The background of the famous Llandudno International Trophy, awarded to the winners of the PGA Cup, is a fascinating one. The story takes us back 88 years to a tournament that was only staged once.
The 18-pound silverware prize so familiar to us today began life as the trophy for a Home Tournament Series involving England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
The matches were played at Maesdu GC in Wales at the end of September 1938, which England won. The triumphant captain was Percy Alliss, father to the Voice of Golf and two-time captain of the PGA Peter, and therefore he had hold of the trophy when the Second World War broke out the following year.
“It had been presented by the members of Maesdu and grandad took the trophy home with him with a view that he would take it back the next year,” explained the two-time PGA Cup captain Gary Alliss, the son of Peter.
“But, because of the war, it was never played for again – the tournament was never resurrected in 1946 or 47. So it stayed at grandad's house and eventually the trophy gravitated to mum and dad.”
“I think my grandmother had grown tired of cleaning this enormous trophy along with all the other dozens that grandad had. It seemed back in the day when grandad and dad won, they got the most beautiful replica trophies and I remember dad saying to his father that we had this magnificent trophy that neither of them had won and that they should ask The PGA if they would have some use for it.
“Colin Snape had just become secretary and dad told Colin that he would like to present it back to The PGA and that they would like it to be used for a really nice event.
“Colin explained that they were in discussions with the PGA of America about having a club pros’ match against each other and to leave it with him. Shortly after the matches were agreed – and dad and grandad were absolutely delighted that it would be the trophy for these matches which began in 1973,” said Alliss.
The trophy actually almost perished during the Second World War when a German bomb went off close to the Alliss family home at Ferndown Golf Club, in Dorset.
“The Germans would try and shake the plane so that they wouldn’t have to land with this bomb still attached. And it fell on Ferndown and grandad's house was only about 100 hundred yards. So the resonance of this massive boom made the trophy dive on the floor and there was a crack under the lid. Obviously they had it fixed and you would never be able to tell now,” said Alliss.
About The PGA Cup
The PGA Cup is regarded as the pinnacle for any PGA Professional, with GB&I and the USA competing in a Ryder Cup format. This will mark the 32nd edition of the biennial match, which first took place in 1973.
Each team consists of 19 players, and the event unfolds over three days of competition, featuring four foursomes and four fourballs on each of the first two days, followed by ten singles matches on the final day.
The 2026 PGA Cup will be held at the K Club. The week will begin on Tuesday September 29. The matches properly begin on Friday October 2.
The K Club will become the first venue to host the event three times, with previous stagings taking place in 1992 and 2005. David Scott is the Captain of the GB&I side.
To find out more about the PGA Cup, click here.
