Vicars Shield

The first event was held at the Metropolitan Golf Club in 1930 between South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. It was played as a triangular match with teams of eight playing singles in the morning and foursomes in the afternoon. Half of the team played each of the other two states. Matches were played over the full 18 holes, the result being decided by the sum of holes ahead in matches won. South Australia won with a total of 20 holes, with Victoria on 14 and New South Wales on 11.[2] In 1931 at The Australian Golf Club the shield was played as a stroke-play event with teams of five, all five scores counting. New South Wales had three teams while Queensland and Tasmania playing as a combined team. South Australia won with a score of 373, 10 ahead of the combined Queensland and Tasmania team. The New South Wales teams came third, fourth and fifth with Victoria sixth. South Australian Willie Harvey had a round of 69, three better than anyone else.[3] The format was revised in 1932 to be the same as the amateur event, teams of seven playing singles match-play. It was played at Royal Adelaide, three teams competing. Victoria beat New South Wales and then beat South Australia in the final.[4]

In 1933, the team size was reduced to five, a format that was retained until the interstate event was dropped in 1956. New South Wales won the shield for the first time, beating Victoria 5–0 in the final.[5] Although it was usually held the same day as the amateur interstate match, in 1934 it was held the day before. Queensland entered as a separate team for the first time and beat Victoria before losing 3–2 to New South Wales in the final. Queenslander Charlie Brown won both his matches.[6] The 1935 event was played at Royal Adelaide and South Australia beat both New South Wales and Victoria 3–2 to regain the shield. Fergus McMahon beat both Billy Bolger and Ted Naismith.[7] New South Wales regained the shield in 1936 but only after beating Victoria 3–2 in a close final. Four of the five matches went to the final hole, New South Wales winning two of these after extra holes. Billy Bolger won both of his matches after extra holes, with Bill Holder also twice on the day.[8]

In 1937 four teams entered including Queensland and South Australia. These two teams didn't have enough player for a team and added players from other states, Queensland including a New South Wales player, while South Australia added two Tasmanians, the two teams playing each other in a morning match. However after the match was finished it was decided that the match involving these other players would not count. South Australia won two of the three matches, while Queensland, with four players to South Australia's three, were given another match to leave the match tied at two each. South Australia won a playoff but, with only three players, had little change in the final against New South Wales. They lost 4–1, Rufus Stewart having their only success.[9] Royal Adelaide was the host course in 1938 but South Australia were unable to repeat their success of 1935, losing to New South Wales in the morning match. New South Wales beat Victoria 4–1 in the final to retain the shield.[10] There were four team again in 1939, Western Australia entering for the first time, replacing Queensland. New South Wales met Victoria in the final and, although Norman Von Nida and Eric Cremin won the top two matches for New South Wales, Victoria won the last three to win the shield for the first time since 1932.[11]

The organisation of Australian golf was changed after World War II with the open and amateur championships being separated, although they were often played in the same city at about the same time. The amateur interstate matches became a preliminary to the Australian Amateur while the Vicars Shield was a preliminary to the Australian Open. Five entered in 1946, meaning that the event spread over two days for the first time. Victoria beat South Australia and then Queensland to reach the final, but then lost 5–0 to New South Wales.[12] There were only three teams at Royal Queensland in 1947 and one of those, Victoria, only had four players. A player short, Victoria beat Queensland in the morning but lost 4–1 to New South Wales in the afternoon, Ossie Pickworth winning their only point after beating Eric Cremin in the top match.[13] There were five teams at Kingston Heath in 1948, although Queensland and Western Australia were a player short. New South Wales again beat Victoria in the final. Cremin reversed the result of the previous year against Pickworth, Martin Smith being the only Victorian winner.[14] New South Wales won again in 1949, this time without losing a match, beating both Victoria and South Australia 5–0.[15] The 1950 semi-final match between New South Wales and Victoria was very close. New South Wales won 3–2 with Jim Moran beating Martin Smith at the 19th hole. New South Wales went on to beat South Australia 5–0 in the final.[16]

Victoria won in 1951, their first success since 1939, and won again in 1952 and 1953. They met New South Wales in all three finals, winning them all in close matches, 3–2. In 1951 Ossie Pickworth beat Norman Von Nida by 2 holes in the top match, with Martin Smith defeating Sid Cowling at the 19th hole.[17] The 1952 event at Lake Karrinyup saw the top three Victorians, Peter Thomson, Pickworth and Jack Harris, all winning their matches.[18] In 1953, Kel Nagle beat Thomson in the top match but Pickworth, Harris and Denis Denehey won their matches.[19]

New South Wales regained the shield in 1954 with a narrow 3–2 win over Victoria. Ossie Pickworth beat Norman Von Nida but Kel Nagle, Eric Cremin and Jim McInnes won their matches.[20] The 1955 event was held at Gailes in Queensland. Victoria had a narrow win over Queensland in the semi-final and met New South Wales in the final. Pickworth again beat Von Nida but wins by Nagle, Cremin and Len Woodward ensured that New South Wales retained the shield. Les Wilson and Len Boorer were still level after 20 holes but abandoned their match with the result decided.[21] 1956 was the last time the shield was contested as an interstate contest. South Australia only had four players and didn't enter, leaving just two teams. Von Nida, Nagle, Cremin withdrew from the New South Wales team and, as a result, Pickworth and Harris withdrew from the Victorian team. New South Wales won the match 5–0.[22]

In 1957 the shield was contested as a north versus south match at Kingston Heath Golf Club. The north consisted of New South Wales and Queensland with the south being the remaining states. There were teams of 10 playing singles and foursomes. As in 1956, some of the leading players decided not to play.[23] In 1958 the shield was used for a match for young professionals. After a number of years the shield was reused for the interstate club professionals' competition, as part of the Australian Club Professional Championship.[1]

Source:[1]

• Australian Men's Interstate Teams Matches