• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

BettingSites.co

Betting Sites - Best UK Online Bookmakers & Sports Betting Websites

  • Home
  • Top 10
  • New Sites
  • Free Bets
  • Bookmakers
  • Sports
    • American Football
    • Athletics
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Boxing
    • Cricket
    • Darts
    • Football
    • Formula 1
    • Golf
    • Greyhound Racing
    • Horse Racing
    • Ice Hockey
    • Rugby
    • Snooker
    • Tennis
    • UFC/MMA
  • Tips
  • Banking
  • Articles

British Masters: Past Winners, Stats & History

British Master's Golf
Andrew Curtis / geograph.org.uk

Top class golf returns to British shores here with the revamped British Masters. When Sky Sports pulled out of their title sponsorship agreement there were fears the British Masters would drop off the schedule again but Betfred stepped in to keep the tournament alive which is great news for British golf fans.

Since 2015 the event has been hosted by a different British player each year, who chooses the course where the tournament will be played. It was Tommy Fleetwood who got the chance to do so in 2019, selecting the Hillside Golf Club links course in Southport.

He followed in the footsteps of Ian Poulter at Woburn in Buckinghamshire, Justin Rose at Walton Heath in Surrey, Lee Westwood at Close House in Northumberland and Luke Donald at The Grove in Hertfordshire.

Quick Facts

Course Location Length Prize Money
The Belfry Warwickshire, England 7,253 Yards $3,500,000

British Masters Recent Winners

Year Winner Course To Par Winning Margin
2022 Thorbjørn Olesen The Belfry -10 1 Stroke
2021 Richard Bland The Belfry -13 Playoff
2020 Renato Paratore Close House GC -18 3 Strokes
2019 Marcus Kinhult Hillside GC -16 1 Stroke
2018 Eddie Pepperell Walton Heath GC -9 2 Strokes
2017 Paul Dunne Close House GC -20 3 Strokes
2016 Alex Noren The Grove -18 2 Strokes
2015 Matthew Fitzpatrick Woburn G&CC -9 1 Stoke
Between 2009 and 2014 no British Masters tournament was held
2008 Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño The Belfry -12 Playoff
2007 Lee Westwood The Belfry -15 5 Strokes
2006 Johan Edfors The Belfry 11- 1 Stroke
2005 Thomas Bjorn Forest of Arden CC -6 Playoff

About the British Masters

British Master's Golf
Andrew Curtis / geograph.org.uk

The British Masters – known as the Betfred British Masters at the time of writing due to sponsorship reasons – has become one of the most prestigious golf tournaments on the European Tour. The first British Masters took place way back in 1946, which was a tie between Bobby Locke and Jimmy Adams.

Dunlop were the first sponsors of the event and had a long association until there sponsorship ended in 1982, with tobacco brand Silk Cut taking over for a year before it became the Dunhill British Masters. The likes of phone network One2One, bookie Victor Chandler, the Daily Telegraph newspaper, Quinn Insurance and broadcaster Sky Sports have also sponsored the event. Currently, leading betting company Betfred are the sponsors of the British Masters tournament.

As mentioned, the first British Masters, which took place at Stoneham Golf Club way back in 1946, was a tie between Scotsman Jimmy Adams and South African Bobby Locke. Locke went on to win again, this time outright, in 1954, making him one of a number of players to have won the tournament twice (details of which will come later). The second year, Englishman Arthur Lees came out on top at Little Aston, while one of Australia’s first professional golfers, Norman Von Nida, won at Sunningdale the following year.

There was no tournament from 2009 to 2014, but the British Masters returned with a bang in 2015, with Matthew Fitzpatrick securing a two-stroke victory over Soren Kjeldsen, Shane Lowry and Fabrizio Zanotti at Woburn Golf and Country Club. Since its comeback, the tournament has grown stronger and more popular each year and is becoming a firm favourite of British golf fans in particular.

