| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | United Kingdom |
| Established | 1961 |
| Tour(s) | European Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Final year | 1983 |
| Final champion | |
| Nick Faldo | |
The Martini International was a men's professional golf tournament that was held from 1961 to 1983.[1] It was hosted by several different golf clubs in England, Scotland and Wales. It was part of the British PGA tournament circuit, which evolved into the European Tour, and as such is recognised as an official European Tour event from 1972.
The winners included the major champions Peter Thomson, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros. In 1983 the prize fund was £80,308, which was mid-range for a European Tour event at the time. The tournament was sponsored by beverage company Martini & Rossi.[1]
The 1971 Martini International saw a rare event, when John Hudson scored two successive holes-in-one during his second round at the Royal Norwich Golf Club. Hudson had taken 6 at the par-4 10th hole and then holed out at the 11th and 12th holes. He holed a 4-iron at the 195-yard 11th and then, using a driver, holed out at the downhill 311-yard 12th, making a rare par-4 albatross. Hudson scored 72 for his round, level par, to add to his first round 72.[2][3] He finished on 287, 5 strokes behind the winner, in a tie for 9th place.[4]
Winners
| Year | Winner | Country | Venue | Score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Winner's share (£) | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Nick Faldo |  England | Wilmslow Golf Club | 268 (−12) | Playoff |  José María Cañizares | 13,330 | [5] |
| 1982 | Bernard Gallacher |  Scotland | Lindrick Golf Club | 277 (−7) | 3 strokes | José María Cañizares Nick Faldo | 11,000 | [6] |
| 1981 | Greg Norman | .svg.png){kind=small} Australia | Wentworth Club | 287 (−1) | 1 stroke |  Bernhard Langer | 11,000 | [7] |
| 1980 | Seve Ballesteros | Spain | Wentworth Club | 286 (−2) | 1 stroke | Brian Barnes | 9,000 | [8] |
| 1979 | Greg Norman | Australia | Wentworth Club | 288 (E) | 1 stroke | Antonio Garrido John Morgan | 7,000 | [9] |
| 1978 | Seve Ballesteros | Spain | Royal Automobile Club, Epsom | 270 (−14) | 5 strokes | Nick Faldo | 6,000 | [10] |
| 1977 | Greg Norman | Australia | Blairgowrie Golf Club | 277 (−11) | 3 strokes | .svg.png){kind=small} Simon Hobday | 3,000 | [11] |
| 1976 | Sam Torrance | Scotland | Ashburnham Golf Club | 280 (−8) | 2 strokes | Tommy Horton | 2,500 | [12] |
| 1975 | Christy O'Connor Jnr Ian Stanley |  Ireland Australia | Royal North Devon Golf Club | 279 (−5) | Tie | Shared title | Shared 2,250 and 1,500 | [13] |
| 1974 | Stewart Ginn | Australia | Pannal Golf Club | 286 (−2) | 1 stroke | .svg.jpg){kind=small} Brian Huggett | 2,250 | [14] |
| 1973 | Maurice Bembridge | England | Barnton, Edinburgh | 279 (−9) | 1 stroke | Dai Rees Peter Wilcock | 2,000 | [15] |
| 1972 | Brian Barnes | Scotland | Abridge Golf Club | 277 (−7) | 1 stroke | Jack Newton | 1,500 | [16] |
| 1971 | Bernard Gallacher | Scotland | Royal Norwich Golf Club | 282 (−6) | 1 stroke | Kel Nagle | 1,250 | [4] |
| 1970 | Doug Sewell Peter Thomson | England Australia | Conwy Golf Club | 268 (−16) | Tie | Shared title | 1,250 | [17] |
| 1969 | Alex Caygill Graham Henning | England South Africa | Queens Park Golf Club | 282 (−6) | Tie | Shared title | Shared 1,250 and 900 | [18] |
| 1968 | Brian Huggett | Wales | Southerndown Golf Club | 278 | 2 strokes | Tommy Horton | 1,250 | [19] |
| 1967 | Malcolm Gregson Brian Huggett | England Wales | Fulford Golf Club | 279 (−9) | Tie | Shared title | [20] | |
| 1966 | Peter Alliss Bill Large | England England | Long Ashton Golf Club | 275 (−9) | Tie | Shared title | Shared 1,000 and 750 | [21] |
| 1965 | Peter Butler | England | Long Ashton Golf Club | 275 (−13) | 4 strokes |  Jean Garaïalde Bernard Hunt | 1,000 | [22] |
| 1964 | Christy O'Connor Snr | Ireland | Wentworth Club | 286 | 6 strokes | Lionel Platts | 1,000 | [23] |
| 1963 | Neil Coles Christy O'Connor Snr | England Ireland | Royal Liverpool Golf Club | 298 | Tie | Shared title | Shared 1,000 and 750 | [24] |
| 1962 | Peter Thomson | Australia | Old Course at St Andrews | 275 | 4 strokes | Eric Brown | 1,000 | [25] |
| 1961 | Bernard Hunt | England | Sundridge Park Golf Club | 270 | Playoff | George Low | 1,000 | [26] |
In 1983 Faldo beat Cañizares at the third extra hole with a par 4. In 1961 there was a 5-hole playoff with Hunt scoring 16 to Low's 20.
