The PGA Assistants' Championship is a golf tournament for golf club assistant professionals. It is held by the British PGA. The first championship was held in 1930 but earlier national tournaments for assistant professionals had been held since 1910.
History The Championship traces its origin back to the PGA's first major assistants' tournament at Bushey Hall Golf Club in October 1910. The prizes for this tournament were "presented by the proprietors of Perrier Water", the winner receiving 20 guineas (£21) and a gold watch. The event was organised like the News of the World Match Play with regional qualifying over 36 holes and a knock-out stage for the 16 qualifiers. Willie Ritchie, assistant to James Braid at Walton Heath Golf Club won the Southern section qualifying by a clear 7 strokes. Willie Watt was the Scottish qualifier, although there were only four entries, assistants not being common in Scotland at the time. Ritchie and Watt, both from Scotland, met in the final. Watt was 1 up after five holes but lost the next four holes. Ritchie also won the 11th and 13th and eventually won 5&4. Ritchie had played well all year, finishing in a tie for 16th place in the 1910 Open Championship.
Regional qualifying was retained for 1911 but the final stages were decided by 36 holes of stroke play. The Perrier Water tournament continued until World War I. The final stage of the 1914 tournament was cancelled although some of the qualifying competitions had been played. The Perrier Water tournament restarted in 1920 and was won by Percy Alliss, an assistant at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club.
There was no tournament in 1921 but a new event started in 1922. Findlater, Mackie, Todd & Company, wine and spirit merchants, presented a trophy, the Findlater Shield, and prizes of £100 for the tournament. The tournament "which virtually represents the championship of the assistants" was won by Michael Daragon. Alf Perry won the shield in 1924 and 1925. The Findlater Shield continued until 1928.
In 1930 the PGA started the Assistants' Championship. The event was a 36-hole stroke-play event on a single day. The first championship was won by Bill Branch from Henbury Golf Club near Bristol. The 1933 event, planned for July at Hallamshire Golf Club, was cancelled because of a shortage of entries but was replaced by an important new £750 tournament sponsored by the Daily Mirror.
The 1933 Daily Mirror tournament was played from 25 to 28 September at Moor Park Golf Club. The first day consisted of a 36-hole qualifying stage on the High and West courses with the leading 64 playing knock-out match-play on the next three days. Sam King beat Herbert Hardman 3&2 in the final and "gained the unofficial title of 'Champion Assistant'".
The 1934 tournament was played at Wentworth Golf Club and was extended to six days, 28 May to 2 June. The prize money was £800. The 36-hole qualifying stage was over two days on the East and West courses. The match-play stage was played on the East course. The 36-hole final was won by Robert Porter, who beat Dai Rees 3&2 in the final.
In 1935, sectional qualifying was re-introduced. 64 players qualified and the event became a 72-hole stroke-play tournament. The tournament was over 3 days, 30 July to 1 August, with 18 holes on the first two-day and the leading 32 playing 36 holes on the final day. Dai Rees won the tournament with a score of 284 a shot ahead of Bill Cox. Rees won again in 1936, by three strokes from Herbert Osborne.
As winners of major tournaments, Sam King and Dai Rees were excluded from the 1937 tournament, despite still being assistants. After 72 holes Albert Chevalier and Eddie Whitcombe were tied on 289. In the 36-hole playoff the following day Chevalier beat Whitcombe by a shot, scoring 145. Whitcombe had a yard putt at the last to tie but missed.
Bill Laidlaw won the 1938 tournament by 9 strokes from Geoff White and Alan Waters. White, runner-up in 1938, won the 1939 event by 7 strokes from RJ Taylor.
For financial reasons the championship was not played again until 1949. Harry Weetman won the championship by 5 strokes from Peter Alliss and Harry Gould. Weetman won again in 1950, this time by 7 strokes from Dennis Smalldon. The leading 16 players in the 1950 championship qualified for the Gor-Ray match-play tournament at Hartsbourne Golf Club, with prize money of £580. Weetman lost in the quarter-final and the event was won by Brian Shelton.
