Harry Vardon Trophy Harry Vardon Trophy The Harry Vardon Trophy is awarded by the European Tour. Since 2009 it has been awarded to the winner of the Race to Dubai. Before then it was awarded to the winner of the "Order of Merit". From 1975 to 2008 the Order of Merit was based on prize money but before that date a points system was used. From 1937 until the formation of the European Tour in 1972 the award was presented by the British PGA. The trophy is named for the Jersey golfing great Harry Vardon, who died in 1937. The Race to Dubai
Harry Vardon at the age 66, of pleurisy or possibly lung cancer, at his home at 14 (now number 35) Totteridge Lane, Whetstone, London, and is buried in St. Andrew's Church cemetery in Totteridge after a funeral service on 24 March. That year, the PGA of America created the Vardon Trophy, now awarded annually to the player on the PGA Tour with the year's lowest adjusted scoring average. The British PGA also created the Harry Vardon Trophy which now serves as the award for the winner of the European Tour's Race to Dubai. In 1974, Vardon was chosen as one of the