[3] In 1923, the Midland Counties Golf Association agreed to the creation of a new event, involving both amateur and professionals playing individually on level terms.
[4][5] The competition was played the day after the annual amateurs v. professionals match, at the same course, Little Aston.
[7][8] Dick Wheildon won the first event in 1923 with Carl Bretherton the leading amateur, tied for 10th place.
[10] There was amateur winner in 1925, Robert Humphries winning by four strokes from George Buckle who took the first prize as the leading professional.
[15] In 1930 Michael Bingham became the first player to win the event twice, finishing three strokes ahead of the amateur Eric Fiddian.
[20] The qualifying events for the 1939 tournament had been held but the Midland Open planned for September was cancelled because of the start of World War II.
The format remained the same as in the pre-war period, the professionals qualifying through the Midland section of the News of the World Match Play in September.
[23] 1949 saw the start of a new event, the Midland Amateur-Professional Foursomes, a three-day match-play tournament, also sponsored by the Birmingham Post & Mail.
The Midland Open was moved from its late-season date to July with the new foursomes event played immediately after, at the same course.
Charlie Ward won the Midland Open by six strokes with a new record of 135, his first win in the event.
With only a single round played on the first day, followed by a cut, qualification through the professional championship was no longer needed.
[38] There was an amateur winner in 1973, Keith Hodgkinson, the first since 1950, and he was soon followed by Sandy Lyle who won in 1975 after an 18-hole playoff against Brian Waites.