The Royds Trophy

The 2025 Royds Trophy final took place at West Hill Golf Club, where Dan Hocking and his partner Nick Smith took on Mike Duffy and Mark Thompson.

As close game was all square at the turn before the single figure players Hocking and Smith (with handicaps of 4.7 and 2.4 repsectively) opened up a lead, eventually closing out the match 4/3.

We had a record field of 46 pairs enter the 2025 event, so both pairs battled through five rounds to reach the final - congrats to all four of them. The trophy presentation will take place at the AGM and Winter Meeting in February 2026.

The Royds Plate

The final of the 2025 Royds Plate competition saw plate specialists Jim Bridgen and Andy Stevens crowned champions for the second time in three years. The Ealing pair edged out Adrian Sayliss and Steve King 2/1 in a tightly-contested final that the winners described as “a very close and hard-fought battle.”

Previous Winners

  • 2023 J Brigden & A Stevens beat R Shuker & M Templeman

  • 2024 T Darlington & G O’Reilly beat A Byrd & C Pinnington

  • 2025 J Brigden & A Stevens beat S King & A Sayliss

 

The Royds Trophy was reintroduced in season 2002 after it had been sitting in a cupboard at the IPA for several years.

It was originally donated by Nicholas Royds who had founded the Royds Advertising Agency and was a member of the society. It is played for annually as a knock out four-ball better ball competition. Teams are made up of members of the society ideally from the same agency but if not possible then simply by finding a member to partner you. The final is always in October and can be contested over 36 holes if agreed by both pairs, otherwise it is 18.

The Royds Plate was introduced in 2023, and is open to all teams who lose their first match in the Trophy. The Plate has proved a huge success, providing even more opportunities for members to play competitive but friendly matchplay golf throughout the summer.

Previous Winners

  • 2002 J Quarrey & M Spicer beat J Lowe & A Thompson

  • 2003 J Quarrey & M Spicer beat G Carter & J Campbell 2 & 1

  • 2004 M Young & D Nicholson beat A Byrd & P Hollins 3 & 2

  • 2005 G Carter & J Campbell beat M Chajkin & F Durden 1 up

  • 2006 M Young & D Nicholson beat D. Lansdown & B. Warren 4 & 3

  • 2007 D. Lansdowne & B. Warren beat A. Byrd & P. Hollins 6 & 5

  • 2008 L. Godfrey & J. Shaw beat A. Byrd & P. Hollins 19th hole

  • 2009 A Byrd & P Hollins beat J Farrell & R Church 4 & 2

  • 2010 T Brown & E Stevenson beat L Godfrey & J Shaw 2 & 1

  • 2011 T Brown & E Stevenson beat D Bloomfield & J Lowe 1 up

  • 2012 M Chaplin & R Frewer beat A Stevens & Jim Brigden 3 & 1

  • 2013 S Henderson & D Seabrook beat L Godfrey & J Shaw 4 & 3

  • 2014 J Farrell & T Trueman beat D Bloomfield & J Lowe 3 & 2

  • 2015 S Henderson & D Seabrook beat J Parnell & P Bainsfair 1 up

  • 2016 J Brigden & A Stevens beat J Farrell & R Church 2 & 1

  • 2017 R Frewer & M Chaplin beat T Brown & P Goad 1up

  • 2018 J Brigden & A Stevens beat B Chesters & Shaw 2&1

  • 2019 E Glover & J Yorath beat G O'Reilly & T Darlington 19th hole

  • 2020 Anderson-Dillon & Gilmore beat Nicholson & Young 5&4

  • 2021 Anderson-Dillon & Gilmore beat Brandon & Jacobs 3&2

  • 2022 Lawson & Purdon beat Henderson & Seabrook 5&3

  • 2023 Barnett & Young beat Bainsfair & Parnell 3&2

  • 2024 Alford & Carter beat Reynolds & Kilpatrick 1up

  • 2025 Hocking & Smith beat Duffy & Thompson 4/3