Forbes Open

Forbes Open
Tournament information
LocationForbes, New South Wales, Australia
Established1967
CourseForbes Golf Club
Par72
TourPGA Tour of Australia (1976–1977)
FormatStroke play
Month playedFebruary or March
Final year1977
Tournament record score
Aggregate279 Allan Cooper (1976)
To par−9 Allan Cooper (1976)
Final champion
Terry Gale

The Forbes Open, or Forbes Classic, was an Australian golf tournament. The event was founded in 1967 by Forbes Golf Club. The inaugural event attracted a strong field, led by legend Kel Nagle, as veteran Bill Dunk defeated Alan Murray by a stroke. In the early 1970s, the tournament evolved into a 54-hole event which included victories by golfers like Nagle and Jack Newton. Later in the decade the Forbes Open was upgraded into a full 72-hole tournament, earning the sanction of the PGA Tour of Australia. The event punctuated the "Golden Era" of the Forbes Golf Club of the mid-late 20th century.

History

In early February 1967, the Forbes Golf Club, located in Forbes, New South Wales,[1] made an announcement that they would be hosting their "first professional purse tournament."[2] The purse was A$1,500.[3] The tournament would open with a pro-am followed by the professional tournament.[2] Over 90 "top golfers from New South Wales and overseas" committed the event.[3] This included golfers from the state like Bob Stanton, Bill Dunk, and Ted Ball.[2] Top Australian Kel Nagle also committed.[4] In addition, overseas players like Martin Roesink, Andreas van Pixton, and Walter Godfrey elected to play.[2] At the inaugural event Alan Murray "had the tournament within his grasp several times" over the course of the weekend but was unable to create separation.[5] During the first round, he was two-under-par entering the final hole, leading the tournament, but "sliced his drive." He made double bogey to fall into second place.[3] In the final round, Murray again was in the lead for much of the day. However, he once more "slumped" on the final hole.[5] Bill Dunk took advantage, playing with "grim determination" to defeat Murray by one.[5] Nearly 2,000 people attended the event.[4]

In the early 1970s, there were significant advances to the event. A women's, "associates" tournament was played concurrent with the men's tournament.[6][7] In addition, the men's event evolved into a 54-hole tournament. In 1971, Maria Parsons won the women's tournament by three strokes over Jan Stephenson and Heather Bleek.[6] Alan Murray was able to win the men's event that year, by four strokes over a number of players.[6] 4,000 spectators attended the event.[6] The following year, Jack Newton shot a final round 69 to win at 213.[8] It was the future star's "[b]iggest win" of his career to this point.[9] The next year, in 1973, Penny Pulz, a future LPGA golfer, won the associate's tournament.[7] At the men's tournament, Paul Firmstone took early control. In the opening round he shot a 69 (−3) to take the lead.[10] In the second round, he "held his lead" with a one-under-par 71. He led by one over Bill Dunk, Brian Moran, and Tim Woolbank.[11] Firmstone played poorly in the final round, however, ultimately shooting a 77 (+5) to fall out of the picture.[12] It turned out to be a two-man race between Dunk and Woolbank. Both shot 35 on the front nine and held the joint lead at the turn.[12] However, Dunk bogeyed the 10th and Woolbank eagled the par-5 11th; at this point "it was no longer a race."[12] Woolbank defeated Dunk by four.[12] The following year, Firmstone again contended. He was well behind Kel Nagle entering the final round;[13] however, he shot several under-par to match Nagle by the end of regulation.[14] However, he once again struggled in crunch time, losing to Nagle in the sudden-death playoff.[14]

By the mid-1970s, the tournament had evolved into a full 72-hole event. The purse increased to A$10,000.[15] At the 1976 tournament, after three rounds, Randall Vines had the lead with a 208 total.[16] In the final round, however, Allan Cooper ascended into contention, birdieing four of the first six holes.[17] Vines still "shared the lead" for most of the day "until he three-putted the 17th hole."[17] Cooper, with a final round 67 (−5), defeated Vines by one.[17] The following year, in the third round, Bill Dunk recorded a 66 in the third round, tying the course record.[18] He held a two stroke lead over Kel Garner and led by one more over Tom Linksey, Terry Gale, and Barry Burgess.[18] In the final round, however, Dunk "slumped" to a one-over-par 73.[19] Gale, meanwhile, shot a two-under-par 70 to tie him. In the playoff, on the second extra hole, Gale made a "curling" birdie putt of 12 feet to win.[19]

