The DP World Tour and England Golf today announced plans to resurrect the English Open, one of the most historic national Open titles in the game.
Working in partnership, the two organisations will bring the tournament back on the HotelPlanner Tour this year and in 2027, with the aspiration to have the English Open feature on the DP World Tour schedule in 2028.
The ‘English Open supported by HotelPlanner’ will take the place of the existing England Golf Challenge this year and will be played at The Vale Golf Club in Worcestershire from June 18-21, the tournament also featuring an increased prize fund of £300,000. Details of the tournament’s staging on the 2027 HotelPlanner Tour and the staging on the 2028 DP World Tour will come at a later date.
Guy Kinnings, Chief Executive of the DP World Tour, said: “We are delighted with today’s announcement that, together with England Golf, we will be returning one of golf’s most prestigious titles to the global stage. It is a title with great resonance, hence this is a significant moment for us.
“This is also a new era for the relationship between our two organisations and we look forward to working together to help progress all aspects of the game in England.
“For over 50 years national Opens have been a cornerstone of our international schedule, tournaments rooted in tradition and ones which shine a spotlight on the countries we play, the relationships we have fostered in these countries over decades, and on the communities that host them. The English Open’s return reflects that heritage.”
Jeremy Tomlinson, Group Chief Executive Officer of England Golf, said: "All of us at England Golf are excited to be entering into this new partnership with the DP World Tour to promote and deliver the English Open. Our player development pathway has a proud heritage of producing some of the finest golfers in the world, and we are committed to maintaining that record.
“By reinstating the English Open and partnering with the DP World Tour and the HotelPlanner Tour, many of our young squad players will have the opportunity to not only experience professional tournament golf, but also begin to acclimatise to life in the professional ranks.
“With clear ambitions to elevate the English Open back onto the main tour, this will provide another inspiring national platform to showcase everything that is great about our game in England.”
Today’s announcement is particularly timely coming, as it does, in the aftermath of Aaron Rai becoming the first Englishman in 107 years to win the US PGA Championship at Aronimink in Philadelphia at the weekend.
Additionally, following the recent commemoration around the 15th anniversary of the passing of Seve Ballesteros, today’s announcement is also an appropriate one for the legendary Spaniard was the first winner of the English Open when it featured on the then European Tour back in 1979.
Then the tournament was staged at The Belfry, the venue for nine of its first ten stagings – aside from Royal Birkdale in 1988 – before the Forest of Arden course hosted the last ten stagings of the event from 1993 until 2002.
Aside from Ballesteros, the illustrious list of past champions of the English Open features several other European Ryder Cup Captains, namely; Mark James (1989 and 1990), Ian Woosnam (1993), Colin Montgomerie (1994) and Darren Clarke (1999, 2000 and 2002).
