The British Youths Open Championship was a youths golf tournament that was played from 1954 to 1994. It was 72-hole stroke-play event for golfers under 22. From 1954 to 1962, it was organised by a committee led by Sam Bunton, a Glasgow architect, and was open to assistant professionals as well as amateurs, but from 1963, it was taken over by The R&A and became an amateur-only event, called: the British Youths Open Amateur Championship. The R&A dropped the event because they felt it was no longer needed to bridge the gap between boy's and men's golf. A 54-hole girls' event was also held. In 1963, the event was taken over by the Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association and called the Scottish Girls' Open Stroke-play Championship.
Winners Year Winner Score Margin ofvictory Runner(s)-up Venue Ref 1954 John More (p) 287 1 stroke David Mackie Erskine 1955 Brian Stockdale 297 Playoff Michael Bonallack Pannal 1956 Alan Bussell 287 Playoff Peter Binns Barnton 1957 George Will 290 6 strokes Angus Grossart Pannal 1958 Richard Kemp (p) 281 7 strokes Brian Huggett (p) Tony Jowle Dumfries & County 1959 Tony Jowle 286 7 strokes Tony Highfield (p) Jack Sanderson Eddie Shamash Pannal 1960 Alex Caygill (p) 279 7 strokes Campbell Brownlee Pannal 1961 John Martin 284 5 strokes Alan Scott Bruntsfield Links 1962 Alex Caygill (p) 287 12 strokes Cliff Bowman Pannal 1963 Alistair Low 283 Playoff David Murdoch Pollok 1964 Brian Barnes 290 4 strokes Scott Macdonald George Macgregor Pannal 1965 Peter Townsend 281 3 strokes Buddy Allin Gosforth Park 1966 Peter Oosterhuis 219 4 strokes Bob Durrant Michael Kelley Dalmahoy 1967 Peter Benka 278 Playoff Bernard Gallacher Copt Heath 1968 Peter Benka 281 Playoff Bob Durrant Ayr Belleisle 1969 John Cook 289 2 strokes Baldovino Dassù Andrew Forrester Leonard Owens Lindrick 1970 Baldovino Dassù 276 2 strokes Alan Bird Barnton 1971 Pip Elson 277 3 strokes Warren Humphreys Northamptonshire County 1972 Andrew Chandler 281 2 strokes Pip Elson Glasgow Gailes 1973 Carl Mason 284 3 strokes Garry Harvey Southport and Ainsdale 1974 David Robertson 284 3 strokes Sandy Stephen Downfield 1975 Nick Faldo 278 1 stroke Martin Poxon Pannal 1976 Malcolm Lewis 277 Playoff Peter Wilson Gullane 1977 Sandy Lyle 285 6 strokes Steve Martin Paul McKellar Moor Park 1978 Brian Marchbank 278 3 strokes Hugh Evans East Renfrewshire 1979 Gordon Brand Jnr 291 1 stroke Colin Dalgleish Paul Gallagher Woodhall Spa 1980 Garry Hay 303 Playoff Philip Walton Royal Troon 1981 Torbjörn Antevik 290 1 stroke John Huggan West Lancashire 1982 Philip Parkin 280 7 strokes Colin Dalgleish New course, St Andrews 1983 Paul Mayo 290 1 stroke Craig Laurence Sunningdale 1984 Richard Morris 281 2 strokes Andy Clapp Blairgowrie 1985 José María Olazábal 291 6 strokes Steven Bottomley Andrew McQueen Eoghan O'Connell Ganton 1986 David Gilford 283 8 strokes Jan Pedersen Carnoustie 1987 James Cook 283 Playoff Olle Nordberg Hollinwell 1988 Christian Cévaër 275 Playoff Craig Cassells Royal Aberdeen 1989 Mike Smith 285 Playoff Andrew Coltart Ashburnham 1990 Mathias Grönberg 275 1 stroke Andrew Coltart Southerness 1991 Jim Payne 287 Playoff Ralph Hutt Woodhall Spa 1992 Warren Bennett 282 3 strokes Stephen Pullan Gosforth Park 1993 Lee Westwood 278 8 strokes Steven Carmichael Glasgow Gailes 1994 Freddie Jacobson 277 2 strokes Simon Hurd Royal St David's (p) = professional
In 1954 there was an under-18 section which was won by Ronnie Shade.
International matches In 1955, an international match between England and Scotland was arranged the day before the start of the championship, although the match had a lower age limit than that used in the championship. Another match was arranged the following year, although the result was decided on holes rather than matches. There was no match in 1957 but it was arranged again in 1958 and 1959. From 1960, the event was contested for the Alex Mackay Memorial Trophy.
In 1967, a second match was arranged, between Great Britain & Ireland and the Continent of Europe, later called the EGA Trophy. This was played the day before the start of the championship with the England/Scotland match being played a day earlier. The same system was retained for a number of years while the EGA Trophy match was played before the championship. In 1976, and on a number of occasions from 1980, the EGA Trophy match was not played in connection with the championship, and on those occasions, the England/Scotland match was played the day before the championship rather than two days before.
British Girls' Stroke-play Championship The girls' section of the British Youths Open Championship was inaugurated in 1955 and played over 54 holes. It was later called the British Girls' Stroke-play Championship. In 1963, the event was taken over by the Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association and called the Scottish Girls' Open Stroke-play Championship. The Scottish under-21 event was played from 1963 until 2015, when it was dropped from the schedule. The last winner was Cloe Frankish.
1955 Marjory Fowler 1956 Belle McCorkindale 1957 Marjory Fowler 1958 Ruth Porter 1959 Diane Robb 1960 Julia Greenhalgh 1961 Diane Robb 1962 Susan Armitage 1963 Ann Irvin
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