The Volvo Open was an invitational golf tournament played in Sweden in 1970 and 1971. It was the first major international golf tournament played in Sweden.[1]

Volvo Open
Tournament information
LocationSweden
Established1970
FormatStroke play
Final year1971
Final champion
Australia Kel Nagle

The 1970 event was played on two courses; the first 36 holes at the par 71 course at Delsjö Golf Club near Gothenburg on Wednesday and Thursday and the final 36 holes at the par 72 course at Drottningholm Golf Club near Stockholm on Saturday and Sunday. The participation of Jack Nicklaus, visiting Sweden for the second year in a row after an exhibition there in 1969, were the big attraction and he finished second, one stroke behind winner Jean Garaïalde. Other world well-known players taking part were Peter Thomson and Lanny Wadkins.

The 1971 event was also played on two courses, the first 36 holes at the par 71 links course at Falsterbo Golf Club in the very south of Sweden and the final 36 holes at the par 72 course at Lysegården Golf Club, north of Gothenburg. The tournament took place at the same time as the Dunlop Masters which meant that only a few of the leading British golfers took part. The tournament was won by 50-year-old Kel Nagle. Other well-known participants were Doug Sanders and Hubert Green.[2]

Two years later, in 1973, the first European Tour tournament in Sweden, the Scandinavian Enterprise Open took place for the first time.

Winners edit

Year Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner-up Winner's
share (SEK)
Venue(s) Ref
1970   Jean Garaïalde 67-69-71-70=277 −5 1 stroke   Jack Nicklaus 40,000 Delsjö GK and
Drottningholms GK
[1][2]
1971   Kel Nagle 72-71-75-68=286 E 1 stroke   Christy O'Connor Snr 40,000 Falsterbo GK and
Lysegårdens GK
[2][3][4]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Garaialde wins by a stroke". The Glasgow Herald. 5 October 1970. p. 5.
  2. ^ a b c Jansson, Anders (1979). Golf - Den Gröna Sporten [Golf - The green Sport] (in Swedish). Swedish Golf Federation. pp. 22, 218. ISBN 9172603283.
  3. ^ "Volvo title for Nagle". The Glasgow Herald. 4 October 1971. p. 5.
  4. ^ "Kel Nagle takes Volvo Open golf title". The Canberra Times. Vol. 46, no. 12, 933. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 5 October 1971. p. 18. Retrieved 13 April 2017 – via National Library of Australia.