North Coast Open

The North Coast Open was a professional golf tournament in Australia from 1951 to 1975.^[1]

History

It was always held at Coffs Harbour Golf Club in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales.^[1][2] It was a PGA Tour of Australia event from 1973 to 1975.^[1]

The name "North Coast Open" was not used until the 1953 championship, the first two events being referred to as Coffs Harbour Golf Club £200 Professional Purse.^[3] Initially the event was played over 36 holes, increasing to 54 holes in 1959, and 72 holes in 1962.

The 1974 event was the largest with 188 players; 119 professionals and 69 amateurs. It also had its highest hitherto purse at $A8,000.^[4]

Winners

Year	Winner	Country	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Ref
North Coast Open
1975	Vaughan Somers	Australia	279	−9	2 strokes	Noel Ratcliffe	^[5]
1974	Allan Cooper	Australia	278	−10	5 strokes	Rob McNaughton	^[6]
1973	Stewart Ginn	Australia	279	−9	5 strokes	Tom Linskey	^[7]
1972	Terry Kendall	New Zealand	282	−6	1 stroke	Bill Dunk	^[8]
1971	Bill Dunk	Australia	269	−19	10 strokes	Randall Vines	^[9]
1970	Bill Dunk	Australia	212	−4	5 strokes	Peter Harvey   Randall Vines	^[10]
1969	Tony Mangan	Australia	291	+3	3 strokes	David Graham	^[11]
1968	Vic Bennetts	Australia	283	−5	2 strokes	Les Wilson	^[12]
1967	Bill Dunk	Australia	288	E	5 strokes	Bob Swinbourne	^[13]
1966	Bill Dunk	Australia	276	−12	1 stroke	Col Johnston	^[14]
1965	Norman Von Nida	Australia	284	−2	Playoff	Jack Donald	^[15]
1964	Ron Howell	United States	278	−10	1 stroke	Bill Dunk	^[16]
1963	Alan Murray	Australia	278	−10	4 strokes	Col Johnston	^[17]
1962	Frank Phillips	Australia	272	−16	8 strokes	Stan Peach	^[18]
1961	Len Woodward	Australia	211	−5	2 strokes	Stan Leonard	^[19]
North Coast Open Championship and Ampol Purse
1960	Frank Phillips	Australia	211	−5	1 stroke	Peter Thomson	^[20]
1959	John Sullivan	Australia	212	+2	1 stroke	Frank Phillips   Les Wilson	^[21]
1958	Bruce Crampton	Australia	138	−2	2 strokes	Eric Cremin   Frank Phillips   Darrell Welch	^[22]
1957	Gary Player	South Africa	135	−5	1 stroke	Eric Cremin	^[23]
1956	Gary Player	South Africa	136	−4	Playoff	Norm Berwick	^[24]
North Coast Open Championship
1955	Kel Nagle	Australia	138		6 strokes	Eric Cremin   Jim McInnes	^[25]
1954	Kel Nagle	Australia	136		4 strokes	Frank Phillips	^[26]^[27]
1953	Allan Myers	Australia	135		1 stroke	Eric Cremin	^[3]
Coffs Harbour Professional Purse
1952	Kel Nagle	Australia	141		1 stroke	Jim McInnes	^[28]
1951	Kel Nagle	Australia	134		5 strokes	Eric Cremin	^[29]^[30]

The 1970 event was reduced to 54 holes by bad weather. In 1956 Player beat Berwick in a playoff for the championship but they were tied when determining the prize money.

Source:^[1]

Multiple winners

• 4 wins
  • Kel Nagle: 1951, 1952, 1954, 1955
  • Bill Dunk: 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971
• 2 wins:
  • Gary Player: 1956, 1957
  • Frank Phillips: 1960, 1962

References

1. 2006 Media Guide. PGA Tour of Australasia. p. 168.
2. "North Coast Championship for Coffs Harbour". Coffs Harbour Advocate. 16 January 1953. p. 10 – via Trove.
3. "North Coast Open Golf Championship Won by Young Bexley Professional". Coffs Harbour Advocate. New South Wales, Australia. 22 September 1953. p. 1. Retrieved 11 February 2020 – via Trove.
4. "Open Field a Record". Bananacoast Opinion. Coffs Harbour, NSW. 3 October 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
5. "Somers' 69 settles it". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 October 1975. p. 16.
6. "Golf 'old head' in youth's fling". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 October 1974. p. 22.
7. "Ginn charges past a 'shaky' Godfrey". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 October 1973. p. 14.
8. "Kendall's coast golf 66 beats Dunk". The Sydney Morning Herald. 9 October 1972. p. 22.
9. "Dunk 'hot' in 19 under Open win". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 October 1971. p. 16.
10. "Dunks 51st record". The Age. 23 November 1970. p. 25.
11. "Mangan pulls off 100-1 Open". The Sydney Morning Herald. 24 November 1969. p. 13.
12. "Bennetts gets golf title but no prize money". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 November 1968. p. 12.
13. "Dunk coasts to easy triumph". The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 November 1967. p. 14.
14. "Dunk pressed but wins by stroke". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 November 1966. p. 14.
15. "Open golf win to von Nida". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 November 1965. p. 14.
16. "N. Coast Open to Howell". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 October 1964. p. 16.
17. "Murray by 4 strokes". The Sydney Morning Herald. 14 October 1963. p. 19.
18. "Brilliant Golf by Phillips". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 November 1962. p. 20.
19. "Woodward by Two Strokes". The Age. 6 November 1961. p. 17.
20. "Phillips wins golf purse". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 November 1960. p. 20.
21. "Sullivan wins golf open and purse". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 October 1959. p. 12.
22. "£1,000 purse to Bruce Crampton". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 October 1958. p. 12.
23. "Close Golf Victory to Player". The Sydney Morning Herald. 14 October 1957. p. 14.
24. "Player, Berwick Share Purse". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 October 1956. p. 13.
25. "Six-stroke Win to Kel Nagle". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 September 1955. p. 12.
26. "Third North Coast Open Title To Nagle". Daily Examiner. New South Wales, Australia. 27 September 1954. p. 7. Retrieved 11 February 2020 – via Trove.
27. "Purse To Kel Nagle". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 September 1954. p. 9.
28. "Kel Nagle Wins At Coffs Harbour". Daily Examiner. New South Wales, Australia. 6 October 1952. p. 3. Retrieved 11 February 2020 – via Trove.
29. "Jubilee Purse to Kel Nagle". Daily Examiner. New South Wales, Australia. 17 September 1951. p. 5. Retrieved 11 February 2020 – via Trove.
30. "Nagle Too Strong". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 September 1951. p. 7.