Winners

Year Winner Score To par Margin of
victory 		Runner(s)-up Purse Ref.
Amoco Forbes Open
1967 Bill Dunk 145 +1 1 stroke Alan Murray
Paul Hart 		A$1,500 [5]
1968
1969 Tony Mangan 139 −5 2 strokes John Sullivan A$3,500 [20]
1970 Barry Coxon 143 −1 Playoff Rick L'Estrange A$4,000 [21]
1971 Alan Murray 208 −8 4 strokes Jeff Watts
Jesse Vaughn
Lindsay Sharpe
Peter Jackson 		A$5,000 [6]
Amoco Forbes Golf Classic
1972 Jack Newton 213 −3 1 stroke Bill Dunk
Paul Murray 		A$5,000 [22]
1973 Tim Woolbank 210 −6 4 strokes Bill Dunk
Randall Vines 		A$2,700 [12]
Forbes Classic
1974
1975 Kel Nagle 211 −5 Playoff Paul Firmstone [14]
1976 Allan Cooper 279 −9 1 stroke Randall Vines
Paul Murray 		A$10,000 [17]
1977 Terry Gale 285 −3 Playoff Bill Dunk A$15,000 [19]

References

  1. ^ "Contact Us". Forbes Golf Club. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d "Vic Bulgin forced out". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 58. Retrieved 9 December 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c "Murray's slump on last hole". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 February 1967. p. 69. Retrieved 9 December 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "Forbes purse to Dunk". The Canberra Times. 20 February 1967. p. 10. Retrieved 4 December 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ a b c d "Forbes Purse to Dunk". The Sydney Morning Herald. 20 February 1967. p. 14. Retrieved 9 December 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Golf win to Alan Murray". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 February 1971. p. 15. Retrieved 4 December 2025 – via Google News Archive.
  7. ^ a b "Woolbank takes out Forbes golf". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 February 1973. p. 15. Retrieved 16 December 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Golf". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 February 1972. p. 13. Retrieved 9 December 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Biggest win". The Canberra Times. Vol. 46, no. 13051. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 22 February 1972. p. 18. Retrieved 15 April 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ "Firmstone leads in Forbes golf". The Canberra Times. 3 February 1973. p. 34. Retrieved 12 December 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. ^ "Firmstone Leads in Golf". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 February 1973. p. 57. Retrieved 9 December 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b c d e "Tim Woolbank takes Forbes classic". The Canberra Times. 5 February 1973. p. 13. Retrieved 4 December 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. ^ "Nagle In Front". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 February 1975. p. 64. Retrieved 9 December 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ a b c "Playoff to Kel Nagle". The Canberra Times. 26 February 1975. p. 24. Retrieved 9 December 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. ^ "Teenager Big Golf Leader". The Canberra Times. 20 February 1976. p. 18. Retrieved 9 December 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ "'Lucky' Vines Leads". The Sun-Herald. 22 February 1976. p. 64. Retrieved 9 December 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ a b c d "Cooper birdies his way to title". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 February 1976. p. 13. Retrieved 9 December 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ a b "Dunk Shares Record". The Sun-Herald. 6 March 1977. p. 69. Retrieved 9 December 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ a b c "Gale wins in playoff". The Age. 7 March 1977. p. 27. Retrieved 9 December 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "Forbes golf to Mangan". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 – 1995). 24 February 1969. p. 10. Retrieved 26 July 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ^ McCormack, Mark H. (1971). The World of Professional Golf 1971. Hodder and Stoughton. p. 461. ISBN 0340153806.
  22. ^ McCormack, Mark H. (1973). The World of Professional Golf 1973. Collins. pp. 539–540. ISBN 0002119463.
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