Yorkshire Evening News Tournament

The Yorkshire Evening News Tournament was a professional golf tournament that was held in the Leeds area of Yorkshire, England between 1923 and 1963. It was a fixture on the British PGA tournament circuit, which would later become the European Tour. Before World War II, it was a knockout match play tournament preceded by a 36-hole stroke play qualifying round; when it was revived following the war it was a pure stroke play tournament, except for 1949 when it was played as knockout match play.

In the early years, the Yorkshire Evening News Tournament was considered a British major golf tournament. "The first tournament, in 1923, was billed as the unofficial ‘Championship of the World’ between American superstars Walter Hagen and Gene Sarazen.  Hagen triumphed, but lost in the final by a two-hole margin to Ryder Cup star Herbert Jolly."

Format
From its founding in 1923 until 1939, the Yorkshire Evening News Tournament was contested as match play knockout by the leading players after 36 holes of stroke play. When it was revived in 1944, during World War II, it was a 36-hole stroke play tournament. Following the end of the war, in 1946, it was extended to 72 holes. The 72-hole stroke play format was retained except for 1949, when it was played as knockout match play in order to provide British players with practice in advance of the Ryder Cup.

Records

 * Most wins:
 * 5 – Dai Rees (2 shared)
 * 3 – Peter Thomson


 * Lowest aggregate score (72-hole stroke play):
 * 264 – Peter Thomson (1957)


 * Largest margin of victory (72-hole stroke play):
 * 15 strokes – Peter Thomson (1957)


 * Largest margin of victory (36-hole match play final):
 * 9 and 8 – Charles Whitcombe (1926), Ernest Whitcombe (1927)