# Tooting Bec Cup

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

| Year | Player(s) | Score |
| 2024 | Shane Lowry | 66 |
| 2023 | Tommy Fleetwood | 66 |
| 2022 | Rory McIlroy | 66 |
| 2022 | Matt Fitzpatrick | 66 |
| 2022 | Tyrrell Hatton | 66 |
| 2022 | Tommy Fleetwood | 66 |
| 2021 | Shane Lowry | 65 |
| 2020 | Not awarded | Not awarded |
| 2019 | Danny Willett | 65 |
| 2018 | |
| 2017 | Paul Casey | 66 |
| 2017 | Ross Fisher | 66 |
| 2016 | Rory McIlroy | 67 |
| 2015 | Pádraig Harrington | 65 |
| 2014 | Rory McIlroy | 66 |
| 2013 | Ian Poulter | 67 |
| 2012 | Paul Lawrie | 65 |
| 2011 | Darren Clarke | 68 |
| 2011 | Graeme McDowell | 68 |
| 2010 | Andrew Coltart | 66 |
| 2009 | Luke Donald | 67 |
| 2008 | David Howell | 67 |
| 2007 | Pádraig Harrington | 67 |
| 2007 | Paul McGinley | 67 |
| 2006 | Greg Owen | 67 |
| 2005 | Colin Montgomerie | 66 |
| 2004 | Lee Westwood | 67 |
| 2003 | Nick Faldo | 67 |
| 2002 | Colin Montgomerie | 64 |
| 2001 | Colin Montgomerie | 65 |
| 2001 | Des Smyth | 65 |
| 2000 | Darren Clarke | 68 |
| 2000 | Pádraig Harrington | 68 |
| 2000 | Dean Robertson | 68 |
| 1999 | Paul Lawrie | 67 |
| 1998 | Andrew Coltart | 68 |
| 1998 | Philip Walton | 68 |
| 1997 | Stephen Ames | 66 |
| 1997 | Darren Clarke | 66 |
| 1997 | David Tapping | 66 |
| 1996 | Paul Broadhurst | 65 |
| 1996 | Paul McGinley | 65 |
| 1995 | Nick Faldo | 67 |
| 1994 | Nick Faldo | 64 |
| 1993 | Nick Faldo | 63 |
| 1992 | Nick Faldo | 64 |
| 1991 | Roger Chapman | 66 |
| 1991 | Eamonn Darcy | 66 |
| 1990 | Paul Broadhurst | 63 |
| 1989 | Wayne Stephens | 66 |
| 1988 | Sandy Lyle | 67 |
| 1987 | Ross Drummond | 66 |
| 1986 | Gordon J. Brand | 68 |
| 1985 | Christy O'Connor Jnr | 64 |
| 1984 | Sam Torrance | 66 |
| 1983 | Denis Durnian | 66 |
| 1982 | Sandy Lyle | 66 |
| 1981 | Gordon J. Brand | 65 |
| 1980 | Ken Brown | 68 |
| 1980 | Eamonn Darcy | 68 |
| 1980 | Bill McColl | 68 |
| 1979 | Bill Longmuir | 65 |
| 1978 | Gary Cullen | 67 |
| 1977 | Tommy Horton | 65 |
| 1976 | Mark James | 66 |
| 1975 | Maurice Bembridge | 67 |
| 1975 | Neil Coles | 67 |
| 1975 | Bernard Gallacher | 67 |
| 1975 | David Huish | 67 |
| 1974 | John Garner | 69 |
| 1974 | John Morgan | 69 |
| 1974 | Peter Townsend | 69 |
| 1973 | Neil Coles | 66 |
| 1972 | Harry Bannerman | 67 |
| 1972 | Guy Hunt | 67 |
| 1972 | Tony Jacklin | 67 |
| 1971 | Peter Oosterhuis | 66 |
| 1970 | Neil Coles | 65 |
| 1969 | Christy O'Connor Snr | 65 |
| 1968 | Brian Barnes | 70 |
| 1968 | Gordon Cunningham | 70 |
| 1967 | Hugh Boyle | 68 |
| 1967 | Lionel Platts | 68 |
| 1966 | Peter Butler | 65 |
| 1965 | Brian Huggett | 68 |
| 1964 | Malcolm Gregson | 67 |
| 1964 | Bernard Hunt | 67 |
| 1963 | Tom Haliburton | 68 |
| 1963 | Christy O'Connor Snr | 68 |
| 1962 | Syd Scott | 68 |
| 1961 | Christy O'Connor Snr | 67 |
| 1960 | Bernard Hunt | 66 |
| 1959 | Peter Alliss | 67 |
| 1958 | Eric Brown | 65 |
| 1957 | Laurie Ayton, Jnr | 67 |
| 1957 | Eric Brown | 67 |
| 1957 | John Fallon | 67 |
| 1956 | Dennis Smalldon | 68 |
| 1955 | John Fallon | 67 |
| 1954 | Jack Hargreaves | 67 |
| 1954 | Syd Scott | 67 |
| 1953 | Dai Rees | 70 |
| 1953 | Eric Lester | 70 |
| 1952 | Fred Daly | 67 |
| 1951 | Jimmy Adams | 68 |
| 1951 | Charlie Ward | 68 |
| 1950 | Fred Daly | 66 |
| 1949 | Jimmy Adams | 67 |
| 1949 | Ken Bousfield | 67 |
| 1948 | Henry Cotton | 66 |
| 1947 | Laurie Ayton, Jnr | 69 |
| 1947 | Henry Cotton | 69 |
| 1939 | Dick Burton | 70 |
| 1939 | Jack Busson | 70 |
| 1939 | Max Faulkner | 70 |
| 1938 | Dick Burton | 69 |
| 1938 | Jack Busson | 69 |
| 1937 | Reg Whitcombe | 70 |
| 1936 | Bill Branch | 68 |
| 1935 | Alf Perry | 67 |
| 1934 | Bill Davies | 68 |
| 1933 | Abe Mitchell | 68 |
| 1932 | Arthur Havers | 68 |
| 1931 | Held in abeyance | Held in abeyance |
| 1930 | Archie Compston | 68 |
| 1929 | Percy Alliss | 69 |
| 1928 | Held in abeyance | Held in abeyance |
| 1927 | Fred Robson | 69 |
| 1926 | Held in abeyance | Held in abeyance |
| 1925 | Ted Ray | 73 |
| 1924 | Ernest Whitcombe | 70 |

