Natal Open
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Use South African English|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox golf tournament
| name = Natal Open
| image =
| location =
| establishment = 1925
| final_year = 1975
| course =
| par =
| yardage =
| tour = Southern African Tour
| format = Stroke play
| purse =
| month_played = January
| aggregate = 277 Bobby Cole (Dec 1972)
| final_champion = {{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} John Fourie
}}
The Natal Open was a golf tournament in South Africa. It was organised by the Natal Golf Union and ran from 1925 through to 1975. In latter years it was included within the Southern African Tour's Order of Merit. During the mid-20th century, major champions Bobby Locke and Gary Player had much success, winning several times each. In the 1960s, the tournament received international media coverage as Sewsunker Sewgolum, a colored golfer, controversially was allowed to enter the event and won it twice. In the final years of the Natal Open, Bobby Cole dominated, winning four times apiece.
History
The early years of the tournament were dominated by the Brews brothers, Jock Brews and Sid Brews, who won the first four tournaments. In 1935, a young Bobby Locke won the Natal Open. He repeated the following year. Due to his amateur status, he also won he amateur division of the event too. In the late 1950s, a young Gary Player had much success at the event. In 1958, Player won the event defeating runner-up Trevor Wilkes by five shots. Locke and Harold Henning finished a further shot back. The following year, Player defeated Locke in a 36-hole playoff, 135-142.
In the 1960s, the tournament was dominated by coverage of colored golfer Sewsunker Sewgolum. Sewgolum, recent back-to-back champion of the Dutch Open, had his application for entry into the 1961 event rejected.{{Cite web |date=February 15, 1961 |title=PGA asked to act on colour bar |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/880586222/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=The Guardian Journal |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=24 February 1961 |title=Late Decision Over Golfer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/122676816/ |archive-date= |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=The Age |language=en}} However, in 1963, Sewgolum was allowed to participate in the tournament. He won the event, defeating Denis Hutchinson and Bobby Verwey by a stroke. Sewgolum earned a 400 pound cheque and a silver trophy. He had to accept these prizes outside in the rain, however, due to the country's racial discrimination laws prohibiting non-whites from the clubhouse.{{Cite web |date=January 28, 1963 |title=Coloured golf winner gets cup in rain |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/802171963/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=Evening Chronicle |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=February 2, 1963 |title=I'm Off To See How Good Emile Is |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/790002290/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=Daily Mirror |language=en}} Sewgolum's win and discriminatory victory celebration received international media attention, including from The New York Times.{{Cite news |title=Gary Player Ties for Second |url=http://timesmachine.nytimes.comhttp//timesmachine.content-tagging.us-east-1-01.prd.dvsp.nyt.net/timesmachine/1965/02/01/94959824.html |access-date=2024-01-29 |newspaper=The New York Times}} He became the first non-white person "to win a sanctioned golf tournament in competition with whites" in South Africa.{{Cite web |last=Boyd |first=Denny |date=April 19, 1967 |title=Denny Boyd |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/492325505/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=The Vancouver Sun |language=en}} Sewgolum also won the event two years later, defeating Gary Player and Harold Henning. Once again he had to accept his prizes outside of the clubhouse.{{Cite web |date=February 1, 1965 |title=Sewgolum wins in Durban |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/941352012/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=Huddersfield Daily Examiner |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=February 1, 1965 |title=Indian Golfer Humbles Player |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/433743924/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=The Boston Globe |language=en}}
The later years of the tournament were dominated by Bobby Cole. In 1969, he defeated Peter Oosterhuis by a shot. Cole repeated as champion. The following year, Cole was tied for the third-round lead with Terry Westbrook. Cole shot a final round 69 but was overtaken by Westbrook's 68. He finished solo runner-up. Cole, however, came back and won the following year, in December 1972.{{Cite web |date=December 11, 1972 |title=Cole Just Holds Off Hayes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/829653692/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=The Daily Telegraph |language=en}} Cole again repeated as champion a year and a half later.
