Club News

Bryon Hutchinson, a former PGA Captain who competed at the game’s premier level, was an influential figure on and off the course as a member of the Association and served Moortown Golf Club for 40 years.

Bryon was born in Sheffield and encouraged at early age to play golf by his father, a member of Beauchief Golf Club in the city. And showing a clear talent for the game, a career as a professional soon became inevitable.

On turning professional in 1954 at the age of 17, he joined the PGA and was elected to membership in the same year. He initially worked as an assistant to Harold Lees at Dore and Totley Golf Club in Shefield before moving to Sitwell Park Golf Club near Rotherham.

He followed up with a spell at Hallowes Golf Club in Dronfield in neighbouring Derbyshire. However, such was Bryon’s loyalty to and love for Yorkshire that when his first wife, Romaine, was expecting their first child, he had her moved back to his home county to give birth.

“In those days, if you weren’t born in Yorkshire, you couldn’t play cricket for the county,” his son Gary explained. “So mum was shipped back to Yorkshire to have me.”

That problem was never likely to reoccur as Bryon was poached by Moortown in 1963 to succeed Ted Large as head professional and, remaining there until he retired in 2003, became the club’s longest serving head professional.

Moortown had staged the first Ryder Cup match in Great Britain and, ironically, Bryon missed out playing in the event at Royal Birkdale in 1969 due to a quirk in the selection process.

“These days selection for what has become Team Europe is based on performances produced over two years,” clarified Gary Hutchinson, who also became a PGA Professional.

“He had a good year in 1968, but selection was determined by performances in odd not even years and, as he did not do so well in 1969, he missed out.”

That good year included him setting a course record at Southerndown in the Vale of Glamorgan in finishing third behind Brian Huggett in the Martini International.

Then in the News of the World Matchplay Championship at Walton Heath in 1970 he defeated Australia’s five-time Open Championship winner Peter Thomson.

He enjoyed another memorable day at the top level when he was paired with Arnold Palmer in the Open Championship. “He told me it was the most frightening tee shot he’d ever had because he got to the first tee and all he could see was people left and right,” Gary Hutchinson recalled. “He said it was like playing inside a tunnel, but he knew they weren’t there to watch him.”

Bryon qualified to play in three other Open Championships with his best result coming at Muirfield in 1972 when he finished tied-60th, a stroke ahead of one of his successors as PGA Captain, the current incumbent David Llewellyn.

Closer to home, Bryon won the oldest trophy in professional golf that is still played for, the Leeds Cup, four times in five years from 1968, missing out on five in a row by a stroke when Hedley Muscroft denied him victory at Leeds Golf Club in 1970.

Bryon’s final success in the tournament came in 1972, the year before he was selected to represent Great Britain and Ireland in the inaugural PGA Cup match against the USA at Pinehurst, North Carolina.

The match is now contested biennially but in the early days it was an annual event and Bryon returned to Pinehurst the following year as Captain.

Bryon was PGA Captain in the same year, a spell that was extended to 18 months when his successor Harry Riseborough passed away half way through his term of office. His time as Captain and as a member of the PGA Board coincided with a period of turbulence for the Association and ultimately change as the members who made their living primarily from playing in tournaments wanted more control over their affairs.

The upshot was the formation of what became the European Tour and, with the PGA based at the Oval cricket ground in London prior to its move to the Belfry in 1976, Byron made frequent trips to the capital to play his part in what were protracted and often stormy negotiations before the situation was resolved.

Bryon continued to serve on PGA committees and play a part in its affairs thereafter and compete in its tournaments. He also represented Moortown for the first time in the MacKenzie Cup at Royal Melbourne in 2000 and played in the event until he retired in 2003.

By then he had become Moortown’s longest serving professional by some distance and the club recognised his service and loyalty by granting him a testimonial year prior to his retirement.

Events included a testimonial pro-celebrity golf day to which many of his old professional friends were invited including Christy O’Connor Sr, Maurice Bembridge, John Garner and David Snell.

And the year concluded with a dinner at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate at which Bryon presented the club with a silver salver, to be known as the Hutchinson Salver to be played for annually.

