Antony B. Coop (25 May 1934 – October 2021) was an English

professional golfer A professional golfer is somebody who receives payments or financial rewards in the sport of golf that are directly related to their skill or reputation. A person who earns money by teaching or playing golf is traditionally considered a "golf pr ...

who won the 1965

Rediffusion Tournament The Rediffusion Tournament was a professional golf tournament played at La Moye Golf Club La Moye Golf Club is a private golf club located in Saint Brélade on the south-west coast of the island of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands. ...

. He played in the Open Championship 11 times, finishing 13th in 1961.

Professional career

Coop was an assistant professional at Hesketh Golf Club before becoming the professional at Dean Wood Golf Club in Up Holland in about 1954. He retired in 1999, after 45 years at the club. In September 1965, Coop won the

La Moye Golf Club La Moye Golf Club is a private golf club located in Saint Brélade on the south-west coast of the island of Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands. The club has hosted several prestigious tournaments including the Rediffusion Tournament fro ...

in Jersey. Coop and Guy Wolstenholme were joint leaders entering the final round. In the final round,

Denis Hutchinson Denis John Hutchinson (born 14 March 1932) is a former South African professional golfer. Hutchinson was born and raised in Rhodesia but moved to South Africa as a young adult. He represented South Africa in several elite amateur events, inclu ...

came home with a 32 to record a 65 and overtake Peter Thomson, who also had a final round 65, for the clubhouse lead. Coop then birdied the final hole to beat Hutchinson by a shot.

Bill Large William Large (2 July 1937 – 15 March 2006) was an English professional golfer. He was born in Liverpool, where his father, Bill Large, Sr., was professional at the Allerton Municipal course. His father had won the Northern Professional Champ ...

needed a birdie at the last hole to tie with Coop but could only manage a par, to tie with Hutchinson. Coop won the first prize of £500. The previous week, he had finished tied for 5th place in the

Dunlop Masters The Betfred British Masters is a professional golf tournament. It was founded in 1946 as the Dunlop Masters and was held every year up to 2008, except for 1984. Dunlop's sponsorship ended in 1982, and the name sponsor changed frequently therea ...

at Portmarnock despite a last round 75. He finished six strokes behind

Bernard Hunt Bernard John Hunt, MBE (2 February 1930 – 21 June 2013) was an English professional golfer. Hunt was born in Atherstone, Warwickshire. He turned professional in 1946 and was a leading player on the European circuit in the 1950s and 1960s. He ...

who won the £1,500 first prize. The following month, Coop was tied for 4th in the Piccadilly Medal, played on the East course at Wentworth. The next week, Coop was runner-up in the Gleneagles Hotel Foursomes Tournament, a pro-am tournament played at the

Gleneagles Hotel Gleneagles Hotel is a hotel near Auchterarder, Scotland. It was commissioned by the Caledonian Railway and opened in 1924. The bandleader, Henry Hall (bandleader), Henry Hall, performed at the hotel before the World War II, Second World War d ...

. Playing with Ben Crabtree, they lost the final to

Brian Huggett Brian George Charles Huggett, (born 18 November 1936) is a Welsh professional golfer. He won sixteen events on the European circuit, including two after the formal start of the European Tour in 1972. In 1968 he won the Harry Vardon Trophy for l ...

and

Michael Burgess Michael Burgess may refer to: * Michael Burgess (coroner) (born 1946), Coroner of the Queen's Household since 2002 * Michael Burgess (cricketer) (born 1994), English cricketer * Michael C. Burgess (born 1950), US congressman from Texas, obstetricia ...

. Coop was a regular competitor in the Open Championship, playing in 11 championships between 1955 and 1968. His best finish was 13th place in

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba ( Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 ...

. The final 36 holes were delayed by a day because of rain. Coop had rounds of 73 and 74 to finish 13 strokes behind Arnold Palmer. In

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the third ...

, he was tied for 7th place at the start of the final day but two rounds of 75 dropped him down into a tie for 20th. In

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

, he was tied for 8th at the start of the final day but two rounds of 76 left him in a tie for 24th place.

Personal life

Coop died in October 2021, at the age of 87. He was married with three children. His son Andrew also became a professional golfer.

Tournament wins

*1958

Northern Professional Championship The Northern Professional Championship was a professional golf tournament played in Northern England. The event was generally a regional tournament but from 1923 and 1927 and in 1936 it was an open event with significant prize money. The event w ...

*1965

Leeds Cup The Leeds Cup is a golf tournament that has been played annually in northern England since 1902. The event is organised by the north region of the Professional Golfers' Association. It is the oldest trophy in professional golf that is still play ...

Results in major championships

''Note: Coop only played in The Open Championship.''
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place Source:

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Coop, Tony English male golfers Sportspeople from Wigan 1934 births 2021 deaths