Having made large losses from the previous two Championships, the P.G.A. initially cancelled the Assistants' Championship for 1951. Because of this the Coombe Hill Golf Club, who had been running a southern section assistants' tournament for a few years, decided to open up the Coombe Hill Assistants' Tournament to all assistants, while extending the event from 36 to 72 holes. This tournament and another held at Fairhaven Golf Club, acted as qualifying events for the Gor-Ray Cup at Hartsbourne which became the official Assistants' Championship, although now a match-play event. Unlike the Coombe Hill Assistants' Tournament, the Gor-Ray Cup was restricted to P.G.A. members. In 1952 and 1953 the Coombe Hill Assistants' Tournament was the only qualifying event, with the leading 16 and ties qualifying for the Gor-Ray Cup. From 1954 the Gor-Ray Cup became a 72-hole stroke-play event. In 1968 the assistants event was changed to an age-restricted event, the Gor-Ray Under-24 Championship. This new event was reduced to 54 holes in 1969 and was not contested again.
Since the championship restarted in 1981 it has been sponsored by Dorset Foods (1981–1982), Footjoy (1983–1984), Wilson Sporting Goods. (1985), Peugeot Talbot (1986–1987), Peugeot (1988–1992), Standard Life (1994), Reebok (1995–97), Maxfli (1999–2001), Powerade (2004), Powerade in association with FootJoy (2005–2014), Galvin Green (2015–2017), Birdietime (2019) and Coca-Cola (2020–2024).
Winners Year Champion Venue ScoreCoca-Cola PGA Assistants' Championship 2024 Matty Lamb Farleigh Golf Club 200 2023 Lewis Scott Farleigh Golf Club 202 2022 James Walker Royal Cromer Golf Club 212 2021 Michael Farrier-Twist Farleigh Golf Club 201 PO 2020 Michael Bullen Oakmere Golf Club 212 Birdietime PGA Assistants' Championship 2019 Michael Bullen Pleasington Golf Club 205 POPGA Assistants' Championship 2018 Lee Corfield Farleigh Golf Club 209 Galvin Green PGA Assistants' Championship 2017 Matthew Fieldsend Coxmoor Golf Club 212 2016 Mathew Webb Little Aston Golf Club 204 2015 Jack Harrison Coventry Golf Club 203 Powerade PGA Assistants' Championship 2014 Gareth Davies Coventry Golf Club 207 PO 2013 Matthew Cort Coventry Golf Club 203 2012 Matthew Cort East Sussex National Golf Club 211 2011 Matthew Cort East Sussex National Golf Club 211 2010 Guy Woodman East Sussex National Golf Club 208 2009 Jon Lupton London Golf Club 206 2008 Guy Woodman London Golf Club 210 2007 Jon Lupton London Golf Club 213 2006 Brett Taylor London Golf Club 206 2005 Matthew Tottey London Golf Club 211 2004 Matthew Ford Coventry Golf Club 208PGA Assistants' Championship 2003 Matthew Tottey St Annes Old Links Golf Club 204 2002 David Orr St Annes Old Links Golf Club 271Maxfli PGA Assistants' Championship 2001 Craig Goodfellow St Annes Old Links Golf Club 207 2000 Thor Andersen St Annes Old Links Golf Club 273 1999 Darren Parker Bearwood Lakes Golf Club 274PGA Assistants' Championship 1998 Andrew Raitt Bearwood Lakes Golf Club 280Reebok PGA Assistants' Championship 1997 Peter Sefton Heron's Reach Golf Club 273 1996 Stephen Purves Moor Allerton Golf Club 281 1995 Ian Sparkes Warwickshire Golf Club 284Standard Life PGA Assistants' Championship 1994 Mark Plummer Foxhills Golf Club 278PGA Assistants' Championship 1993 Craig Everett Oaklands Golf Club 280Peugeot PGA Assistants' Championship 1992 