The Beginning of the British Hosts

When the tournament returned in 2015, a leading British golfer was allowed to choose the course and host the event. Since then, home-grown golf stars Ian Poulter, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood have all hosted the event. The British Masters has taken place at various prestigious locations in the British Isles, including The Grove and Hillside Golf Club.

In 2017, Westwood hosted the event at Close House Golf Club which is situated on a picturesque estate near the village of Heddon-on-the-Wall in Northumberland (the “wall” in question is Hadrian’s Wall, incidentally). Westwood is scheduled to be the host for the 2020 British Maters, with the Close House Golf Club set to be Westwood’s choice once again.

First Televised Hole-in-one

Tony Jacklin’s three-stroke victory at Royal St George’s Golf Club in 1967, which was the first of his two British Masters wins, will always be one of British golf’s most memorable moments.

Back in those days, only the final few holes of various tournaments were broadcast live.
So it was something of a delight to golf fans when Jacklin hit a hole-in-one on the 16th hole, which was the first ever televised ace on British TV. The ball took a single bounce on the par-three green before slotting into the hole. History was made with just one swing of a golf club and though it is not too uncommon to see a hole-in-one with today’s blanket golf coverage, it those days it was certainly something of a novelty.

Seve’s Sensational Season

1986 was a year to remember for Spanish great – and one of the all-time greats of the game – Seve Ballesteros. The super Spaniard had an unmatched year in terms of championship success, as Seve picked up a staggering six tournament victories that year, with the first of those being the British Masters.

Ballesteros had a brilliant tournament at Woburn, securing a memorable two-stroke victory over Gordon Brand Jnr. Seve, who remains the record holder of European Tour wins with 50 to his name, also won the Irish Open, the Monte Carlo Open, the Open de France, the Dutch Open and the Lancome Trophy (tied with Bernhard Langer) in 1986.

Seve’s Year to Remember in Europe

Date Ballesteros’s Six European Tour Wins in 1986
June 1986 Dunhill British Open
June 1986 Carroll’s Irish Open
June 1986 Johnnie Walker Monte Carlo Open
July 1986 Peugeot Open de France
July 1986 KLM Dutch Open
October 1986 Lancome Trophy

Multiple British Masters Winners

Seve Ballesteros picked up two British Masters titles during his outstanding career. Alongside his victory in 1986, the Spaniard also won in 1991, winning by three strokes at Woburn.

No player has won it more than twice, with Harry Bradshaw, Bernard Gallacher, Bernard Hunt, Tony Jacklin, Cobie Legrange, the aforementioned Bobby Locke, Greg Norman, Christy O’Connor Snr, Dai Rees, Peter Thomson, Harry Weetman and Ian Woosnam also picking up two victories each.

Multiple British Masters Winners

Years Multiple British Masters Winners
1986, 1991 Seve Ballesteros
1953, 1955 Harry Bradshaw
1974, 1975 Bernard Gallacher
1963, 1965 Bernard Hunt
1967, 1973 Tony Jacklin
1964, 1969 Cobie Legrange
1946, 1954 Bobby Locke
1981, 1982 Greg Norman
1956, 1959 Christy O’Connor Snr
1950, 1962 Dai Rees
1961, 1968 Peter Thompson
1952, 1958 Harry Weetman
1983, 1994 Ian Woosnam

Gonzalo Gets the Better of Westwood

The final British Masters before its seven-year break was another that will live long in the memories of golf fans. Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and England’s Lee Westwood were involved in a thriller at The Belfry in Warwickshire in 2008.

The Spaniard had a final round to remember, pulling off some fantastic shots to take Westwood to a playoff. A third successive par at the 18th proved to be enough for Gonzalo. Out of his seven European Tour wins, the victory in England remains one of the Madrid man’s most memorable successes.

Baker’s Brilliant Moment of Magic in 1993

Peter Baker’s somewhat surprise victory in 1993 will always be remembered. Baker played some scintillating stuff at Woburn, beating Carl Mason by a whopping seven strokes. Baker hit 64 in the second round and 63 in the closing to finish with a 22 under par, which remains one of the best scores in the tournament’s history.

