Prize Money for the Benson and Hedges International Open will increase by £200,000 from £800,000 to £1,000,000 when the European Tour event moves to The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, next year. The 2000 Benson and Hedges International Open, for which Colin Montgomerie is the defending champion, will take place on the Brabazon Course on May 11-14 with a Celebrity Pro-Am on May 10.
Nigel Northridge, Director of Sales and Marketing for Benson and Hedges, said: “Whilst we enjoyed a very good relationship with The Oxfordshire and are sad to leave, we are at the same time delighted to be going to the Brabazon Course at The Belfry. There has been major investment and significant changes have been made to the course since the Ryder Cup was played there in 1993 and I am sure that the European golfers will enjoy the experience of playing there before 2001. We are also hoping to tempt some Americans to come and try the course before the next Ryder Cup.”
The Benson and Hedges International Open, first played in 1971, will celebrate its 30th Anniversary with a new four year contract at The Belfry and, as in the past, will enjoy BBC Television coverage on all four days of the event.
Ken Schofield, Executive Director of the European Tour, said: “The Benson and Hedges International Open is the longest-running, full-field event on the European Tour, and the Brabazon Course at The Belfry will provide a wonderful venue for the tournament to continue to grow in the new millennium.
“We would like to congratulate and thank Nigel Northridge, and all at Benson and Hedges, for their support and the new prize fund of £1,000,000 is a fitting way in which to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of a truly outstanding tournament.”
Tony Jacklin won £1,950 from a prize fund of £12,000 when the first Benson and Hedges tournament was played at Fulford in 1971. Graham Marsh earned £13,330 from a prize fund of £80,000 with his win at the York venue in 1980, and Jose Maria Olazábal £58,330 from a prize fund of £350,000 when in 1990 the Benson and Hedges International Open began a six year stay at St Mellion in Cornwall.
The Belfry, which in 2001 will host the Ryder Cup for the fourth time, first became a European Tour venue in 1978 with the playing of the Hennesy Cognac Cup, and it has hosted the English Open on no fewer than nine occasions. The Lawrence Batley International was staged at The Belfry from 1984 to 1986 and more recently The Belfry PGA Seniors Championship has made its home at this superb complex in the Midlands.
Mike Maloney, Director of Golf at The Belfry, said: “Everyone at De Vere Hotels and The Belfry is delighted The Benson and Hedges International Open will be staged here from May 2000. Benson and Hedges are sponsors of the highest calibre, and it is appropriate that an event of this importance will provide the platform to re-launch The Brabazon at The Belfry.
“There have been many changes at The Belfry since the 1993 Ryder Cup matches, including an overall investment in excess of over £40million - with 120 significant changes and £3.5million spent on The Brabazon course alone. We are looking forward to staging an event of the highest quality.”
The Benson and Hedges International Open has a superb roll-call of champions. Tony Jacklin, Lee Trevino, Tom Weiskopf, Greg Norman, Sandy Lyle, Jose Maria Olazábal, Bernhard Langer and Seve Ballesteros, all winners of major championships, have captured the title and more recently Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie won at The Oxfordshire.
Montgomerie said: “I remember my last European Tour event at The Belfry in 1992 because I might have won without taking a 79 in the third round! I was under par for all three other rounds. I certainly enjoyed the course in 1993 when I gained 3½ points in the Ryder Cup which included winning my singles match against Lee Janzen.
“We are all well aware that the Brabazon Course has been remodelled since then, and I suspect we can look forward to a tougher examination. We will also have the opportunity to play two tournaments on the course before the next Ryder Cup and that experience will be invaluable for all of us.”
Year Winner Venue Prize
- Fund
- £
1971 Tony Jacklin Fulford 12,000
1972 Jack Newton Fulford 15,000
1973 Vin Baker Fulford 15,000
1974 Philippe Toussiant Fulford 25,000
1975 Vicente Fernandez Fulford 25,000
1976 Graham Marsh Fulford 40,000
1977 Antonio Garrido Fulford 40,000
1978 Lee Trevino Fulford 50,000
1979 Maurice Bembridge St Mellion 60,000
1980 Graham Marsh Fulford 80,000
1981 Tom Weiskopf Fulford 90,000
1982 Greg Norman Fulford 100,000
1983 John Bland Fulford 110,000
1984 Sam Torrance Fulford 120,000
1985 Sandy Lyle Fulford 150,000
1986 Mark James Fulford 180,000
1987 Noel Ratcliffe Fulford 200,000
1988 Peter Baker Fulford 250,000
1989 Gordon Brand Jnr Fulford 300,000
1990 Jose Maria Olazabal St Mellion 350,000
1991 Bernhard Langer St Mellion 400,000
1992 Peter Senior St Mellion 500,000
1993 Paul Broadhurst St Mellion 550,000
1994 Seve Ballesteros St Mellion 650,000
1995 Peter O'Malley St Mellion 650,000
1996 Stephen Ames Oxfordshire 700,000
1997 Bernhard Langer Oxfordshire 700,000
1998 Darren Clarke Oxfordshire 750,000
1999 Colin Montgomerie Oxfordshire 800,000
2000 The Belfry 1,000,000
