Historic Llandudno International Trophy gets a much-needed facelift

After losing some of its luster over the years, and dented thanks to a wayward German bomb during World War II, the famed Llandudno International Trophy recently received from tender TLC during its two-year stay in Great Britain.

By Bob Denney, The PGA of America

The scars of a tumble from long ago are no longer visible under its lid. The Llandudno International Golf Trophy, the prize of the winning team of the PGA Cup, looks as good as new today.

You can credit the silversmith Samuel Pitt & Company near Birmingham, England, for performing a minor facelift on the 68-year-old, 18-pound piece of hardware.

"We decided that the trophy needed to be touched up and as shiny as it could be for the trip over to the States," said Professional Golfers' Association Chief Executive Sandy Jones. "We just want to bring it back home, of course."

Named after one of Wales largest ports, the Llandudno Trophy became the possession of The Professional Golfer's Association the past two years, following Great Britain & Ireland's stunning 15-11 victory over the U.S. in 2005 at The K Club in Straffan, Ireland.

A small dent on the underside of the trophy's lid, the result of a World War II bombing in England, was repaired. But the legend lives on.

First awarded to England in 1939, the trophy was the idea of members of Maesdu Golf Club in Llandudno Conwy County, Wales. It began as the prize to the winning side in the first Home Tournament Series, which featured teams from Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The series was abolished with the outbreak of World War II. Former Great Britain Ryder Cup veteran Percy Alliss (1929, '31, '33, '35, '37), who had served as the captain of England, retired the trophy to his personal collection.

The story of that famous dent is linked to World War II, when Germany's relentless bombing missions against Britain reached a crescendo. During one particular mission to rain havoc upon Southampton and Portsmouth, a German bomber was perilously low on fuel and had to turn its munitions loose on non-targets.

One bomb exploded on the first fairway of Ferndown Golf Club near Bournemouth, less than 50 yards from the Alliss home. The ensuring tremor was so strong that it rumbled through the neighborhood and anything fragile within nearby homes was in peril.

"My grandmother (Dorothy) kept the trophy on the mantelpiece," said Gary Alliss. "Well, it tumbled to the floor on its head and caused the dent to the lid. After my parents married in 1953, my mother took on the role of guardian and cleaned that trophy for years."

Percy Alliss, who passed away in 1975, ensured that the Llandudno Trophy would be forever secure with the "Home Professionals." In 1973, he and his son, Peter, a former captain of the Professional Golfers' Association, an eight-time Ryder Cup participant and one of BBC's most popular voices of golf, donated the trophy to the Professional Golfers' Association. The trophy would forever be awarded to the winner of the PGA Cup.

"I think now of how very special it is that I am captain of a team," said Gary Alliss, "and, just as my grandfather had done in his competition, it will be our team's duty to bring the trophy back home."

Bob Denney is The PGA of America's Senior Association Writer.