Byron, who was made an honorary member by both the PGA and Moortown, is survived by Frances, his wife, son Gary, and daughter Kay. The PGA extends heartfelt condolences to them, and Byron’s other family and friends on their loss.

This article first appeared on the PGA website

Tom Osborne was crowned Brabazon Trophy champion, sponsored by Turkish Airlines, after a scintillating battle in the sun with fellow England Golf teammate Eliot Baker on Sunday.

A level-par final round was enough to seal the title at Moortown Golf Club, despite a 3-under final round from Tiverton’s Baker.

Osborne was a wire-to-wire winner, having finished on a total of -16, thanks to his Brabazon Trophy record of -9 on day one, which was also a Moortown course record.

Another ding-dong battle between the pair on the last day saw Baker close the gap from five shots to just two in the space of three holes, and late birdies from Baker saw the duo separated by just a single shot going into the final two holes.

But Baker’s tee shot went left on the final hole and he could only make bogey, leaving Osborne a comfortable par to seal the win – becoming the fourth straight Englishman from Yorkshire to win the trophy.

Osborne said: “It feels amazing. Right from the start of the week I felt something special was going to happen. When Eliot was just a couple of shots back, I knew it wasn’t mine at all, and for him to play how he did today was amazing and that pushed me on, and I finally got it over the line in a stroke play competition, so I’m really pleased.”

Asked about his Brabazon Trophy record score of -9 on day one, he revealed: “It’s so special – the Brabazon has been going for around 80 years and to get the record score is a massive honour and I’m so proud of all the work I’ve put in with all my coaches to get that.”

On celebrations, he added: “We’re heading back to my home club Lindrick to celebrate and having a few drinks – and the trophy will be staying with me in my bedroom!”

Hungary’s Bence Bertenyi finished in 3^rd place on -9, with Oliver Lewis-Perkins (Mid Kent) 4^th on -8. 2024 English Amateur champion Harley Smith had a late charge with four straight birdies on the back-nine of the final day to finish 5^th on countback on -7, ahead of Jack Diment (Belton Park), Jake Sowden (The Oaks) and the Netherlands’ Melvin Muller.

There was also a special moment for Oliver Cage on his home course on the final day, as he enjoyed a hole-in-one on the par-3 17th to lift him to tied-12th overall.

Elsewhere, England’s Harry Cox (Welwyn Garden City) had a whirlwind morning, shooting five birdies in a blistering 5-under front nine, which was how he finished for the day. His overall score of 280 (-4) earned him the George Henriques Salver for being the leading under-20 player.

The Scrutton Jug – the trophy given to the combined best score of the Berkshire Trophy and the Brabazon Trophy – went to Cole Self (Ringway, pictured below), after his overall 280 (-4). He said: “It feels amazing to join such a list of winners (like Tyrrell Hatton and Sandy Lyle). It’s hard to believe but I’ve played well this year. I’ve been hitting 15/16 greens a round but my putter’s been a bit cold – you have to hit it well around here else you can struggle and rack up a score. I’ve got plenty of events coming up and I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing.”

Final Leaderboard

Tom Osborne and Eliot Baker lead the way at the top of the Brabazon Trophy leaderboard, sponsored by Turkish Airlines, after fine Saturday showings at Moortown.

Playing in the final group, the England Golf Men’s Squad duo went toe-to-toe throughout with Baker (Tiverton) gaining ground on day three, thanks to an eagle on the 1st and five birdies.

There were some two-shot swings on a couple of holes between the pair, especially on the 7th where Osborne (Lindrick) managed to reach the green in two, something the vast majority had struggled to do all day, but he three-putted from 20 feet with Baker making a sensational sand save to gain a shot.

After birdieing 10 and 11, Baker came close to holing for eagle from 90 yards on 12, but then proceeded to miss his short putt with Osborne holing a 12-footer for his first birdie of the day.

And the Yorkshireman continued his scintillating form as his bogey-free round of 69 (-2) sees him sit five clear of Baker heading into Sunday’s final round.

Baker’s -4 (67) was the joint-best score of the day, with Melvin Muller (Netherlands), Carl-Hugo Eriksson (Sweden), Caolan Burford (Wales), and John Doyle (Ireland) also enjoying the same score..