## 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.
| Year | Winner | Country | Venue | Score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Winner's share (£) |
| 1901 | J.H. Taylor | England | Tooting Bec Golf Club | 149 | 3 strokes | James Hepburn Rowland Jones | |
| 1902 | James Braid | Scotland | Romford Golf Club | 148 | 6 strokes | Ralph Smith | |
| 1903 | James Braid | Scotland | Hanger Hill Golf Club | 148 | 3 strokes | Harry Vardon Jack White | |
| 1904 | James Braid | Scotland | West Middlesex Golf Club | 147 | Playoff (18 holes) | John McLaren | |
| 1905 | Alfred Toogood | England | Northwood Golf Club | 150 | 1 stroke | J.H. Taylor | |
| 1906 | William Lonie | Scotland | Ashford Manor Golf Club | 152 | 4 strokes | Wilfrid Reid | |
| 1907 | James Braid | Scotland | South Herts Golf Club | 151 | 3 strokes | J.H. Taylor | |
| 1908 | Rowland Jones | England | Neasden Golf Club | 153 | Playoff (18 holes) | Ernest Gray | |
| 1909 | James Sherlock | England | Maidenhead Golf Club | 149 | 4 strokes | James Braid | |
| 1910 | James Sherlock | England | Stoke Poges Golf Club | 148 | 4 strokes | Tom Ball Ernest Gaudin Charles Mayo Tom Vardon | |
| 1911 | Harry Vardon | Jersey | Banstead Downs Golf Club | 154 | Playoff (18 holes) | Wilfrid Reid | |
| 1912 | Phil Gaudin | Jersey | Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club | 147 | Playoff (18 holes) | James Braid | |
| 1913 | Ted Ray | Jersey | Old Fold Manor Golf Club | 145 | Playoff (18 holes) | James Batley | |
| 1914–19: No tournament |||||||||
| 1920 | Ted Ray | Jersey | Worplesdon Golf Club | 149 | 1 stroke | Abe Mitchell | 10 |
| 1921 | Arnaud Massy | France | Cooden Beach Golf Club | 147 | 1 stroke | Fred Robson Ted Ray | 25 |
| 1922: No tournament |||||||||
| 1923 | George Duncan | Scotland | Purley Downs Golf Club | 142 | 2 strokes | Ted Ray | |
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.