less for Welsh section. In the event of a tie for places there was a playoff.
The qualifiers were:
* Irish section: James Edmundson, Harry Kidd
* Midland section: Willie Aveston, George Coburn, Jack Oke, Tom Williamson
* Northern section: Tom Ball, Tom Beck, Sandy Herd, Ted Ray, Thomas Renouf, Fred Robson, Tom Watt
* Southern section: James Batley, James Bradbeer, James Braid, Ernest Gray, Rowland Jones, Arnaud Massy, Charles Mayo, Jack Rowe, James Sherlock, J.H. Taylor, Albert Tingey, Sr., Harry Vardon, Tom Vardon, Reg Wilson
* Scottish section: Willie Binnie, Willie Fernie, Charles Neaves, Ben Sayers
* Welsh section: Syd Ball

## Format

The format was unchanged. Matches were over 18 holes except for the final which was over 36 holes. Extra holes were played in the event of a tied match. Two rounds were played on the first day, two more on the second day with the final on the third day.

## Results

Source:
| First round 6 October | First round 6 October | Second round 6 October | Second round 6 October | Third round 7 October | Third round 7 October | Semi-finals 7 October | Semi-finals 7 October | Final 8 October | Final 8 October |
| Harry Vardon | 7&6 | | | | | | | | |
| Charles Neaves | | Harry Vardon | 3&1 | | | | | | |
| Jack Rowe | | Jack Oke | | | | | | | |
| Jack Oke | 1up | | | Harry Vardon | | | | | |
| Tom Beck | | | | Charles Mayo | 4&3 | | | | |
| Charles Mayo | 6&5 | Charles Mayo | 4&2 | | | | | | |
| Reg Wilson | | Tom Williamson | | | | | | | |
| Tom Williamson | 4&2 | | | | | Charles Mayo | | | |
| Syd Ball | | | | | | Fred Robson | 3&1 | | |
| Ben Sayers | 3&2 | Ben Sayers | 2&1 | | | | | | |
| Sandy Herd | | Tom Vardon | | | | | | | |
| Tom Vardon | 19h | | | Ben Sayers | | | | | |
| Fred Robson | 3&2 | | | Fred Robson | 1up | | | | |
| Albert Tingey, Sr. | | Fred Robson | 2&1 | | | | | | |
| Tom Ball | 4&3 | Tom Ball | | | | | | | |
| Arnaud Massy | | | | | | | | Fred Robson | |
| Tom Watt | | | | | | | | J.H. Taylor | 2up |
| Rowland Jones | 1up | Rowland Jones | | | | | | | |
| Willie Fernie | | James Sherlock | 4&3 | | | | | | |
| James Sherlock | w/o | | | James Sherlock | 1up | | | | |
| Willie Aveston | | | | Thomas Renouf | | | | | |
| Harry Kidd | 3&2 | Harry Kidd | | | | | | | |
| George Coburn | | Thomas Renouf | 5&3 | | | | | | |
| Thomas Renouf | 5&4 | | | | | James Sherlock | | | |
| J.H. Taylor | 2&1 | | | | | J.H. Taylor | 3&2 | | |
| James Braid | | J.H. Taylor | 2up | | | | | | |
| Ted Ray | 3&1 | Ted Ray | | | | | | | |
| James Batley | | | | J.H. Taylor | 3&1 | | | | |
| James Edmundson | | | | Ernest Gray | | | | | |
| Ernest Gray | 2&1 | Ernest Gray | 2&1 | | | | | | |
| Willie Binnie | 3&1 | Willie Binnie | | | | | | | |
| James Bradbeer | | | | | | | | | |
w/o = Walkover

## Prize money

The winner received £100 and a gold medal, the runner-up £30 and a silver medal, the losing semi-finalists £15 and a bronze medal, while the third round losers received £10 and the second round losers received £5.