Martini Professional Foursomes
# Martini Professional Foursomes

The Martini Professional Foursomes was a series of regional and national professional foursomes golf tournaments played in the England and Scotland between 1956 and 1960.

A Midland Professional Foursomes had been held between 1907 and 1939 but was not restarted after World War II. It was revived in 1956 as the Martini Midland Professional Foursomes. The event was a 36-hole stroke-play event, played in a single day. Players entered individually with the pairings randomly drawn. Total prize money was £300. David Snell and Charlie Ward won the event.

The Midland event continued in 1957 and a second event was added, the Martini Southern Professional Foursomes, held at Hill Barn Golf Club near Worthing. Both had prize money of £500. A third event was added in 1958, the Martini Northern Professional Foursomes, held at Pannal Golf Club near Harrogate. In 1959 four events were run, extended to cover all the PGA sections. A new event for the combined Scottish and Irish sections was held, while the Midland event was extended to include the Welsh and East Anglian sections and the Southern event was extended to include the West of England section.

In 1960 the same four regional tournaments were held but they also acted as qualifying events for a 72-hole national event which was held at The Berkshire club in late August, with prize money of £3,000. The tournaments were discontinued after 1960, Martini sponsoring a new event in 1961, the Martini International, with prize money of £6,000.

## Winners

### Midlands section

In 1959 and 1960 this included the Welsh and East Anglian sections

| Year | Winners | Score | Margin of victory | Runners-up | Venue |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1956 | David Snell & Charlie Ward | 140 | 3 strokes | Bob Hastelow & George Maisey | Sutton Coldfield |
| 1957 | Bill Firkins & Ralph Moffitt | 142 | 2 strokes | Ken Dodsworth & Don Smart | Blackwell |
| 1958 | Frank Miller & Ralph Moffitt | 140 | 5 strokes | Jack Cawsey & Bob Hastelow Len Smith & Maurice Youngs | Little Aston |
| 1959 | Bill Firkins & Malcolm Hill | 141 | 4 strokes | Dennis Fitton & Dick Kemp Jr. George Johnson & Norman Roffe | South Staffordshire |
| 1960 | Bryon Hutchinson & John Wiggett | 138 | 3 strokes | George Bell & Jack Hargreaves | Wollaton Park |

### Southern section

In 1959 and 1960 this included the West of England section

| Year | Winners | Score | Margin of victory | Runners-up | Venue |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1957 | Ken Bousfield & George Low | 134 | 7 strokes | Jimmy McGhee & Arnold Stickley | Hill Barn |
| 1958 | Dick Burton & Jimmy Hitchcock | 139 | 1 stroke | Fred Boobyer & Eddie Ward Arthur Harrison & Ross Whitehead | Hill Barn |
| 1959 | Peter Alliss & Norman Sutton | 139 | Playoff | George Low & Brian White | Seaford |
| 1960 | Roger Mandeville & Dave Thomas | 138 | Playoff | Fred Boobyer & Maurice Moir | Parkstone |

### Northern section

| Year | Winners | Score | Margin of victory | Runners-up | Venue |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1958 | Brian Allen & Bryon Hutchinson | 139 | 11 strokes | Tony Coop & Ray Wilkinson | Pannal |
| 1959 | John Jarman & Eric Lester | 143 | 2 strokes | John Burton & Bill Hancock Ken Geddes & Bill McHardy | Hillside |
| 1960 | Brian Allen & John Easey | 147 | 1 stroke | Tom Fairbairn & Malcolm Law John Fallon & Bill Ferguson Eric Lester & Hedley Muscroft | Pannal |

### Scottish and Irish sections

| Year | Winners | Score | Margin of victory | Runners-up | Venue | Ref |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1959 | Harry Bradshaw & Jim Henderson | 143 | 3 strokes | Alex Fox & Jimmy Hume | Longniddry | |
| 1960 | Norman Drew & Willie Watson | 151 | 2 strokes | Jimmy Henderson & Peter McQueen | Prestwick | |

### National

| Year | Winners | Score | Margin of victory | Runners-up | Venue | Ref |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1960 | Bill Hector & Brian Wilkes | 276 | 1 stroke | Norman Drew & Keith MacDonald | Berkshire | |
