The Coombe Hill Assistants' Tournament was a professional golf tournament for assistant professionals played from 1951 to 1964.
History The Coombe Hill Club had held a 36-hole tournament for southern assistants for a few years before 1951. However, in 1951 the P.G.A. cancelled the PGA Assistants' Championship, leading the Coombe Hill Golf Club to open up their tournament to all assistants, and extending the event from 36 to 72 holes. It was later decided that the Gor-Ray Cup at Hartsbourne Golf Club would become the official Assistants' Championship. The Coombe Hill Assistants' Tournament acted as one of the two qualifying events for the Championship.
In 1952 the event was not open to foreign assistants. The event acted as the sole qualifying event for the Gor-Ray Cup in 1952 and 1953. With the Gor-Ray Cup becoming a 72-hole stroke-play event in 1954 the Coombe Hill Assistants' Tournament used a format similar to that previously used for the Gor-Ray Cup. There was a 36 stroke-play qualification stage, after which the leading 16 played match-play. In the 1954 event, assistants who had finished fourth or higher in a PGA tournament were not eligible to play. The event reverted to 72-hole medal play in 1955.
Coombe Hill hosted the PGA Assistants' Championship in 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1987.
Winners Year Winner Country Score Marginof victory Runner(s)-up Winner'sshare (£) Ref 1951 Peter Mills 291 11 strokes Arthur Devulder 100 1952 Bernard Hunt 283 8 strokes Peter Mills 75 1953 Bernard Hunt 277 8 strokes Fred Boobyer 1954 Jimmy Martin 19 holes Peter Mills 100 1955 Peter Mills 284 3 strokes Peter Butler Len Roberts 100 1956 Alex Fox 286 1 stroke David Beard 100 1957 George Low 280 1 stroke Neil Coles 100 1958 Ross Whitehead 286 2 strokes A H Freeman Geoffrey Hunt 100 1959 Peter Gill 281 Playoff(6 holes) Billy Bingham 100 1960 Neil Coles 280 1 stroke Lionel Platts 100 1961 Lionel Platts 280 6 strokes Len Roberts 1962 Geoffrey Hunt 274 6 strokes Len Roberts 1963 Alex Caygill 216 2 strokes Malcolm Gregson Tony Jacklin 100 1964 Tony Jacklin 285 1 stroke Adrian Sadler 100
The 1963 event was held at Selsdon Park Golf Club because of reconstruction work at Coombe Hill. Because of heavy rain on the first day, the tournament was reduced to 54 holes. The 1964 event was held at Hill Barn Golf Club, Worthing.
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