The Beginning – 1986
The Tour was started by PGA professional Jimmy Thomson as the Herts Young Professionals League (H.Y.P.L) and then was expanded to the Herts Open Young Professionals League (H.O.Y.P.L.), eventually becoming the Thomson Tour in the mid nineties. The Tour was affectionately known as the “Thommo Tour” by many of the players and this eventually lead to it’s current name.
Battles
At it’s conception the H.Y.P.L was one, if not the first tour to start where players competed for their own money, which at the time lead to many “battles” with the P.G.A. to legitimise the Tour; they were not keen to have the professionals playing for their own money as they felt it could deter potential sponsors. The tour continued until Jimmy found he couldn’t spend the time needed to run the tour, it is at this point that Ex European Tour member Mark Litton took over the organisation. The name was kept, and The Tour has tried to stay close to its original aims of running a relaxed, open and honest Professional Winter Golf Tour giving all PGA members, Qualified Assistants and Registered Trainees in the Home Counties an opportunity to compete during the winter months.
