The South Australian PGA Championship was a professional golf tournament played in South Australia. It was first held in 1927.
History The first South Australian Professional Championship was held in 1927 and was a 72-hole stroke-play event. It was won by Rufus Stewart, four ahead of Fergus McMahon. Stewart had recently won the Australian Open. McMahon won in 1928, 1929 and 1930, and as a three-time winner he permanently kept the trophy that had been presented in 1927. With only a small number of professional in the state, there were only four different winners in the first 15 championships. Stewart won 6 times and McMahon 5 times, while Alf Toogood won twice, before he moved to Tasmania, and Willie Harvey also won twice, in 1938 and 1940. The format changed to match-play in 1937, all matches being over 36 holes. In 1937 and 1938 there were just 8 entries and a straight knock-out format was used. However, there were 9 entries in 1939 and a 36-hole qualifying stage was used to reduce the field to 8. In 1940 the qualifying stage was retained but just four players advanced to the match-play stage. The 1941 event was reduced to a single day, with 36 holes of stroke-play.
The championship resumed in 1946, using the 1940 format with four players qualifying, and this format was retained for a number of years. From 1946 to 1950 only 16 players qualified for the Australian PGA Championship. Each state was allocated a specific number of places and organised their own qualifying event for those places. South Australia was allocated just one place. In 1946 there was a 36-hole qualifying event but from 1947 to 1950 the winner of the South Australian Professional Championship qualified.
In the early 1950s, there were a few notable tournaments. In 1951, in the semifinals, while playing against Murray Crafter, competitor Willie Harvey had a heart attack on the 11th hole and died. Administrators considered cancelling the event. However, they ultimately decided that the tournament would proceed though the finals would be delayed about a week. Crafter would go on to win, defeating his brother Brian Crafter 6 & 5. In 1952, there was a dispute between the two finalists, Brian Crafter and Fred Thompson. Crafter won the match at the 38th hole but at the 35th hole he had lifted and dropped his ball away from a staked tree. Thompson objected and the matter was not fully resolved until just before the 1953 event, confirming Crafter as the winner. Winners YearTour Winner Score To par Margin ofvictory Runner(s)-up Venue Ref.OG Roberts South Australian PGA Championship 2008 VNT Heath Reed 248 −20 2 strokes Tristan Lambert Peter Senior Aaron Townsend Blue Lake Hahn South Australian PGA Championship 2007 VNT Tim Wise 266 −14 Playoff Ashley Hall Blue Lake South Australian PGA Championship 2006 VNT David Diaz 279 −9 1 stroke Dean Alaban Tanunda Pines SA PGA Championship 2005 VNT Tony McFadyean 273 −15 1 stroke Andrew Duffin The Grange Schweppes SA PGA Championship 2004 VNT Martin Doyle 282 −6 5 strokes Brad Lamb The Grange 2003 VNT Stuart Bouvier (2) 268 −16 1 stroke Scott Hend The Vines 2002 ANZ Richard Ball 264 −20 5 strokes Adrian Percey The Vines 2001 ANZDT Tony Carolan 282 −10 Playoff Chris Gray Tea Tree Gully Schweppes South Australian PGA Championship 2000 ANZDT Chris Gray 279 −9 2 strokes Craig Carmichael Glenelg South Australian PGA Championship1998–1999: No information known 1997 David Capaldo 205 −11 2 strokes Shane Robinson McCracken 1996 FT Lyndsay Stephen 278 −10 Playoff Craig Spence McCracken 1995 FT Stuart Bouvier 206 −10 Playoff David Bransdon McCracken Lasseters SA and NT PGA Championship 1994 FT Stuart Appleby 201 −15 11 strokes Michael Barry Alice Springs South Australian PGA Championship 1993 Mark Officer 202 2 strokes Mike Colandro Wirrina Cove 1990–1992: No information known 1989 Roger Stephens 142 −2 1 stroke Peter Lonard Wirrina 1978–1988: No information known 1977 David Galloway Flagstaff Hill 1976 Bob Tuohy 285 −3 1 stroke Frank Phillips Flagstaff Hill 1975 Vaughan Somers 287 2 strokes Vic Bennetts Frank Phillips 1974 John Sheargold 288 1 stroke Stan Peach 1973 ANZ Stan Peach 1972: No information known 1971 Vic Bennetts 9 strokes Barry Coxon Bill Dunk Jerry Stolhand 1970 Glen McCully 290 3 strokes Murray Crafter Dennis Ingram Stan Peach Kooyonga 1962–1969: No information known 1961 John Sullivan 2 and 1 Murray Crafter 1960 Murray Crafter (8) 6 and 5 John Sullivan Royal Adelaide 1959 Murray Crafter (7) Brian Crafter Kooyonga 1958 Murray Crafter (6) 3 and 2 Brian Crafter Royal Adelaide 1957 Murray Crafter (5) 1956 Murray Crafter (4) 1955 Murray Crafter (3) 1954 Bruce Auld (3) 1 up Murray Crafter Royal Adelaide 1953 Fred Thompson 2 up Murray Crafter Royal Adelaide 1952 Brian Crafter 38 holes Fred Thompson Kooyonga 1951 Murray Crafter (2) 6 and 5 Brian Crafter Royal Adelaide 1950 Murray Crafter 5 and 4 Gordon Westthorp Kooyonga 1949 Bruce Auld (2) 37 holes Willie Harvey Royal Adelaide 1948 Gordon Westthorp 2 up Denis Denehey Kooyonga 1947 Denis Denehey 6 and 5 Willie Harvey Royal Adelaide 1946 Bruce Auld 4 and 3 Willie Harvey Kooyonga 1942–1945: No tournament due to World War II 1941 Rufus Stewart (6) 159 4 strokes Sam Walsh Kooyonga 1940 Willie Harvey (2) 2 up Fergus McMahon Kooyonga 1939 Rufus Stewart (5) 8 and 7 Bill Robertson Royal Adelaide 1938 Willie Harvey 5 and 3 Bruce Auld Kooyonga 1937 Fergus McMahon (5) 5 and 4 Rufus Stewart Royal Adelaide 1936 Rufus Stewart (4) 301 4 strokes Fergus McMahon Royal Adelaide 1935 Rufus Stewart (3) 294 4 strokes Fergus McMahon Royal Adelaide 1934 Fergus McMahon (4) 297 14 strokes Alf Toogood Kooyonga 1933 Alf Toogood (2) 296 2 strokes Fergus McMahon Royal Adelaide 1932 Alf Toogood 302 2 strokes Rufus Stewart Royal Adelaide 1931 Rufus Stewart (2) 303 5 strokes Willie Harvey Royal Adelaide 1930 Fergus McMahon (3) 307 Playoff Alf Toogood Royal Adelaide 1929 Fergus McMahon (2) 296 4 strokes Rufus Stewart Royal Adelaide 1928 Fergus McMahon 297 4 strokes Rufus Stewart Royal Adelaide 1927 Rufus Stewart 299 5 strokes Fergus McMahon Royal Adelaide
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