Paul Mayo East Sussex National Golf Club 285 1991 Simon Wood Wentworth Golf Club 288 1990 Tony Ashton Hillside Golf Club 213 1989 Colin Brooks Hillside Golf Club 291 1988 John Oates Coventry Golf Club 284Peugeot Talbot PGA Assistants' Championship 1987 John Hawksworth Coombe Hill Golf Club 282 1986 John Brennand Sand Moor Golf Club 280Wilson PGA Assistants' Championship 1985 Gary Coles Coombe Hill Golf Club 284Footjoy PGA Assistants' Championship 1984 Gary Weir Coombe Hill Golf Club 286 1983 Barry Lane Coombe Hill Golf Club 287Dorset Foods PGA Assistants' Matchplay Championship 1982 Hogan Stott Henbury Golf Club 4&3 1981 Ian Grant Henbury Golf Club 3&1 1968–80: No tournamentGor-Ray Cup 1967 Maurice Bembridge Coventry Golf Club 277 1966 Vince Hood Harborne Golf Club 277 1965 Tony Jacklin Hartsbourne Golf Club 283 1964 Malcolm Gregson Hartsbourne Golf Club 216 1963 George Will Hartsbourne Golf Club 282 1962 Ross Whitehead Hartsbourne Golf Club 277 1961 Lionel Platts Hartsbourne Golf Club 277 1960 Derek Nash Hartsbourne Golf Club 280 1959 Peter Gill Hartsbourne Golf Club 282 1958 Tony Grubb Hartsbourne Golf Club 285 1957 George Low Hartsbourne Golf Club 280 1956 Neil Coles Hartsbourne Golf Club 277 1955 Dave Thomas Hartsbourne Golf Club 282 1954 Geoffrey Hunt Hartsbourne Golf Club 284 1953 Bernard Hunt Hartsbourne Golf Club 2&1 1952 Peter Alliss Hartsbourne Golf Club 5&4 1951 Alex King Hartsbourne Golf Club 9&7PGA Assistants' Championship 1950 Harry Weetman Worsley Golf Club 287 1949 Harry Weetman Sandwell Park Golf Club 295 1940–48: No tournamentDaily Mirror Assistants' Tournament 1939 Geoff White Notts Golf Club 290 1938 Bill Laidlaw Blackpool North Shore Golf Club 289 1937 Albert Chevalier Fulwell Golf Club 289 PO 1936 Dai Rees Moseley Golf Club 278 1935 Dai Rees St Annes Old Links Golf Club 284 1934 Robert Porter Wentworth Golf Club 3&2 1933 Sam King Moor Park Golf Club 3&2 PGA Assistants' Championship 1932 Gwyn James South Herts Golf Club 139 PO 1931 Walter Hammond Hendon Golf Club 145 1930 Bill Branch Moseley Golf Club 144 Assistant Professionals' Tournament 1929 Edward Rimmer Fulwell Golf Club 145Findlater Shield 1928 Doug Brown Stoke Poges Golf Club 147 1927 Jack Smith Oxhey Golf Club 144 1926 Walter Thomas St George's Hill Golf Club 146 PO 1925 Alf Perry Moor Park Golf Club 151 1924 Alf Perry Broxbourne Golf Club 155 PO 1923 Jack Taylor Bushey Hall Golf Club 144 1922 Michael Daragon Northwood Golf Club 150 1921: No tournamentPerrier Water Assistant Professionals' Tournament 1920 Percy Alliss Porters Park Golf Club 149 1914-19: No tournament 1913 Fred Jewell South Herts Golf Club 142 1912 William Brown West Middlesex Golf Club 150 1911 Charles Macey Bexhill Golf Club 155 1910 Willie Ritchie Bushey Hall Golf Club 5&4
Since 2003 the championship has been decided over 54 holes. In 2001, 1990, 1969 and 1964 it was also decided over 54 holes. In 1924 Perry (77) beat Tom King, Jr. (81) in an 18-hole playoff. In 1926 Thomas (73) beat Don Curtis (82) in an 18-hole playoff. In 1932 James (73) beat Sam King (74) in an 18-hole playoff. In 1937 Chevalier (145) beat Eddie Whitcombe (146) in a 36-hole playoff. In 2014 Davies beat Charles Wilson at the first hole of a sudden-death playoff. In 2019 Bullen beat Billy Hemstock at the second hole of a sudden-death playoff.
References
External links Official site