Muller’s knock sees him sit 3rd on -9, two back of Baker and seven back from Osborne, while Oliver Lewis-Perkins (Mid Kent) is 4th on -8.

Doyle is one shot further back, while four players sit on -6 in tied-6th, including English duo Kris Kim (Wentworth) and Lewy Hayward (Marlborough). Check out the leaderboard here.

Osborne said: “It’s interesting playing stroke play against someone you play so much match play and team stuff with. At the same time you feel comfortable though because it’s one of your mates and I’d much rather be paired with him than not, so I can keep an eye on what he’s doing!

“I was a bit defensive in some areas and I could have gone at a few more pins so I think I need to bear that in mind tomorrow and build on that.”

Baker added: “It’s always tough against Tom, we’ve had a couple of battles already this year – unfortunately I was on the wrong end of one at the Spanish Amateur! He’s a solid player, he doesn’t do a lot wrong and he’s not giving much away.

“Four-under was a good score today, I had a lot of up-and-downs and holed some nice putts – I chipped in today as well as twice yesterday which is always helpful!

“I’ve just got to play my game really – I know if he goes out there and plays the way he has been it’s almost impossible to chase him, but perhaps be a bit more aggressive and try and make birdies everywhere and see what happens.”

Tom Osborne leads the way after day two of the Brabazon Trophy, sponsored by Turkish Airlines, as 66 players made the cut at Moortown.

Osborne (Lindrick) backed up his opening-day course record with a brilliant -5 (66) to sit on -14 overall, thanks to an eagle and four birdies on Friday.

Seven shots back of Osborne is fellow England Golf Men’s Squad star Eliot Baker (Tiverton). The pair, who battled in the final of the Spanish Amateur in March where Osborne came out on top, will play together in Round 3, after Baker’s 65 (-6) on Friday (-7 overall).

Baker’s was the joint-best round of the day, alongside Australian Chase Oberle, who enjoyed an eagle and five birdies to propel him into the top 10.

Four players sit tied-3rd with a host of English talent, including Oliver Lewis-Perkins (Mid Kent), Lewy Hayward (Marlborough), Kris Kim (Wentworth) and Jack Diment (Belton Park).

About trying to back up his course record with another superb knock, leader Osborne said: “It’s hard – it’s a bit more uncomfortable as there’s a lot of expectation when you go out to play. It wasn’t as easy today with the wind but I made some nice up and downs and struck it well, so I’m pleased with how I played.

“I don’t think I’ll change anything this weekend – I’ll hopefully play somewhat similar. I took my dog out this morning for a nice couple of hours walking so I’ll probably do the same again if I can have a bit of a lie-in in bed!”

Melvin Muller and Guss Lafeber (Netherlands), Bence Bertenyi (Hungary), Oberle, and Lauri Rosendahl (Finland) also played their way into the top 10.

A new course record at Moortown Yorkshireman Tom Osborne shot the Moortown course record to lead the Brabazon Trophy after Round 1.

The Lindrick golfer, who was a member at Moortown after winning the Yorkshire County Championship in 2022, fired nine birdies in a scintillating bogey-free round on Thursday.

His score of 62 broke James T. Smith’s record of 65 from 2003 in the Tillman Trophy.

Osborne said: “It’s really nice to break the record. I’ve also got the course record around the corner at Headingley, so it’s quite special to hold both. “I played lovely and I’ve played here quite a lot. I was fortunate to be made a member here back in 2022 after winning the Yorkshire Amateur – I used that to play quite a lot, so I think that is a bit of an advantage for me.

“I hit to a foot on 2, and made a few solid birdies by hitting them close and rolling putts in. I also chipped in on 10 from the front edge, but it was just solid all the way around.

“The plan of attack this weekend is just more of the same, to just try and stay patient with it, hit good shots, and see where it takes me.”

Osborne sits three shots clear of fellow Englishman Harley Smith (The Rayleigh) and Welshman Jamie Dean. Essex youngster Smith fired seven birdies and an eagle in his 65 (-6), while Dean enjoyed nine birdies, to finish tied-2nd in the standings.

Three players came in with scores of 66 (-5) in tied-3rd, including Welshman Alex James (Royal Lytham & St Annes), Oliver Martin (Sand Martins) and Luke Kelly (Ashton Under Lyne).

