1972 European Tour
Introduction The '''1972 European Tour''', titled as the '''1972 PGA European Tour''', was the inaugural season of the European Tour, the main professional golf tour in Europe.
Changes for 1972 There were several changes from the previous year's British PGA circuit schedule, with the inclusion of the Madrid Open, the Dutch Open and the Lancia d'Oro tournament; they joined the five national opens in continental Europe that were included in 1971.Also added were the John Player Trophy and the Sunbeam Electric Scottish Open, as well as the returning John Player Classic and Sumrie Better-Ball tournaments; lost from the calendar were the Agfa-Gevaert Tournament, the Classic International, the Daks Tournament and the Gallaher Ulster Open.
Schedule The following table lists official events during the 1972 season.DateTournamentHost countryPurse(£)WinnerNotes9 Apr'''Masters Tournament'''United StatesUS$125,000 '''Jack Nicklaus''' (n/a)Major championship15 AprSpanish OpenSpain10,000 Antonio Garrido (1)22 AprMadrid OpenSpain10,000 Jimmy Kinsella (1)27 AprPiccadilly MedalEngland12,000 Tommy Horton (1)13 MayPenfold-Bournemouth TournamentEngland8,000 Peter Oosterhuis (1)27 MayJohn Player TrophyEngland8,000 Ross Whitehead (1)10 JunMartini InternationalEngland8,000 Brian Barnes (1)20 Jun'''U.S. Open'''United StatesUS$200,000 '''Jack Nicklaus''' (n/a)Major championship25 JunCarroll's InternationalIreland15,000 Christy O'Connor Snr (1)1 JulSunbeam Electric Scottish OpenScotland10,000 Neil Coles (1)15 Jul'''The Open Championship'''Scotland50,000 '''Lee Trevino''' (n/a)Major championship23 JulFrench OpenFrance11,000 Barry Jaeckel (1)30 JulSwiss OpenSwitzerland10,000 Graham Marsh (1)6 AugGerman OpenWest Germany11,500 Graham Marsh (2)6 Aug'''PGA Championship'''United StatesUS$225,000 '''Gary Player''' (n/a)Major championship13 AugDutch OpenNetherlands10,500 Jack Newton (1)19 AugBenson & Hedges Festival of GolfEngland15,000 Jack Newton (2)26 AugViyella PGA ChampionshipEngland15,000 Tony Jacklin (1)16 SepBenson & Hedges Match Play ChampionshipEngland20,000 John Garner (1)23 SepW.D. & H.O. Wills TournamentScotland15,000 Peter Thomson (1)30 SepJohn Player ClassicScotland56,500 Bob Charles (1)7 OctDunlop MastersEngland15,000 Bob Charles (2)15 OctItalian OpenItaly15,000 Norman Wood (1)22 OctLancia d'OroItaly10,000 José María Cañizares (1)===Unofficial events===The following events were sanctioned by the European Tour, but did not carry official money, nor were wins official.DateTournamentHost countryPurse(£)Winner(s)Notes20 MaySumrie Better-BallEngland10,000 Malcolm Gregson and Brian HuggettTeam event3 JunCoca-Cola Young Professionals' ChampionshipEnglandn/a Peter Oosterhuis2 SepDouble Diamond InternationalEngland15,000 Team EnglandTeam event14 OctPiccadilly World Match Play ChampionshipEngland25,000 Tom WeiskopfLimited-field event12 NovWorld CupAustraliaUS$2,000 Hsieh Min-Nan and Lu Liang-HuanTeam eventWorld Cup Individual TrophyUS$1,000 Hsieh Min-Nan
Order of Merit The Order of Merit was based on tournament results during the season, calculated using a points-based system.Position  Player  Points  Prize money (£)1   Peter Oosterhuis 1,751 18,5252   Guy Hunt 1,710 9,8083   Brian Huggett 1,702 10,1664   Peter Townsend 1,640 8,5925   Jack Newton 1,637 8,8996   John Garner 1,616 8,0057   Peter Butler 1,614 8,3758   Brian Barnes 1,603 9,1039   Neil Coles 1,597 8,62910   Clive Clark 1,575 5,831
Awards AwardWinner Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year   Sam Torrance
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