Northern Open

The Northern Open is a golf tournament played annually in Scotland since 1931. For some years it was one of only two 72-hole tournaments on the "Tartan Tour", the PGA Tour in Scotland's schedule, the other being the Scottish PGA Championship, but since 2019 the event has been played over 36 holes.

Northern Open

Tournament information
Location	Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Established	1931
Course(s)	Cruden Bay Golf Club
Par	70
Length	6,634 yards (6,066 m)
Tour(s)	PGA Open Series
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	£20,000
Month played	May/June
Current champion
Graeme Robertson
Location map
Cruden Bay GC Location in Scotland Show map of Scotland Cruden Bay GC Location in Aberdeenshire Show map of Aberdeenshire

The Scottish PGA Championship was originally called the Scottish Professional Championship and was only open to professionals while the Northern Open was also open to amateurs.

History

The tournaments were originally played over 2 days with 2 rounds played each day. In 1947 the event was extended to a third day with one round played on the first two days. The leading 50 players and those tied for 50th place played two rounds on the third day. Originally called the "Northern Open Amateur and Professional Golf Tournament", the name was changed "Northern Open Championship" for 1948. The 1948 event was reduced to two days again with play in groups of three on the first day and a cut reducing the field to 80 for the final day. With a large number of entries the 1949 event was again played over three days. The playoff between Ballingall and Thomson was played at Murcar, the day after the Championship finished. The day had been allocated for Scottish qualifying for the Daily Mail Tournament. Thomson practised in the morning while Ballingall played a competitive round. The two played together in the afternoon, Ballingale scoring 72 to Thomson's 74.