The top of the leaderboard is stacked with England Golf talent including Jake Sowden (The Oaks), Max Hopkins (Bishop’s Stortford), Dylan Shaw-Radford (Huddersfield) and Oliver Cage (Moortown, pictured left) on 67 (-4). The competition gets set for an exciting cut day on Friday, where 60-plus ties will make it to the weekend.

This year will see Moortown host the Brabazon Trophy for the sixth time which equals Hollinwell for the most times a club has staged the Championship. The first came in 1957 and the most recent in 2009, the club’s centenary year, when Ireland’s Niall Kearney(pictured right) picked up the stylish trophy – on the same day that Shane Lowry won the Irish Open while still an amateur.

What is the Brabazon Trophy?

It is English Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship and is open to male amateur golfers of all nationalities. This year the leading amateurs from the Home Nations will tackle the Alister MacKenzie design as well as players from all around the world – Australia, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE and Zimbabwe – with Finland’s Lauri Rosendahl, the winner of the Lytham Trophy earlier this month, in the field. The Championship is sponsored by Turkish Airlines and runs from Thursday to Sunday.

The youngest player in the field is Wentworth’s 14-year-old Lucas Weisberg (pictured left) who came through the Southern Qualifier at Royal Ashdown Forest.

What is the format?

The Championship is played over 72 holes of stroke play over four days with a field of 144. After 36 holes the leading 60 players and ties will then progress to the weekend.

When did the Brabazon first take place?

The Championship began at Royal Birkdale in 1947 as the English Amateur International Trophy. The following year the trophy was donated by Lord Brabazon of Tara, a pioneer aviator, MP, accomplished golfer and Captain of The R&A. The event became known as the Brabazon Trophy and, although its official title of the English Men’s Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship was introduced in 1957, the championship is still best known as the Brabazon.

Which famous players have won it?

Two Masters champions have won the Brabazon. Sandy Lyle won it twice in 1975 and 1977 while Charl Schwartzel was victorious in 2002. Other notable champions include Peter McEvoy, Rodney Foster, Gordon Brand Jr, Ronan Rafferty, Peter Baker, Peter Hanson, Ignacio Garrido before, more recently, Jordan Smith, Ben Schmidt,and Sam Bairstow also picked up the trophy. Amateur legend Sir Michael Bonallack won it on four occasions, the most anyone has been successful.

There have also been a collection of notable runners-up including Geoff Ogilvy, Graeme Storm, Andy Sullivan, Cameron Davis and Harry Hall who shot a 63 around the corner at Alwoodley in 2019.

Who won it last year?

Italy’s Biagio Andrea Gagliardi was crowned the first Italian winner of the Brabazon after finishing the four rounds at Hankley Common on eight-under.

What does the winner receive?

Aside from the trophy the Championship is part of the European Golf Association’s Order of Merit and the winner also receives an exemption into a HotelPlanner Tour professional event later in the year.

Are there any local players in the field?

There are three Moortown players; Thomas Barnes Grimes and Oliver Cage, who are both at college in the States, along with Josh Stephens who came through the qualifying at Bishop Auckland.

The Car Care Plan International at Moortown was one of eight regular European Tour events in 1985. There was also The Open at Royal St George’s, which would be won by Sandy Lyle, and the Ryder Cup at The Belfry which saw a first non-American win for the first time in 28 years.

The previous year Sir Nick Faldo would prevail at Moortown, 12 months later Midlander DJ Russell would come out on top. It would be his first win on tour and he would do it with a winning score of one over in a top 10 that was decorated by the likes of Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam, David Feherty and Sam Torrance.

Russell remains one of the more unassuming and amusing names in the game. These days, along with his good friend and old sparring partner Ian Woosnam, he has his own golf course design company which features a portfolio that includes Archerfield Links and The Machrie.

Here he looks back on his breakthrough win at Moortown and playing the bulk of his tournament golf during the absolute golden era of European golf.

When would you have first played Moortown? 

