Harry Vardon Trophy

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This article is about the European Tour golf award. For the PGA Tour award, see Vardon Trophy.

The Harry Vardon Trophy is awarded by the European Tour. Since 2009 it has been awarded to the winner of the Race to Dubai. Before then it was awarded to the winner of the "Order of Merit". From 1975 to 2008 the Order of Merit was based on prize money but before that date a points system was used. From 1937 until the European Tour became an independent organisation, the award was presented by the British PGA. The trophy is named for the Jersey golfing great Harry Vardon, who died in 1937.

The Race to Dubai is calculated in euro, although many of the events have prize funds which are fixed in other currencies, mainly pounds sterling or U.S. dollars. In these instances, the amounts are converted into euro at the exchange rate for the week that the tournament is played.

History[]

The award was created in 1937 as the Harry Vardon Memorial Trophy. In its first year the award was presented to the player with the best average in the major stroke play events. Seven events were used: Daily Mail Tournament, Silver King Tournament, Dunlop-Southport Tournament, Southend Tournament, Open Championship, Irish Open and News Chronicle Tournament. Qualifying rounds did not count and a minimum of 18 rounds had to be played. The Dunlop-Metropolitan Tournament with its restricted field was not included and so the last qualifying event was the delayed Southend Tournament. Charles Whitcombe became the first winner with an average of 71.62 for 24 rounds. He had played in 6 of the 7 events (all except the Irish Open) scoring 289, 289, 283, 294, 282 and 282 for a total of 1719. The Irish golfer Paddy Mahon was second with an average of 71.90.[1][2][3]

Six events were used in 1938 with a minimum of 16 rounds which had to include The Open Championship. The same events were used as in 1937 with the exception of the Southend Tournament. Henry Cotton won the award with an average of 72.87 having played in 4 of the 6 qualifying events. Reg Whitcombe was second with an average of 73.35 for 20 rounds.[4][5]

A new system was introduced in 1939. A points system was used with the winner getting 1 point, 2nd place getting 2 points, down to 26 points for finishing outside the top 25. Five events were used with a minimum of 16 rounds which had to include the four rounds of the Open Championship. The Dunlop-Southport Tournament did not take place but otherwise the same tournaments were used as in 1938. Reg Whitcombe won with a score of 27 (7th, 6th, 3rd, 2nd and 9th). Sam King was second on 49 which included 26 points because he had not played in the Irish Open. King had a lower average (72.87) than Whitcombe (73).[6][7]

In 1946, after World War II, the award was again given to the player with the best average in the major stroke play events. 20 rounds were required and four rounds of the Open were compulsory. Bobby Locke won with an average of 73.16 in 36 rounds.[8] Norman Von Nida won in 1947 with an average of 71.25 in 52 rounds[9] and Charlie Ward won in 1948 averaging 71.29 over 44 rounds.[10]

Winners[]

Year Race to Dubai leader Points
2021 United States Collin Morikawa 5,856
2020 England Lee Westwood (3/3) 3,128
2019 Spain Jon Rahm 5,898
2018 Italy Francesco Molinari 6,041,521
2017 England Tommy Fleetwood 5,386,955
2016 Sweden Henrik Stenson (2/2) 5,289,506
2015 Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy (3/3) 4,727,253
2014 Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy (2/3) 7,149,503
2013 Sweden Henrik Stenson (1/2) 4,103,796
Year Race to Dubai leader Earnings (€)
2012 Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy (1/3) 5,519,118
2011 England Luke Donald 5,323,400
2010 Germany Martin Kaymer 4,461,011
2009 England Lee Westwood (2/3) 4,237,762
Year Order of Merit leader Earnings (€)
2008 Sweden Robert Karlsson 2,732,748
2007 England Justin Rose 2,944,945
2006 Republic of Ireland Pádraig Harrington 2,489,337
2005 Scotland Colin Montgomerie (8/8) 2,794,223
2004 South Africa Ernie Els (2/2) 4,061,905
2003 South Africa Ernie Els (1/2) 2,975,374
2002 South Africa Retief Goosen (2/2) 2,360,128
2001 South Africa Retief Goosen (1/2) 2,862,806
2000 England Lee Westwood (1/3) 3,125,147
1999 Scotland Colin Montgomerie (7/8) 1,822,880
Year Order of Merit leader Earnings (£)
1998 Scotland Colin Montgomerie (6/8) 993,077
1997 Scotland Colin Montgomerie (5/8) 798,948
1996 Scotland Colin Montgomerie (4/8) 875,146
1995 Scotland Colin Montgomerie (3/8) 835,051
1994 Scotland Colin Montgomerie (2/8) 762,720
1993 Scotland Colin Montgomerie (1/8) 613,683
1992 England Nick Faldo (2/2) 708,522
1991 Spain Seve Ballesteros (6/6) 545,354
1990 Wales Ian Woosnam (2/2) 574,166
1989 Northern Ireland Ronan Rafferty 400,311
1988 Spain Seve Ballesteros (5/6) 451,560
1987 Wales Ian Woosnam (1/2) 253,717
1986 Spain Seve Ballesteros (4/6) 242,209
1985 Scotland Sandy Lyle (3/3) 162,553
1984 West Germany Bernhard Langer (2/2) 139,344
Year Official Money List leader Earnings (£)
1983 England Nick Faldo (1/2) 119,416
1982 Australia Greg Norman 66,406
1981 West Germany Bernhard Langer (1/2) 81,036
1980 Scotland Sandy Lyle (2/3) 66,060
Year Order of Merit leader Earnings (£)
1979 Scotland Sandy Lyle (1/3) 49,233
1978 Spain Seve Ballesteros (3/6) 54,348
1977 Spain Seve Ballesteros (2/6) 46,436
1976 Spain Seve Ballesteros (1/6) 39,504
1975 South Africa Dale Hayes 20,508

