Wikipedia

Harry Vardon Trophy

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 edit

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]

Before 1980, 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]

Winners edit

Year Winner Points
Race to Dubai
2023   Rory McIlroy (5) 5,296
Year DP World Tour Rankings Points
2022   Rory McIlroy (4) 4,754
Year Race to Dubai Points
2021   Collin Morikawa 5,856
2020   Lee Westwood (3) 3,128
2019   Jon Rahm 5,898
2018   Francesco Molinari 6,041,521
2017   Tommy Fleetwood 5,386,955
2016   Henrik Stenson (2) 5,289,506
2015   Rory McIlroy (3) 4,727,253
2014   Rory McIlroy (2) 7,149,503
2013   Henrik Stenson 4,103,796
Year Race to Dubai Prize money (€)
2012   Rory McIlroy 5,519,118
2011   Luke Donald 5,323,400
2010   Martin Kaymer 4,461,011
2009   Lee Westwood (2) 4,237,762
Year Order of Merit Prize money (€)
2008   Robert Karlsson 2,732,748
2007   Justin Rose 2,944,945
2006   Pádraig Harrington 2,489,337
2005   Colin Montgomerie (8) 2,794,223
2004   Ernie Els (2) 4,061,905
2003   Ernie Els 2,975,374
2002   Retief Goosen (2) 2,360,128
Year Volvo Order of Merit Prize money (€)
2001   Retief Goosen 2,862,806
2000   Lee Westwood 3,125,147
1999   Colin Montgomerie (7) 1,822,880
Year Volvo Order of Merit Prize money (£)
1998   Colin Montgomerie (6) 993,077
1997   Colin Montgomerie (5) 798,948
1996   Colin Montgomerie (4) 875,146
1995   Colin Montgomerie (3) 835,051
1994   Colin Montgomerie (2) 762,720
1993   Colin Montgomerie 613,683
1992   Nick Faldo (2) 708,522
1991   Seve Ballesteros (6) 545,354
1990   Ian Woosnam (2) 574,166
1989   Ronan Rafferty 400,311
1988   Seve Ballesteros (5) 451,560
Year Epson Order of Merit Prize money (£)
1987   Ian Woosnam 253,717
1986   Seve Ballesteros (4) 242,209
1985   Sandy Lyle (3) 162,553
Year Sperry Order of Merit Prize money (£)
1984   Bernhard Langer (2) 139,344
Year Official money list Prize money (£)
1983   Nick Faldo 119,416
1982   Greg Norman 66,406
1981   Bernhard Langer 81,036
1980   Sandy Lyle (2) 43,346
Year Order of Merit Points
1979   Sandy Lyle 39,808
1978   Seve Ballesteros (3) 47,178
1977   Seve Ballesteros (2) 28,699
1976   Seve Ballesteros 21,495
1975   Dale Hayes 17,488
1974   Peter Oosterhuis (4) 2,965
1973   Peter Oosterhuis (3) 3,440
1972   Peter Oosterhuis (2) 1,751
1971   Peter Oosterhuis 1,293
1970   Neil Coles (2) 779
1969   Bernard Gallacher 910
1968   Brian Huggett 919
1967   Malcolm Gregson
1966   Peter Alliss (2) 893
1965   Bernard Hunt (3) 969
1964   Peter Alliss 1,940
1963   Neil Coles 674
1962   Christy O'Connor Snr (2)
1961   Christy O'Connor Snr
1960   Bernard Hunt (2)
1959   Dai Rees (2)
1958   Bernard Hunt
1957   Eric Brown
1956   Harry Weetman (2)
1955   Dai Rees
1954   Bobby Locke (3)
1953   Flory Van Donck
1952   Harry Weetman
1951   John Panton
1950   Bobby Locke (2)
1949   Charlie Ward (2)
1948   Charlie Ward
1947   Norman Von Nida
1946   Bobby Locke
1940–1945: No award
1939   Reg Whitcombe
1938   Henry Cotton
1937   Charles Whitcombe

Multiple winners edit

Rank Player Wins First win Last win
1   Colin Montgomerie 8 1993 2005
2   Seve Ballesteros 6 1976 1991
3   Rory McIlroy 5 2012 2023
4   Peter Oosterhuis 4 1971 1974
T5   Lee Westwood 3 2009 2020
  Sandy Lyle 3 1979 1985
  Bernard Hunt 3 1958 1965
  Bobby Locke 3 1946 1954
T9   Henrik Stenson 2 2013 2016
  Ernie Els 2 2003 2004
  Retief Goosen 2 2001 2002
  Nick Faldo 2 1983 1992
  Ian Woosnam 2 1987 1990
  Bernhard Langer 2 1981 1984
  Neil Coles 2 1963 1970
  Peter Alliss 2 1964 1966
  Christy O'Connor Snr 2 1961 1962
  Dai Rees 2 1955 1959
  Harry Weetman 2 1952 1956
  Charlie Ward 2 1948 1949

References edit

  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 edit

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