The Picard Cup, originally the Henry Picard Canterbury Cup, was founded in 1995 with the vision of bringing top amateur golfers from around the country together for a competitive and entertaining event at the historic Canterbury Golf Club. The tournament name was shortened in 2020.

The tournament’s namesake, Henry Picard, was one of the best golfers in the world in the 1930s. He won 26 times in his PGA Tour career, including the 1938 Masters and the 1939 PGA Championship.

He also influenced the life and career of golfing legend Ben Hogan. Hogan said of Picard in his book “Ben Hogan’s Power Golf,” “One of the best friends I have in professional golf is Henry Picard, an outstanding player, an outstanding teacher and an outstanding man. To sum it all up, Picard, by his offers of financial assistance, his recommendations, words of encouragement, and golfing hints, has helped me more than I can ever repay. Never in all the years that I have known him have I ever been able to repay him for his interest in me?”

In the early days of the PGA Tour, even the best players, like Picard, had to find work other than just playing tournament golf, so in 1939, he became the Head Golf Professional at Canterbury.

Through the years, he would create a legacy of being a gifted teacher, a true gentleman, and, most importantly, a friend to the members of Canterbury. One of his favorite pastimes was standing on the 1st tee in his white shirt and tie, watching members tee off, and offering tips on how to improve their golf swings.

Picard left Canterbury in 1964 to become the Head Golf Professional at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach, Florida. He passed away in 1997 but was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2006. And his Masters champion green jacket still hangs in the clubhouse at Canterbury.