Before 1975 the Order of Merit had been based on a points system or stroke average, so it was not necessarily headed by the golfer who won the most money. In 1971 Peter Oosterhuis won the Order of Merit and won £9,269. Gary Player was the leading money winner with £11,281 but of that, £8,500 came from winning the 1971 Piccadilly World Match Play Championship.[11]

Year Order of Merit leader
1974 England Peter Oosterhuis (4/4)
1973 England Peter Oosterhuis (3/4)
1972 England Peter Oosterhuis (2/4)
1971 England Peter Oosterhuis (1/4)
1970 England Neil Coles (2/2)
1969 Scotland Bernard Gallacher
1968 Wales Brian Huggett
1967 England Malcolm Gregson
1966 England Peter Alliss (2/2)
1965 England Bernard Hunt (3/3)
1964 England Peter Alliss (1/2)
1963 England Neil Coles (1/2)
1962 Republic of Ireland Christy O'Connor Snr (2/2)
1961 Republic of Ireland Christy O'Connor Snr (1/2)
1960 England Bernard Hunt (2/3)
1959 Wales Dai Rees (2/2)
1958 England Bernard Hunt (1/3)
1957 Scotland Eric Brown
1956 England Harry Weetman (2/2)
1955 Wales Dai Rees (1/2)
1954 South Africa Bobby Locke (3/3)
1953 Belgium Flory Van Donck
1952 England Harry Weetman (1/2)
1951 Scotland John Panton
1950 South Africa Bobby Locke (2/3)
1949 England Charlie Ward (2/2)
1948 England Charlie Ward (1/2)
1947 Australia Norman Von Nida
1946 South Africa Bobby Locke (1/3)
1940–1945: No award
1939 England Reg Whitcombe
1938 England Henry Cotton
1937 England Charles Whitcombe

Multiple winners[]

Rank Player Wins Last win First win
1 Scotland Colin Montgomerie 8 2005 1993
2 Spain Seve Ballesteros 6 1991 1976
3 England Peter Oosterhuis 4 1974 1971
T4 Northern Ireland Rory McIlroy 3 2015 2012
England Lee Westwood 3 2009 2020
Scotland Sandy Lyle 3 1985 1979
England Bernard Hunt 3 1965 1958
South Africa Bobby Locke 3 1954 1946
T9 Sweden Henrik Stenson 2 2016 2013
South Africa Ernie Els 2 2004 2003
South Africa Retief Goosen 2 2002 2001
England Nick Faldo 2 1992 1983
Wales Ian Woosnam 2 1990 1987
West Germany Bernhard Langer 2 1984 1981
England Neil Coles 2 1970 1963
England Peter Alliss 2 1966 1964
Republic of Ireland Christy O'Connor Snr 2 1962 1961
Wales Dai Rees 2 1959 1955
England Harry Weetman 2 1956 1952
England Charlie Ward 2 1949 1948

References[]

  1. ^ "Harry Vardon Memorial Trophy". The Times. 10 September 1937. p. 5.
  2. ^ "Harry Vardon Memorial Trophy". The Times. 13 September 1937. p. 6.
  3. ^ "Harry Vardon Memorial Trophy – C A Whitcombe's fine average". The Times. 1 October 1937. p. 5.
  4. ^ "Golf – The Harry Vardon Trophy". The Times. 13 January 1938. p. 6.
  5. ^ "The "Vardon" Trophy". The Times. 20 August 1938. p. 3.
  6. ^ "The Harry Vardon Trophy". The Times. 19 August 1939. p. 5.
  7. ^ "The Harry Vardon Trophy – final placings". The Times. 2 September 1939. p. 3.
  8. ^ "Golf – Locke wins Harry Vardon Trophy". The Times. 20 September 1946. p. 8.
  9. ^ "Harry Vardon Trophy – Von Nida's success". The Times. 9 September 1947. p. 2.
  10. ^ "Golf – Harry Vardon Trophy". The Times. 15 September 1948. p. 2.
  11. ^ "Golf - Oosterhuis heads merit list". The Times. 6 November 1971. p. 15.

External links[]

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