Benson & Hedges International Open Golf Tournament

The Benson & Hedges International Open took place for 30-plus years in England as a stop on the European Tour schedule. The tournament ceased when its title sponsor, a cigarette company, was prohibited by a new British law from sponsoring sporting events.

First played: 1971

Last played: 2003

Graham Marsh, Jose Maria Olazabal and Bernhard Langer were 2-time winners. ... At the 1981 B&H, Langer climbed a tree and played his wayward golf ball out of the branches. (But Tom Weiskopf was the winner that year.) ... Lee Trevino won the tournament in a 3-way playoff in 1978, but lost in a 3-way playoff in 1986.

The tournament's 72-hole scoring record of 266 was established by Vicente Fernandez in 1975. This tournament was usually closely contested and the largest margin of victory was only four strokes. That's what Paul Casey won by in 2003, the last year the B&H International Open was played.

The last of Maurice Bembridge's six European Tour wins happened in this event in 1979. Weiskopf's win in 1981 was his only European Tour victory (not including The Open Championship). When Seve Ballesteros won in 1994, it was the 48th of his 50 career wins on the Euro Tour.

Winners of the Benson & Hedges International Open

1971 — Tony Jacklin, 279 (def. Peter Butler in playoff)
1972 — Jack Newton, 281
1973 — Vin Baker, 278
1974 — Phillippe Toussaint, 276 (def. Bob Shearer in playoff)
1975 — Vicente Fernandez, 266
1976 — Graham Marsh, 272
1977 — Antonio Garrido, 280
1978 — Lee Trevino, 274 (def. Neil Coles, Noel Ratcliffe in playoff)
1979 — Maurice Bembridge, 272
1980 — Graham Marsh, 272
1981 — Tom Weiskopf, 272
1982 — Greg Norman, 283
1983 — John Bland, 273
1984 — Sam Torrance, 270
1985 — Sandy Lyle, 274
1986 — Mark James, 274 (def. Hugh Baiocchi, Lee Trevino in playoff)
1987 — Noel Ratcliffe, 275
1988 — Peter Baker, 271 (def. Nick Faldo in playoff)
1989 — Gordon Brand Jr., 272
1990 — Jose Maria Olazabal, 279
1991 — Bernhard Langer, 286
1992 — Peter Senior, 287 (def. Tony Johnstone in playoff)
1993 — Paul Broadhurst, 276
1994 — Seve Ballesteros, 281
1995 — Peter O'Malley, 280
1996 — Stephen Ames, 283
1997 — Bernhard Langer, 276
1998 — Darren Clarke, 273
1999 — Colin Montgomerie, 273
2000 — Jose Maria Olazabal, 275
2001 — Henrik Stenson, 275
2002 — Angel Cabrera, 278
2003 — Paul Casey, 277

Also known as: In its first five years, the tournament's name was Benson & Hedges Festival of Golf.

Golf Courses: The most common site for the B&H was Fulford Golf Club in York, England, which hosted the tournament from its start in 1972 through 1989. Afterward, the event moved to St. Mellion Golf & Country Club in Cornwall; The Oxfordshire and finally The Belfry.