After his stunning victory at the British Masters in 1993, Baker said, “I had one of those weeks where it all went very well. I played some great golf and it just all came together. My wife and my youngest daughter were there with me as well, which also helped to make it such a magical week.” The win at Woburn was the second of three European Tour victories for the Shropshire-born man.

Primary Sidebar

Sports Betting Guides

  • American Football
    • Super Bowl
  • Athletics
  • Baseball
  • Basketball
  • Boxing
  • Cricket
  • Darts
    • BDO World Darts Championship
    • PDC World Darts Championship
    • PDC World Matchplay
  • Football
    • Football Articles
    • Premier League
    • Premier League Big Six
    • Championship
    • Football Cups
    • FA Cup
    • Champions League
    • World Cup
    • European Championships
    • Football Awards
    • English Football Teams & Leagues
    • Scottish Football Teams & Leagues
    • Irish Football Teams & Leagues
    • Welsh Football Teams & Leagues
  • Formula 1
    • Circuits
    • F1 Constructors Championship
    • F1 Drivers Championship
  • Golf
    • Golf Tournaments
    • The Open Championship
    • US Open Golf
    • The Masters
    • Ryder Cup
    • US PGA Championship
  • Greyhound Racing
    • Greyhound Racing Tracks
  • Horse Racing
    • Horse Racing Articles
    • Horse Races
    • Major Meetings
    • Horse Racing Fixtures
    • Racecourses
      • England
      • Ireland
      • Scotland
      • Wales
    • Horse Racing Series
    • Prize Money
    • Race Classes
      • Grade 1
      • Grade 2
      • Grade 3
      • Group 1
      • Group 2
      • Group 3
      • Handicaps
      • The Classics
  • Ice Hockey
  • MotoGP
  • Motorsport
    • MotoGP Circuits
  • Rugby
    • Super League
    • Six Nations
    • Rugby World Cup
  • Snooker
    • Masters Snooker
    • World Snooker Championship
    • UK Championship Snooker
  • Tennis
    • Wimbledon
    • US Open
    • French Open
    • Australian Open
  • UFC/MMA

Events By Country

  • Countries
  • UAE (Dubai & Abu Dhabi)
  • South Africa
  • India
  • New Zealand
  • France
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • USA
  • Ireland
  • UK
  • Saudi Arabia

Banking

  • Apple Pay
  • Bitcoin
  • Entropay
  • Neteller
  • PayPal
  • Paysafecard
  • Skrill

Popular Articles

  • Picking Winners: How To Study Horse Racing Form
  • Betting & Tax In The UK – Do I Have To Pay Tax On My Gambling Winnings?
  • Both Teams to Score & Goals Galore Explained
  • Multiples Betting Explained
  • Dead Heat Rules – What Happens In The Event Of A Tie?

Latest Articles

  • Horse Racing Fixtures
  • Scottish Racecourses
  • Welsh Racecourses
  • English Racecourses
  • Premier League Golden Boot
  • European Golden Shoe
  • Motorsport
  • Youghal Greyhound Stadium
  • Kilcohan Park Greyhound Stadium (Waterford)
  • Kingdom Greyhound Stadium (Tralee)

Recently Updated

  • Australian Open: Past Winners, Stats & History
  • Pegasus World Cup
  • Farmers Insurance Open
  • Cotswold Chase
  • Clarence House Chase
  • Best Online Bookies & List of UK High Street Bookmakers
  • The American Express
  • Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship
  • DP World Tour Championship
  • Nedbank Golf Challenge
  • Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
  • Open de France
  • Italian Open
  • BMW PGA Championship
  • Omega European Masters
  • Irish Open
  • BMW International Open
  • Porsche European Open
  • Dutch Open
  • British Masters
Copyright © 2023 BettingSites.co | 18+ BeGambleAware

Disclaimer: Please note that the legality of betting online varies between countries and it is your responsibility to verify that your actions are legal in the country you reside. All offers subject to terms and conditions. Please gamble responsibly - if you feel you may have a problem and need advice please visit Gamble Aware (UK) or Gamblers Anonymous.