Esso Golden Tournament

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox golf tournament

| name = Esso Golden Tournament

| image =

| location = Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England

| establishment = 1961

| course = Moor Park Golf Club

| par =

| tour =

| format =

| month_played = July/August

| final_year = 1967

| score =

| final_champion = Kel Nagle and Peter Thomson (tie)

}}

{{Location map

|UK England

|relief = 1

|label = Moor Park Golf Club

|lat = 51.6283

|long = -0.4480

|caption = Location in England

|float =

|background=

|width = 255

}}

The Esso Golden Tournament was a golf tournament on the British PGA circuit from 1961 to 1967. It was played in a round-robin format at the Moor Park Golf Club in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England. The event was sponsored by Esso,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UTM1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=HqYLAAAAIBAJ&pg=3151,7267317 |title=Esso Golden Tournament – Unusual form for British event |newspaper=Glasgow Herald |first=Cyril |last=Horne |date=23 August 1961 |accessdate=2011-02-02}} and was cancelled in 1968 when they terminated their sponsorship following disagreements with the PGA.

There were 15 competitors in each tournament who played each of the other 14 in an 18-hole match play contest. Most matches were played as a three-ball with three players playing a match against one another, each player playing two distinct matches. Some matches were played as ordinary singles match play. Two points were awarded for each match won while halved matches earned one point.

Prize money for each tournament was £5,700. Players received £20 for each point won, a total of £4,200 for the 210 matches. In addition, the first four in the final table received prize money of £750, £400, £250 and £100.

A similar round-robin tournament, the Penfold Professional Golf League, was played in 1938 and 1939, while the Goodall Palm Beach Round Robin, was played on the PGA Tour from 1938 to 1957. Round-robin tournaments became popular at this time with the Royal Gold Tournament contested in 1962 and Hennessy Round-robin Tournament being played in 1964.

Winners

class="wikitable"

!Year !! Winner !! Country !! Score !! Margin
of victory !! Runner(s)-up !! Winner's
share (£) !! Ref

1961Dave Thomas
Peter Thomson
{{WAL}}
{{AUS}}
align=center|21Tiealign=center|995
(each)
{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VTM1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=HqYLAAAAIBAJ&pg=3954%2C7822953 |title=Exciting finish to Esso tournament |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=28 August 1961 |page=3}}
1962Dave Thomas{{WAL}}align=center|191 point{{flagicon|ENG}} Jimmy Hitchcock
{{flagicon|AUS}} Kel Nagle
{{flagicon|AUS}} Peter Thomson
align=center|1,130{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=35tAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=l6MMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1953%2C3729852 |title=Thomas wins Esso tournament |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=30 July 1962 |page=4}}
1963Kel Nagle{{AUS}}align=center|232 points{{flagicon|ENG}} Bernard Hunt
{{flagicon|AUS}} Peter Thomson
{{flagicon|ENG}} Harry Weetman
align=center|1,210{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mm5AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=i6MMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1760%2C4037889 |title=Great stroke earns Nagle victory |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=29 July 1963 |page=8}}
1964Peter Alliss{{ENG}}align=center|257 points{{flagicon|IRL}} Christy O'Connor Snr
{{flagicon|WAL}} Dave Thomas
align=center|1,250{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=MWRAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=laMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3057%2C3494237 |title=Alliss wins £1250 at Moor Park |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=27 July 1964 |page=10}}
1965George Will{{SCO}}align=center|244 points{{flagicon|WAL}} Dave Thomasalign=center|1,230{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zmxAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lqMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3954%2C3582490 |title=Will's first success in big tournament |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=26 July 1965 |page=4}}
1966Dave Thomas{{WAL}}align=center|232 points{{flagicon|ENG}} Neil Colesalign=center|1,210{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=o39AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=y6MMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4029%2C3530450 |title=D C Thomas triumphs in Esso tournament |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=25 July 1966 |page=5}}
1967Kel Nagle
Peter Thomson
{{AUS}}
{{AUS}}
align=center|20Tiealign=center|975
(each)
{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=GmtAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bKMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1802%2C2759344 |title=Australians tie in Esso |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=24 July 1967 |page=4}}
1968align=center colspan=6|Tournament cancelled{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=F989AAAAIBAJ&sjid=OEgMAAAAIBAJ&dq=esso%20golf%201968&pg=3678%2C3326758 |title=Sponsorship of Esso withdrawn |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |date=19 June 1968 |page=6}}

The winner's share includes £20 won for each point.

References

{{reflist}}