In December 1975, the Natal Open scheduled for the following year was cancelled. New owners of tournament sponsors, Vavasseur International, withdrew support for the event, and the Natal Golf Union were unable to find a replacement.{{cite book |last1=McCormack |first1=Mark H. |author-link=Mark McCormack |title=The World of Professional Golf 1977 |date=1977 |pages=254–255 |publisher=Collins |isbn=0002168790}}
Winners
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
!Year !Winner !Score !Margin of victory !Runner(s)-up !Ref. |
| colspan="7" |Natal Open |
|---|
| 1925
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1912}} Jock Brews | | | | |
| 1926
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1912}} Sid Brews | | | | |
| 1927
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1912}} Sid Brews (2) | | | | |
| 1928
|No tournament | | | | |
| 1929
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Sid Brews (3) | | | | |
| 1930-34
|No tournament | | | | |
| 1935
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Bobby Locke (a) | | | | |
| 1936
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Bobby Locke (a) (2) | |1 stroke |{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Sid Brews |
| 1937
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Sid Brews (4) | | | | |
| 1938
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Otway Hayes (a) | | | | |
| 1939
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Jock Verwey | | | | |
| 1940-45
|No tournament due to World War II | | | | |
| 1946
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Otway Hayes (2) | | | | |
| 1947
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Eric Moore | | | | |
| 1948
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Otway Hayes (3) | | | | |
| 1949
|No tournament | | | | |
| 1950
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} George Van Niekerk |299 | | | |
| 1951
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Sandy Guthrie |279 | | | |
| 1952
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Sandy Guthrie (2) |291 | | | |
| 1953
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Bobby Locke (3) | | | | |
| 1954
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Bruce Keyter (a) | | | | |
| 1955
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Denis Hutchinson (a) | | | | |
| 1956
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Harold Henning |289 | | | |
| 1957
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Bruce Keyter |286 | | | |
| 1958
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Gary Player |289 |5 strokes |{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Trevor Wilkes |
| 1959
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Gary Player (2) | |Playoff{{efn|Player defeated Locke 135-142 in a 36-hole playoff.}} |{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Bobby Locke |
| 1960
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Gary Player (3) |282 | | | |
| 1961
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Harold Henning |278 |Playoff{{efn|Henning defeated Brookes 141-144 in a 36-hole playoff.}} |{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Alan Brookes |
| 1962
|{{Flagicon|SCO}} Stewart Davies |285 | | |
| 1963 (Jan)
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Sewsunker Sewgolum |293 |1 stroke |{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Denis Hutchinson |
| 1963 (Dec)
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Cedric Amm |291 |Playoff{{efn|Amm defeated Verwey in a 36-hole playoff.}} |{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Bobby Verwey |{{Cite news |date=31 December 1963 |title=Play-off in Natal Open |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/122302929/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=The Age |pages=14 |language=en |via=Newspapers.com}}{{Cite news |last=Seitzinger |first=Jack |date=June 20, 1964 |title=Puttin' Around |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/465866607/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |website=Pottsville Republican |pages=7 |language=en}} |
| 1965
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Sewsunker Sewgolum (2) |285 |1 stroke |{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Gary Player |
| 1966
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Gary Player (4) |286 |2 strokes |{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Cobie Legrange |{{Cite news |date=7 February 1966 |title=Horton third |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2mtAAAAAIBAJ&pg=5075%2C1118386 |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=15}}{{Cite web |title=Natal Win to Player |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/117798607/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=Arizona Republic |language=en}} |
| 1967
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Cobie Legrange |281 |1 stroke |{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Bobby Verwey |
| 1968
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Gary Player (5) |281 |6 strokes |{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Cobie Legrange |
| 1969
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Bobby Cole |282 |1 stroke |{{Flagicon|ENG}} Peter Oosterhuis |
| 1970
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Bobby Cole (2) |285 |1 stoke |{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Cobie Legrange |
| 1971
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Terry Westbrook |283 |1 stroke |{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Bobby Cole |{{cite news |date=25 January 1971 |title=Oosterhuis top Briton in Natal |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_ZRAAAAAIBAJ&pg=1470%2C4298963 |newspaper=The Glasgow Herald |page=13}}{{Cite web |date=January 25, 1971 |title=Bad putting foils Jacklin |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/879175238/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=Hull Daily Mail |language=en}} |
| 1972 (Jan)
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Tienie Britz |282 |1 stroke |{{flagicon|Rhodesia}} Simon Hobday |
| 1972 (Dec)
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Bobby Cole (3) |277 |1 stroke |{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Dale Hayes |
| colspan="7" |Vavasseur Natal Open |
| 1974
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Bobby Cole (4) |284 |1 stroke |{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Tienie Britz |
| 1975
|{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} John Fourie |281 |1 stroke |{{flagicon|ZAF|1928}} Hugh Baiocchi |
|Cancelled | | | |
Sources:{{Cite book |last=Donaldson |first=K. C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0iIYAAAAIAAJ |title=The South African Sporting Encyclopaedia and Who's Who |date=1949 |publisher=Donaldson's |page=50 |via=Google Books}}{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DaPWAAAAMAAJ |title=Golf Magazine's Encyclopedia of Golf |date=1970 |publisher=Harper & Row |editor-last=Scharff |editor-first=Robert |page=109 |isbn=978-0-06-011579-1 |via=Google Books}}
Notes
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