I first played in 1980 in the Haig Whisky when Bernard Gallagher won and I did OK when Nick Faldo won the year before me. One of my stand-out memories of playing in Leeds came at the Car Care at Moor Allerton in 1982 when I played the last round with Greg Norman and Sandy Lyle. It’s fair to say that I always shunned the limelight a bit so I got on the 1st tee and it was Greg Norman, winner of this, winner of that. Then it was Sandy Lyle, winner of this, winner of that. And I was last at DJ Russell. So, as small as I felt walking onto the tee, I felt even smaller walking off it.

What did your early years look like as a European Tour pro?

I turned pro at the end of 1973 and, because I hadn’t played as a full England international, I actually wasn’t allowed to win any prize money for the first two years. So I played in a few sort of overseas events as I wasn’t even allowed to play in the British events. If you hadn’t been a full international, there were so many restrictions on you at that stage in the sort of early to mid-70s. So then I went and did my PGA training in 1975.

I was then sort of let loose on the tour but it took me five or six years to genuinely make a living from playing. To boost my income I would work in a men’s fashion shop for a friend of mine in the winters and other bits and bobs and I did a bit of coaching to just kept going. I didn’t have any money by any means but it didn’t seem that important back in the 70s.

It costs such a lot of money to play on the different tours these days but the first time I really went into Europe I went by the car with a caravan. We drove to Portugal, down to the Algarve, to Madrid, to La Manga, to Italy, and then back up to Paris. We didn’t really make any money but it was fantastic fun. We played it for all the right reasons then. The money was obviously an important part of it but there wasn’t really that much money about.

1985 was the year when the European Tour didn’t have their own pre-qualifying rounds and the final two rounds of all the big events were played as twoballs and not in threes?

Yeah, that was the first full-exempt year. Before that it was the top 60 who were exempt and then there was Monday qualifying. That’s where Ian Woosnam and I became such good friends. That really blossomed when we were actually particularly good at the Monday qualifying and we would be the last ones standing – and then we weren’t particularly good when we got to the tournament so then we’d be back at the Monday qualifying. We finished up travelling a lot together in those days. It took me at least six years playing on tour to get the hang of it.

The Car Care at Moortown was the fourth event on the calendar in May, do you remember being hopeful of a big week?

I started the year quite well. I finished 34th in Tunisia, then I was 24th in Madrid and then 11th in Italy and all of these were consecutive weeks. It was certainly difficult, it was quite cold and the greens hadn’t really come out of winter properly and were a little bit bobbly. All of which suited me as a lot of the players had been playing in America so they’d come from perfect conditions back to the early spring of Yorkshire. It was certainly a big tournament and Sandy and Nick were the big names and you had Howard Clark was the big local name. It was on Grandstand over the weekend and it definitely felt like a big tournament.

Did you enjoy the style of the course?

I enjoyed links courses and I think that I did better on the classic courses rather than the modern ones and Moortown was very much a classic golf course. On the classics you have to use the ground a little bit more whereas the modern courses are more designed on a piece of paper and plonked onto the land. You can sort of plot your way around those whereas on the classics there’s a lot more feel involved in the shots that you have to play into the greens.

What other bits around the week do you remember?

I stayed at home in Derby and would travel up every day. Kenny Burns, the footballer, was playing for Derby at the time and he didn’t have a game so he came up with me for the Saturday. On our way back we

stopped for a cup of tea on the M1 and somebody said about the Bradford fire disaster and I vividly remember chatting to Kenny about that. Ewen Murray had played in the morning and was actually at the game and he had to sort of dive onto the pitch.

You were tied for the lead with Wayne Riley going into the final round, how comfortable were you when you were in front?

I definitely lacked confidence when I was put into the limelight. One time I was leading after two rounds in Zambia and I shot 87 and missed the third-round cut. So in the early days I had a mental block in making the last-round cut. I’d always been a good player but, whether it was anxiety of whatever, I wasn’t great on the big stage. I think it was Wayne’s first tournament in Europe, he’d just come over from Australia and he absolutely wasn’t used to the cold as he had a big woolly hat on.

What do you remember of the final round?

I remember the par-3 10th and I just remember hitting fantastic shots into that all week. It was always a difficult hole but the ball kept homing in on the pin every day, it was brilliant. I certainly played it in under par and that probably contributed to me winning it. I remember hitting a lot of long irons that week because it was just so damp underfoot and we started with a pair of par 5s and it was a par of 69.

