North Coast Open

The North Coast Open was a professional golf tournament in Australia from 1951 to 1975.[1]

History

It was always held at Coffs Harbour Golf Club in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales.[1][2] It was a PGA Tour of Australia event from 1973 to 1975.[1]

The name "North Coast Open" was not used until the 1953 championship, the first two events being referred to as Coffs Harbour Golf Club £200 Professional Purse.[3] Initially the event was played over 36 holes, increasing to 54 holes in 1959, and 72 holes in 1962.

The 1974 event was the largest with 188 players; 119 professionals and 69 amateurs. It also had its highest hitherto purse at $A8,000.[4]

Winners

Year Winner Country Score To par Margin
of victory		 Runner(s)-up Ref
North Coast Open
1975 Vaughan Somers  Australia 279 −9 2 strokes Australia Noel Ratcliffe [5]
1974 Allan Cooper  Australia 278 −10 5 strokes Australia Rob McNaughton [6]
1973 Stewart Ginn  Australia 279 −9 5 strokes Australia Tom Linskey [7]
1972 Terry Kendall  New Zealand 282 −6 1 stroke Australia Bill Dunk [8]
1971 Bill Dunk (4)  Australia 269 −19 10 strokes Australia Randall Vines [9]
1970 Bill Dunk (3)  Australia 212 −4 5 strokes Australia Peter Harvey
Australia Randall Vines		 [10]
1969 Tony Mangan  Australia 291 +3 3 strokes Australia David Graham [11]
1968 Vic Bennetts  Australia 283 −5 2 strokes Australia Les Wilson [12]
1967 Bill Dunk (2)  Australia 288 E 5 strokes Australia Bob Swinbourne [13]
1966 Bill Dunk  Australia 276 −12 1 stroke Australia Col Johnston [14]
1965 Norman Von Nida  Australia 284 −2 Playoff Australia Jack Donald [15]
1964 Ron Howell  United States 278 −10 1 stroke Australia Bill Dunk [16]
1963 Alan Murray  Australia 278 −10 4 strokes Australia Col Johnston [17]
1962 Frank Phillips (2)  Australia 272 −16 8 strokes Australia Stan Peach [18]
1961 Len Woodward  Australia 211 −5 2 strokes Canada Stan Leonard [19]
North Coast Open Championship and Ampol Purse
1960 Frank Phillips  Australia 211 −5 1 stroke Australia Peter Thomson [20]
1959 John Sullivan  Australia 212 +2 1 stroke Australia Frank Phillips
Australia Les Wilson		 [21]
1958 Bruce Crampton  Australia 138 −2 2 strokes Australia Eric Cremin
Australia Frank Phillips
Australia Darrell Welch		 [22]
1957 Gary Player (2)  South Africa 135 −5 1 stroke Australia Eric Cremin [23]
1956 Gary Player  South Africa 136 −4 Playoff Australia Norm Berwick [24]
North Coast Open Championship
1955 Kel Nagle (4)  Australia 138 6 strokes Australia Eric Cremin
Australia Jim McInnes		 [25]
1954 Kel Nagle (3)  Australia 136 4 strokes Australia Frank Phillips [26][27]
1953 Allan Myers  Australia 135 1 stroke Australia Eric Cremin [3]
Coffs Harbour Professional Purse
1952 Kel Nagle (2)  Australia 141 1 stroke Australia Jim McInnes [28]
1951 Kel Nagle  Australia 134 5 strokes Australia Eric Cremin [29][30]

The 1970 event was reduced to 54 holes by bad weather. In 1956 Player beat Berwick in a playoff for the championship but they were tied when determining the prize money.

Source:[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d 2006 Media Guide. PGA Tour of Australasia. p. 168.
  2. ^ "North Coast Championship for Coffs Harbour". Coffs Harbour Advocate. 16 January 1953. p. 10 – via Trove.
  3. ^ a b "North Coast Open Golf Championship Won by Young Bexley Professional". Coffs Harbour Advocate. New South Wales, Australia. 22 September 1953. p. 1. Retrieved 11 February 2020 – via Trove.
  4. ^ "Open Field a Record". Bananacoast Opinion. Coffs Harbour, NSW. 3 October 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Somers' 69 settles it". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 October 1975. p. 16.
  6. ^ "Golf 'old head' in youth's fling". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 October 1974. p. 22.
  7. ^ "Ginn charges past a 'shaky' Godfrey". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 October 1973. p. 14.
  8. ^ "Kendall's coast golf 66 beats Dunk". The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 October 1972. p. 22.
  9. ^ "Dunk 'hot' in 19 under Open win". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 October 1971. p. 16.
  10. ^ "Dunks 51st record". The Age. 23 November 1970. p. 25.
  11. ^ "Mangan pulls off 100-1 Open". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 November 1969. p. 13.
  12. ^ "Bennetts gets golf title but no prize money". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 November 1968. p. 12.
  13. ^ "Dunk coasts to easy triumph". The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 November 1967. p. 14.
  14. ^ "Dunk pressed but wins by stroke". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 November 1966. p. 14.
  15. ^ "Open golf win to von Nida". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 November 1965. p. 14.
  16. ^ "N. Coast Open to Howell". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 October 1964. p. 16.
  17. ^ "Murray by 4 strokes". The Sydney Morning Herald. 14 October 1963. p. 19.
  18. ^ "Brilliant Golf by Phillips". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 November 1962. p. 20.
  19. ^ "Woodward by Two Strokes". The Age. 6 November 1961. p. 17.
  20. ^ "Phillips wins golf purse". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 November 1960. p. 20.
  21. ^ "Sullivan wins golf open and purse". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 October 1959. p. 12.
  22. ^ "£1,000 purse to Bruce Crampton". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 October 1958. p. 12.
  23. ^ "Close Golf Victory to Player". The Sydney Morning Herald. 14 October 1957. p. 14.
  24. ^ "Player, Berwick Share Purse". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 October 1956. p. 13.
  25. ^ "Six-stroke Win to Kel Nagle". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 September 1955. p. 12.
  26. ^ "Third North Coast Open Title To Nagle". Daily Examiner. New South Wales, Australia. 27 September 1954. p. 7. Retrieved 11 February 2020 – via Trove.
  27. ^ "Purse To Kel Nagle". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 September 1954. p. 9.
  28. ^ "Kel Nagle Wins At Coffs Harbour". Daily Examiner. New South Wales, Australia. 6 October 1952. p. 3. Retrieved 11 February 2020 – via Trove.
  29. ^ "Jubilee Purse to Kel Nagle". Daily Examiner. New South Wales, Australia. 17 September 1951. p. 5. Retrieved 11 February 2020 – via Trove.
  30. ^ "Nagle Too Strong". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 September 1951. p. 7.