References
- ^ a b "Martini pulls out of tour". The Times. 28 July 1983. p. 20. Retrieved 26 May 2020 – via The Times Digital Archive.
- ^ "Two ones in succession". The Glasgow Herald. 12 June 1971. p. 4.
- ^ "Bernard Hunt leads Martini qualifiers by three shots". The Glasgow Herald. 12 June 1971. p. 4.
- ^ a b "Eric Brown's advice to Gallacher pays off in Martini". The Glasgow Herald. 14 June 1971. p. 5.
- ^ "Faldo again beat Canizares in play-off". The Glasgow Herald. 16 May 1983. p. 18.
- ^ "Gallacher consistency refuses to be shaken". The Glasgow Herald. 17 May 1982. p. 16.
- ^ "Norman's finishing power gives him third Martini win". The Glasgow Herald. 18 May 1981. p. 16.
- ^ "Sevvy's Martini is stirring stuff". The Glasgow Herald. 19 May 1980. p. 20.
- ^ "Another Norman quest". The Glasgow Herald. 29 May 1979. p. 28.
- ^ "Severiano shows field a clean pair of heels". The Glasgow Herald. 22 May 1978. p. 19.
- ^ "Norman: a new - and rare - golfing talent". The Glasgow Herald. 13 June 1977. p. 17.
- ^ "Now Torrance plans to take a 'breather'". The Glasgow Herald. 14 June 1976. p. 15.
- ^ "Two stroke it rich in Martini". The Glasgow Herald. 16 June 1975. p. 17.
- ^ "Ginn and Martini". The Glasgow Herald. 10 June 1974. p. 4.
- ^ "Sweet Martini for Maurice Bembridge". The Glasgow Herald. 11 June 1973. p. 4.
- ^ "Two birdies clinch success for Barnes". The Times. 12 June 1972. p. 9.
- ^ "Sewell matches Thomson". The Glasgow Herald. 15 June 1970. p. 5.
- ^ "Caygill and Henning tie in Martini". The Glasgow Herald. 16 June 1969. p. 5.
- ^ "Third win of year for Huggett". The Glasgow Herald. 17 June 1968. p. 4.
- ^ "Gregson and Huggett tie for top place in Martini". The Glasgow Herald. 19 June 1967. p. 4.
- ^ "Large and Alliss tie in Martini". The Glasgow Herald. 23 May 1966. p. 11.
- ^ "Butler's four-shot win in Martini". The Glasgow Herald. 24 May 1965. p. 5.
- ^ "Splendid putting by O'Connor". The Glasgow Herald. 4 May 1964. p. 4.
- ^ "O'Connor and Coles joint winners". The Glasgow Herald. 6 May 1963. p. 5.
- ^ "Thomson's record aggregate". The Glasgow Herald. 7 May 1962. p. 4.
- ^ "Hunt's fine form in play-off". The Glasgow Herald. 8 May 1961. p. 11.