I also remember Wayne having a bit of a meltdown on 15 having just double-bogeyed it and I said to him ‘Come on Wayne, you’re only a shot behind, anything can happen from here’.

Carl Mason had finished on two over after a 66 so I knew that I had to par the last three and then the next hole I chipped in. The 16th was playing particularly difficult and I’d come up short of the green and I chipped it in so it was me who got the bit of the break rather than him.

It’s on YouTube now and the approach to 18 was a bit lucky, I always thought that I’d hit a good shot! Then there was a lag down the hill but I still had to hole a shortish one which I took a while over before rolling it in. I remember Woosie collaring me coming off the 18th and there being some great crowds and the TV cameras. I was playing somewhere last year and David Howell came up to me and said that I was a big inspiration for him, watching on TV. And I didn’t even realise, I’ve known David for years, and it was the first time he’d ever said that to me. If you played well back then, you were on TV quite a lot.

Was the big hope that you might make Tony Jacklin’s Ryder Cup team later in the year?

Yeah, I got close in 1985 and I was very disappointed not to make the team. It was my own fault, I missed the qualifying for the Open Championship and, if I’d have had a half decent Open, I could have been automatic.

I think I finished 11th on the list. But obviously Tony Jacklin had selections to make from that.

I was qualifying at Littlestone for the Open at Royal St George’s. I was playing brilliantly and I came back in 46 and then lost in a play-off to get in. Brad Faxon writes about it in his book, it was us two and Tony Johnstone. Tony started chucking a few clubs about and I started three and four putting. My career was a catalogue of disasters interspersed by a few good bits.

Did winning change anything?

I still found it difficult as I knew that I had to deal with it and it made me very nervous. I always remember playing in the Open at Lytham in 1988 and I was doing quite well and I got drawn with Jack Nicklaus in the third round. I never slept all night, it was the most nervous thing that was ever going to happen to me on a golf course but the Saturday was then washed out.

They did a re-draw and I really didn’t want to play with Jack because of the limelight. Anyway I got drawn with him again so I had to play with him even though, if someone had offered me not to, I would have snapped their hand off to save myself going through it all.

I played the first nine hole in 29. He was wonderful, he just couldn’t believe that he’d never heard of me.

Seve, Faldo and Nick Price ran away with it but I was hanging about for quite a long time. Then I double-bogeyed the last hole on the last day to go from like fifth to 11th.

Can you give us a flavour of how different the tour was in the 80s?

The incredible thing was back in the day, there weren’t many coaches around. We all learned it together. It was an amazing era. You’d have everybody on the practice ground helping each other out really and we’d give each other little tips to try out.

You couldn’t study your own swing but you could study other people’s swings and then you tried to imitate or put things in that they did. We all thought that we knew what we were doing but then when you saw your swing on camera, you could never believe that was you.

It was all just a massive journey together. The great thing was there’s a lot of good friends of mine who have been successful in many other ways away from golf because they found out very quickly whether they were good enough. The danger now is you can take to about 40 to realise, actually, I’m not going to make it at this.

You’d go to Madrid for Monday qualifying and there might be 160 of you going for eight spots. It was madness really, if you think about it, but you very quickly learnt whether you had the nerve for it or not. What a great learning curve.

I did win again in 1992, after another trip to the Q School, and I packed up playing on the tour in 1996 and went as a club pro at Kedleston Park. And now I’ve turned into a golf course designer so it’s been an incredible journey. I know that I could have done things better in places and maybe couldn’t have done it better in other places but it’s been a wonderful career and Moortown was definitely one of the massive highlights of it all.

Mark Townsend February 2025 

After the success of last year’s academies, Moortown will be again running two women’s academies next summer aimed at new golfers (Stage 1) and golfers with some experience or returning to golf (STAGE 2).

Stage 1 – Women’s Summer Academy 2025 Stage 1

Stage 2 –  Women’s Summer Academy 2025 Stage 2

Our old 12th Hole Features in Jeremy Ellwood’s recent article in Golf Monthly highlighting UK&I lost par 3s.

Gone But Not Forgotten: We Take A Tour Around Some Of The UK&I’s Lost Par 3s