History
J Vivian Holman was a member of the Society and also a member of the South Hertfordshire Golf Club, where Harry Vardon spent the last 30 years of his life as the professional. He was also son-in-law to Hal Ludlow, the much-admired sculptor of a statuette of Harry Vardon. In fact, when Harry Vardon saw the statuette he said ‘When I finish like that, I know I have hit a good shot’.
When Hal Ludlow died, and with sponsorship support from the Percival Aircraft Company, Vivian Holman presented a miniature of the statuette to the Society as a trophy. As the inscription on the trophy states, it was awarded for the best scratch score at one of the Society's events.
In 2001, the MacPherson Trophy became the trophy awarded for the best scratch score at the Summer Medal meeting and the Harry Vardon Trophy became the annual award for the best overall performance.
As the Scratch Medal:
1954 | Sir Robert Hardingham | 1955 | John B. Waite | 1956 | P.L.W. Morton |
1957 | R.I. Lickley | 1958 | J.H. Mayes | 1959 | J.G.N. Drummond |
1960 | J.A. Boulger | 1961 | Lord Brabazon of Tara | 1962 | F.G. Taylor |
1963 | J.R. Bryans | 1964 | D.H. Steel | 1965 | J.G.N. Drummond |
1966 | G.K.N. Lloyd | 1967 | R.R.S. Cook | 1968 | R.I. Lickley |
1969 | D.H. Steel | 1970 | H.K. Cartwright | 1971 | D.H. Steel |
1972 | W.B. Cairns | 1973 | M.T. Harding-Rolls | 1974 | John A. Dearlove |
1975 | J.A. Corbishley | 1976 | T.W. Lamb | 1977 | C.T.D. (Sox) Hosegood |
1978 | M.T. Harding-Rolls | 1979 | John B. Waite | 1980 | John B. Waite |
1981 | T.W. Lamb | 1982 | J.E.D. Scott | 1983 | M.D. Griffin |
1984 | P.A. Woolings | 1985 | Ron G. Ashford | 1986 | Ray R. Curtis |
1987 | D.A. Air | 1988 | John A. Dearlove | 1989 | John A. Dearlove |
1990 | Brian Walpole | 1991 | Brian Walpole | 1992 | Brian Walpole |
1993 | W.D. Lang | 1994 | G. Robbie James | 1995 | Patrick B. Hine |
1996 | Sir Patrick Hine | 1997 | Sir Patrick Hine | 1998 | Brian Walpole |
1999 | Sir Patrick Hine | 2000 | Sir Patrick Hine |
As best overall performance at the Annual Awards:
2001 | Brian Walpole | 2002 | Bob J. Pearson | 2003 | Brian Walpole |
2004 | Sir Patrick Hine | 2005 | Sir Roger Palin | 2006 | Bob J. Pearson |
2007 | Sir Patrick Hine | 2008 | Bob J. Pearson | 2009 | Mike H. Shields |
2010 | Andrew D. Sweetman | 2011 | David A. Hobart | 2012 | Eddie Axten |
2013 | Peter A. Bedford | 2014 | Jeff Turner | 2015 | Eddie Axten |
2016 | Jeff Turner | 2017 | Phill O'Dell | 2018 | Nigel Dowdall |
2019 | David Backhouse | 2020 | Not awarded | 2021 | Nigel Dowdall |
2022 | Eddie Axten | 2023 | Nigel Dowdall |