Winners

Year	Tour[a]	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Winner's share (£)	Venue	Ref.
Northern Open
2024		Graeme Robertson	137	−3	Playoff	Joe Bryce	3,200	Cruden Bay
2023		Graham Fox	140	−2	1 stroke	Paul O'Hara	3,200	Moray
2022		Greig Hutcheon (3)	135	−9	1 stroke	Chris Doak Cameron Marr Graeme Robertson	3,200	Portlethen
2021		Paul O'Hara (2)	132	−12	3 strokes	Chris Doak Rory Franssen (a) Gavin Hay	3,000	Portlethen
2020		Ross Cameron	67[b]		1 stroke	Gavin Hay Scott Henderson David Rudd (a) Calum Scott (a)	2,560	Spey Valley
2019		Alastair Forsyth (2)	133		3 strokes	Graham Fox	1,000	Newmachar
2018		Gareth Wright	276		1 stroke	Gavin Hay	1,100	Nairn Dunbar
2017		Paul O'Hara	277		7 strokes	Gavin Hay Greg McBain Paul McKechnie	1,400	Moray
2016		Greig Hutcheon (2)	267		6 strokes	Chris Kelly	3,900	Royal Dornoch
2015		Chris Kelly	267		5 strokes	Gareth Wright	4,250	Cruden Bay
2014		David Law (2)	207[c]		3 strokes	Greig Hutcheon	6,000	Murcar Links
2013		James Byrne (2)	261		1 stroke	David Law	4,000	Meldrum House
2012		James Byrne	268		5 strokes	David Law David Orr	4,000	Meldrum House
2011		David Law (a)	266		2 strokes	Stephen Gray	(4,000)	Meldrum House
2010		Greig Hutcheon	132[d]		1 stroke	Scott Larkin (a)	3,800	Meldrum House
2009		Craig Lee	281		5 strokes	Martyn Hamer	2,500	Spey Valley
2008		Chris Doak (2)	274		3 strokes	Lee Harper	8,000	Spey Valley
2007		Murray Urquhart	282		1 stroke	David Patrick	8,000	Skibo Castle
2006		Jason McCreadie (2)	276		Playoff	Chris Doak	8,000	Skibo Castle
2005		Chris Doak	277		4 strokes	Dean Robertson	7,500	Skibo Castle
2004		Jason McCreadie	212		3 strokes	Scott Henderson	4,250	Skibo Castle
2003		Gordon Law	275		Playoff	Colin Gillies	4,500	Cruden Bay
Grampian International Freight Northern Open
2002	EPT	Fraser Mann	277	−11	3 strokes	Colin Gillies Martin LeMesurier	6,500	Newmachar
Northern Open
2001		Graham Rankin	203		Playoff	Mark King	4,300	Murcar
2000		Jim Payne	266		1 stroke	Ralf Geilenberg	3,600	Forres	[1]
1999		Alastair Forsyth	276		2 strokes	Craig Ronald	3,600	Nairn Dunbar
1998		Lee S. James	279		2 strokes	Euan Little	3,600	Royal Aberdeen
1997		David Thomson	267		6 strokes	Andrew Crerar John Greaves David Valentine	3,750	Elgin
1996		Scott Henderson	281		2 strokes	Steven Thompson	3,750	Cruden Bay
1995		Joe Higgins	276		Playoff	Steve Martin	3,250	Nairn
1994		Kevin Stables (2)	282		1 stroke	Campbell Elliott	3,250	Royal Dornoch
Clydesdale Bank Northern Open
1993	CHA	Kevin Stables	278	−6	1 stroke	William Guy	4,250	Nairn Dunbar	[2]
1992	CHA	Peter Smith	264	−20	6 strokes	Craig Cassells Gary Orr	4,100	Murcar	[3]
1991	CHA	Craig Cassells	279	−5	3 strokes	Frank Coutts Alastair Webster	3,700	Lossiemouth	[4]
Northern Open
1990		Colin Brooks (2)	274		3 strokes	Brian Barnes Paul Lyons	3,300	Nairn Dunbar
1989	CHA	Colin Brooks	274	−6	2 strokes	Ian Spencer	3,300	Cruden Bay	[5]
1988		David Huish (4)	281		1 stroke	Mike Miller	3,300	Moray	[6]
1987		Adam Hunter	287		Playoff	Kevin Stables Donald Stirling	3,300	Royal Aberdeen	[7]
1986		Russell Weir	283		1 stroke	Ross Drummond	3,300	Nairn	[8]
1985		Brian Barnes (2)	274		1 stroke	Ewen Murray	2,500	Elgin	[9]
1984		David Huish (3)	281		2 strokes	Brian Barnes	2,500	Murcar Links	[10]
1983		Derrick Cooper	287		3 strokes	Garry Harvey Russell Weir	1,750	Royal Dornoch	[11]
1982		Tony Minshall	288		1 stroke	Bill Lockie	1,750	Cruden Bay	[12]
1981		Alistair Thomson	285		2 strokes	Jim Farmer Tony Minshall	1,400	Moray	[13]
1980		David Huish (2)	293		1 stroke	Jim Farmer	1,400	Royal Aberdeen	[14]
1979		Jim Farmer	285		5 strokes	Ross Drummond Willie Milne	1,400	Nairn	[15]
1978		Brian Barnes	282		2 strokes	Bob Jamieson		Elgin	[16]
1977		Ewen Murray	292		5 strokes	David Huish Bill Lockie Hugh Stuart (a)	1,000	Royal Dornoch	[17]
1976		David Chillas	289		4 strokes	David Ingram	1,000	Royal Aberdeen	[18]
1975		Willie Milne (2)	289		5 strokes	David Webster	1,000	Nairn	[19]
1974		Willie Milne	277		6 strokes	Harry Bannerman	1,000	Murcar Links	[20]
1973		David Huish	289		3 strokes	Bernard Gallacher John Garner	500	Royal Dornoch	[21]
1972		Harry Bannerman (3)	286		2 strokes	Brian Barnes	400	Royal Aberdeen	[22]
1971		Frank Rennie	281		6 strokes	Derek Small		Nairn
1970		Sandy Pirie (a)	215[c]		1 stroke	Harry Bannerman	(300)	Cruden Bay	[23]
1969		Harry Bannerman (2)	295		2 strokes	John Panton	300	Moray	[24]
1968		David Webster	278		7 strokes	Harry Bannerman Lionel Platts	300	Murcar Links	[25]
1967		Harry Bannerman	285		6 strokes	Iain Clark	300	Royal Dornoch	[26]
1966		Robin Liddle	294		2 strokes	Marshall Douglas	300	Elgin	[27]
1965		Jock Brown	139[d]		1 stroke	Stuart Murray John Panton		Royal Aberdeen	[28]
1964		Lew Taylor	285		Playoff	George Will		Nairn	[29]
1963		George Will (2)	287		Playoff	Lew Taylor		Cruden Bay	[30]
1962		John Panton (7)	300		1 stroke	Bob Tuohy		Moray	[31]
1961		Harry Weetman	282		2 strokes	Harold Henning		Murcar Links	[32]
1960		John Panton (6)	301		2 strokes	Eric Brown	125	Royal Dornoch	[33]
1959		John Panton (5)	284		2 strokes	Ian Smith		Peterhead	[34]
1958		George Will	291		Playoff	Willie Macdonald Harry Weetman		Cruden Bay	[35][36]
1957		Eric Brown (5)	290		6 strokes	John Panton		Nairn	[37]
1956		John Panton (4)	290		Playoff	Eric Brown		Moray	[38][39]
1955		Eric Brown (4)	283		Playoff	John Panton		Murcar Links	[40][41]
1954		Eric Brown (3)	307		2 strokes	Gregor McIntosh		Royal Dornoch	[42]
1953		Eric Brown (2)	281		1 stroke	John Panton		Cruden Bay	[43]
1952		John Panton (3)	289		5 strokes	John Campbell	90	Royal Aberdeen
1951		John Panton (2)	285		5 strokes	Hector Thomson		Nairn	[44]
1950		Eric Brown	294		1 stroke	John Panton		Moray	[45]
1949		Hamish Ballingall (2)	296		Playoff	Hector Thomson		Royal Aberdeen Murcar Links	[46][47]
1948		John Panton	288		3 strokes	Hamish Ballingall Sandy Sinclair (a)	65	Inverness	[48]
1947		Hamish Ballingall	300		6 strokes	Hugh Watt	60	Peterhead	[49]
1946		Willie Forrester	305		2 strokes	Ian Macpherson	35	Murcar Links	[50]
1940–1945: No tournament due to World War II
1939		Jack McLean (3)	285		Playoff	Hector Thomson (a)	30	Nairn	[51][52]
1938		Tom Haliburton	294		1 stroke	Wilie Don	28	Peterhead	[53]
1937		Jack McLean (2)	294		Playoff	Gordon Durward	25	Moray	[54][55]
1936		Dick Walker (a) (2)	290		10 strokes	Tom Dobson Willie Don	(25)	Deeside	[56]
1935		Dick Walker (a)	298		Playoff	Willie Spark	(25)	Royal Dornoch	[57][58]
1934		Jim Forrester	287		6 strokes	Ken Forbes (a)	25	Inverness	[59]
1933		Jack McLean (a)	294		1 stroke	Jack McMillan	(20)	Murcar Links	[60]
1932		James Henderson	292		Playoff	Jimmy McDowall	20	Nairn	[61][62]
1931		Jimmy McDowall	289		7 strokes	Julian Jaffray	20	Royal Aberdeen	[63]

Source:^[64]

Notes

1. CHA − Challenge Tour; EPT − PGA EuroPro Tour.
2. Shortened to 18 holes due to weather.
3. Shortened to 54 holes due to weather.
4. Shortened to 36 holes due to weather.