Penfold Tournament

The Penfold Tournament was a golf tournament on the European circuit/European Tour. It was played from 1932 to 1974 at a variety of courses. The tournament was sponsored by Penfold Golf and was often played at coastal resorts, whose councils shared the costs. In 1974, Penfold were taken over by Colgate-Palmolive and continued their sponsorship through the Penfold PGA Championship from 1975 to 1977.

It was generally played as an individual stroke play event. In 1949 there were two qualifying rounds, after which the leading 32 were drawn into 16 pairs, who then played four rounds of knock-out foursomes match play to determine the winning pair. In 1950, it was played at mixed-team match play. 32 professional men and 32 ladies qualified over 36 holes and were then drawn into pairs. These pairs played five rounds of knock-out foursomes match play to determine the winning pair, the final being over 36 holes. It returned to an individual stroke play format for 1951. From 1952 to 1954, it was played at 36 holes of stroke play followed by match play for the top 32 players.

In 1955 Penfold combined their sponsorship with Swallow Raincoats who had supported the Swallow-Harrogate Tournament in 1953 and 1954. The new tournament was known as the Swallow-Penfold Tournament and had a first prize of £1,000 and total prize money of £4,000. The new event had a 72-hole stroke play format. Swallow dropped their sponsorship after the 1966 event but the tournament continued with £4,000 prize money in 1967. Prize money increased to £8,000 in 1971 and finally £12,000 in 1974.

In the 1934 tournament, both players tied on 142 after the 36-hole playoff. After a further 9 holes Whitcombe scored 34 to Seymour's 36. In 1958 there was an 18-hole playoff in which Weetman beat Bradshaw 76 to 77. In 1965 Miguel beat Platts at the third extra hole with a par 3. In 1967 Cockin beat Peach at the first extra hole with a birdie 4. In 1968 Butler beat Thomas at the first extra hole with a birdie 2. In 1972 Oosterhuis beat O'Connor at the first extra hole with a birdie 3.

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