Tournament History
The annual Winchester Country Club Father & Son Invitational, the nation's oldest such competition, has been the showcase father and son event in New England since 1919. Coincidently, this was the same year that Donald Ross put his stamp on the golf course. Thanks to the imagination of the tournament's creator, William D. Eaton, the golf community has embraced the format, with a field of over 300 teams year in and year out. In fact, a record 390 teams competed in the event in 2001! William Eaton and his son Charles never got their names on the winner's board, but the Eaton name will forever be recognized for making the Winchester Father & Son Invitational possible.
The tournament format, Selected Drive Alternate Shot using half the combined handicaps, has remained the same since the tournament inception. From the earliest days, the event celebrated father and son teams of all ages. Even one of the first tournament publications mention an "under 12" age group. The tournament now awards prizes in the 16 & over division, age 13-15 division, 12 & under division, grandfather division, and father & two sons division. And of course, the overall champions are recognized with a gracious prize before having their names placed on the tournament trophy and 19th Hole board for eternity.
Former regular participant and past champion Richard D. Chapman may in fact be the most decorated golfer to play in the Father & Son Invitational. Chapman, a long-time member at Winged Foot Golf Club, is one of only two players to win the United States, British and Canadian Amateur Championships. In the 1950's he collaboratively worked with the USGA to create the very popular "Chapman System", a format that is now frequently used at golf courses around the world.
While several well-known and popular names make up the past champions list, no name is listed more frequently than Monahan. It all began in 1938 when Judge Joe Monahan and Joe Monahan Jr. won their first of seven WCC Father & Son titles. The duo secured their final championship in 1958. The family got back into the winner's circle again in 1991 when Joe Monahan III partnered with his son Brendan. Since then, Joe III has won an astonishing 15 titles with his three sons, Jay (4), Brendan (8), and Justin (3). On cue with the tournament's tradition, Brendan has recently won divisional titles with his sons Brendan and Aidan. And of course, Joe and Brendan headline this year's field as defending champions. The legacy continues.
Every father and son team tees it up each year with dreams of shooting the low score and raising the trophy at week's end. Longtime Winchester members, Norman and Chris Towle, know this feeling all too well. Both low handicapers and frequent winners of WCC men's events, the Towle's could never quite get the formula right to nail down a Father & Son victory. But in 2014, after 35 tries in the annual event, the Towle's defeated Joe and Connor Hayes in a dramatic 18-hole playoff to secure their first title. The embrace on the 18th green that day was symbolic of the camaradie and friendship that embodies the Winchester Country Club Father & Son Invitational.
