The English Open was a professional golf tournament held in England. First played in 1988, it was an annual event on the European Tour until 2002. After several aborted attempts at reviving the tournament, it returned to the tour schedule in 2021, when it was titled as the Cazoo Classic.

Quick Facts Tournament information, Location ...
Cazoo Classic
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Tournament information
LocationSouthport, Merseyside, England
Established1988
Course(s)Hillside Golf Club
Par72
Length7,109 yards (6,500 m)
Tour(s)European Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fund1,750,000
Month playedJuly
Final year2022
Tournament record score
Aggregate268 Darren Clarke (1999)
To par−20 as above
Final champion
Scotland Richie Ramsay
Location map
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Hillside GC
Hillside GC
Location in England
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Hillside GC
Hillside GC
Location in Merseyside
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Winners of the tournament include some of the most successful players in European Tour history including Mark James, Ian Woosnam, Colin Montgomerie, Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke. James and Clarke are the only two players to have won the title more than once.

History

The English Open was founded in 1988, replacing the Lawrence Batley International on the tour schedule,[1] and despite initial sponsorship issues, there were hopes that the new English Open would develop into another major national open on the circuit.[2]

After the first event, which was held at Royal Birkdale, the Brabazon course at The Belfry was home to the tournament until 1993, when it moved to the Forest of Arden. It was then played at Hanbury Manor between 1997 and 1999, before returning to the Forest of Arden[3] until the tournament was cancelled following the 2002 season as part of long-term plans for the European Tour to expand globally, by reducing the number of tournaments held in Europe, especially the United Kingdom. In the tour's first official season in 1972 12 out of 20 events were staged in the UK; by 1988 the ratio was 11 to 15,[4] but by 2005 this was down to 8 out of 47.

After a six-year hiatus the English Open was due to return to the European Tour schedule in 2009. A five-year deal with the tour had been agreed, with the tournament being played over the Jack Nicklaus designed Signature Course at the St. Mellion International Resort in Cornwall, initially an alternate event to the PGA Championship, one of professional golf's majors.[5] However early in 2009, due to the impact of the Great Recession, the revival was postponed until 2011 at the earliest.[6] In March 2011 it was announced that the event had been cancelled due to insufficient sponsorship revenue having been raised by the organisers.[7]

The tournament was due to return in 2020 as part of a revamp of the European Tour's schedule in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was played at Forest of Arden Hotel and Country Club as part of a 6-week "UK Swing".[8] When Hero MotoCorp agreed to sponsor of the scheduled event in July 2020, it was renamed as the Hero Open, and later separated historically from the English Open.[9]

The English Open did return in 2021, however a sponsorship agreement with Cazoo saw the tournament renamed as the Cazoo Classic.[10] Cazoo's multi-year partnership with the tour also included title sponsorship of the Wales Open.[11]

Winners

More information Year, Winner ...
YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-upVenue
Cazoo Classic
2022Scotland Richie Ramsay274−141 strokeEngland Paul WaringHillside
2021Scotland Calum Hill272−161 strokeFrance Alexander LévyLondon
English Open
2010–2020: No tournament
2009Cancelled due to lack of funding
2003–2008: No tournament
Compass Group English Open
2002Northern Ireland Darren Clarke (3)271−173 strokesDenmark Søren HansenForest of Arden
2001Australia Peter O'Malley275−131 strokeFrance Raphaël JacquelinForest of Arden
2000Northern Ireland Darren Clarke (2)275−131 strokeNew Zealand Michael Campbell
England Mark James
Forest of Arden
1999Northern Ireland Darren Clarke268−202 strokesEngland John BickertonHanbury Manor
National Car Rental English Open
1998England Lee Westwood271−172 strokesAustralia Greg Chalmers
Sweden Olle Karlsson
Hanbury Manor
Alamo English Open
1997Sweden Per-Ulrik Johansson269−192 strokesSweden Dennis EdlundHanbury Manor
1996Australia Robert Allenby278−101 strokeEngland Ross McFarlane
Scotland Colin Montgomerie
Forest of Arden
Murphy's English Open
1995Republic of Ireland Philip Walton274−14PlayoffScotland Colin MontgomerieForest of Arden
1994Scotland Colin Montgomerie274−141 strokeEngland Barry LaneForest of Arden
1993Wales Ian Woosnam269−192 strokesItaly Costantino RoccaThe Belfry
1992Argentina Vicente Fernández283−51 strokeSweden Per-Ulrik Johansson
Sweden Fredrik Lindgren
The Belfry
NM English Open
1991England David Gilford278−102 strokesEngland Roger ChapmanThe Belfry
1990England Mark James (2)284−4PlayoffScotland Sam TorranceThe Belfry
1989England Mark James279−91 strokeRepublic of Ireland Eamonn Darcy
Australia Craig Parry
Scotland Sam Torrance
The Belfry
English Open
1988England Howard Clark279−93 strokesEngland Peter BakerRoyal Birkdale
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See also

References

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