Sanwell Cottesloe Open – A 75 year tradition
With Phil Ryan:
On Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 May, Cottesloe Golf Club plays host to the 2023 Sanwell Cottesloe Open, and celebrating 75 years in running of the event.
2023 Tournament links for draws and scoring:
Sanwell Cottesloe Open. Sanwell Cottesloe Senior Invitational
pga.org.au
Cottesloe Golf Club welcomes spectators over the weekend, with tee off from 7am both days. Entry is free with access to clubhouse facilities and a chance to see rising amateur stars alongside great well known senior professionals.
The playing field will get to experience our six new greens of 777 Bentgrass with interesting slopes as well as new greenside and fairway bunkering, as we near completion of our Graham Marsh Course Renovations.
Last year’s event produced some stunning scoring including an albatross, twelve eagles and a course-record 8-under, 64, by runner-up Brady Watt on Sunday. Thirteen players also broke 70. Braden Becker shot 6-under in his last 5 holes to secure a playoff at 11-under with Brady Watt. Becker then holed a 3-foot birdie on the playoff 18th hole, to be 7-under in six holes, and became our very worthy 2022 champion.
Braden Becker returns this year to defend his title and with Brady Watt, Brett Rumford and rising young professionals Haydn Barron and Hayden Hopewell, there will be many names in contention for the win and a prize purse of $30,000 ex gst, including our state’s leading amateurs.
In the lead up to the Open, Friday 12 May, naming sponsor Sanwell Plumbing and Civil (Cottesloe Member Fred McMurray) will join other tournament sponsors, in playing the long-running and very popular Sanwell Corporate Classic. The Sanwell Corporate Classic allows sponsor groups to enjoy the course in fantastic tournament condition, with many having a guest senior professional in their group.
The pre-tournament dinner afterwards, with special guest compere Bonnie Tye (Channel 9 and Fox Sports Reporter), will feature interviews with special guests Alana King (Scorchers and Australian Womens Cricketer), AJ Tye (Scorchers and Australian Mens Cricketer), and John Inverarity (Former WA and Australian Mens Cricketer). Past Cottesloe Open winners are also invited along, and proudly wear their champions jackets.
Cottesloe Open history
Seven players have won the coveted Cottesloe Open twice, which includes our very own Cottesloe course architect and Honorary Member, Graham Marsh, who won as an amateur in 1967, and then as a professional in 1968.
Roger Mackay won three titles as an amateur in 1980, 1981, and 1982. Roy Draddy, Cottesloe professional during 1962-1969, won the Open on three occasions, 1961, 1963, and 1966. Terry Gale won four, 1969, 1973 as an amateur and 1976, 1977 as a professional and Kelly Rogers heads up the list with an impressive seven Cottesloe Open wins, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1954, and 1963.
Good scoring a feature of Cottesloe Opens in the last two decades. Andrew McKenzie’s 14-under 130 in the Club’s Centenary Year of 2008 the lowest winning score. Brody Ninyette’s 10-under 134, also 2008, is the lowest scoring Kelly Rogers Medallist for leading amateur:
Winning scores since 2003
Cottesloe Open – events for amateurs, professionals and seniors
The Sanwell Cottesloe Open event – open to all starters.
The Sanwell Cottesloe Senior Invitational for the Lyndsay Stephen Memorial Trophy.
The Kelly Rogers Medal – awarded to the leading amateur.
Sanwell Cottesloe Senior Invitational – Lyndsay Stephen Memorial Trophy
Since 2014 a great feature of the Cottesloe Open has been the attendance and participation of some great senior professional names, contesting the Sanwell Cottesloe Senior Invitational section within the event. Popular Professional Lyndsay Stephen passed on 25 February 2021 aged 64 years and is commemorated with the winner of the Senior Invitational being awarded the Lyndsay Stephen Memorial Trophy since 2021. Lyndsay was a popular figure in the Golf Industry and a decades-long supporter of the Cottesloe Open.
Michael Long has won 3 of the Senior Invitational Events (2019, 2021 ,2022) and is back defending his title in 2023. Michael Long joined by Mike Clayton, Peter Fowler, Stuart Ginn and others great senior players and they will be great viewing for spectators once again. The Invitational field compete for a separate prize money of $12,000 ex gst and while not an official PGA Legends Tour event, it attracts keen starters from that tour.
Kelly Rogers Medal – leading amateur
The Cottesloe Open is a well-supported event by amateurs. A state ranking event and the leading amateur is awarded the Kelly Rogers Medal that honours Cottesloe amateur great, Kelly Rogers, who is pictured below receiving the 1949 Cottesloe Open, one of his seven wins. Kelly was a Cottesloe Member 1938 until his passing in 2002.
Over the past 75 years, 30 winners of the Open have been amateurs, however none since Michael Foster in 2007. This year sees a strong field of leading state amateurs in the field with the event being a ranking event. Cottesloe amateurs Michael Hanrahan Smith, Paul Patterson, Mark Solomons and Grant Lewis have gained a start and our 2018 Club Champion Michael Pentland, now completing the third year of the PGA Membership Pathway Program and an ongoing Cottesloe member, is also Tournament invitee.
We wish all competitors the very best for a great weekend of golf.
Links to scoring and photo galleries will be uploaded on our club website and publicly available.