Azalea Open Invitational

Last updated
Azalea Open Invitational
Tournament information
Location Wilmington, North Carolina
Established1945
Course(s)Cape Fear Country Club
Par71
Length6,575 yards (6,012 m) [1]
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Format Stroke play
Prize fund US$35,000
Month playedNovember
Final year1971
Tournament record score
Aggregate270 Billy Maxwell (1955)
To par−18 as above
Final champion
Flag of the United States.svg George Johnson
Location Map
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Icona golf.svg
Cape Fear Country Club
Location in the United States
USA North Carolina relief location map.jpg
Icona golf.svg
Cape Fear Country Club
Location in North Carolina

The Azalea Open Invitational was a golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour, held at Cape Fear Country Club in Wilmington. Last played in November 1971 as an unofficial event; [1] [2] it was an official PGA Tour event in 1945 and from 1949 through 1970. The Heritage in South Carolina debuted in 1969 and soon displaced it on the schedule. [3]

Contents

It was also played under the names of the Azalea Open and the Wilmington Azalea Open; all were centerpieces of the city's Azalea Festival. Cape Fear was designed by noted course architect Donald Ross. [3]

From 1950 through 1965, the Azalea Open was a tune-up event for the first major of the year, The Masters in Augusta, Georgia. Jerry Barber, the winner of the PGA Championship in 1961, won the Wilmington event three times (1953, 1961, 1963). Arnold Palmer won in 1957 and nearly repeated, [4] falling by a stroke in an 18-hole playoff in 1958; the difference was a penalty stroke he called on himself. [5] [6]

Total prize money was initially $10,000, increasing to $12,500 in 1955 and $15,000 in 1958. It reduced to $12,000 in 1961 before increasing to $20,000 from 1962 to 1964. Prize money was $28,750 in 1965, $22,800 in 1966, $35,000 from 1967 to 1969 and $60,000 in 1970. The final non-tour event in 1971 had prize money of $35,000.

Tournament hosts

Winners

YearTour [lower-alpha 1] WinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-upWinner's
share ($)		Ref.
Azalea Open Invitational
1971 Flag of the United States.svg George Johnson 274−10Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Ralph Johnston 7,000 [1] [2]
1970 PGAT Flag of Mexico.svg Cesar Sanudo 269−151 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Mitchell 12,000 [7]
1969 PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Dale Douglass 275−93 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Jim Langley
Flag of the United States.svg Larry Mowry
Flag of the United States.svg Bob Stone
Flag of the United States.svg Terry Wilcox 		5,000 [8]
1968 PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Steve Reid 271−13Playoff Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Gary Player 5,000 [9]
1967 PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Randy Glover 278−10Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Joe Campbell 5,000 [10]
1966 PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Bert Yancey 278−101 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Bob Johnson 3,200 [11]
1965 PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Dick Hart 276−12Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Phil Rodgers 3,850 [12]
Azalea Open
1964 PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Al Besselink (2)282−61 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Lionel Hebert 2,700 [13]
1963 PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Barber (3)274−145 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Larry Beck
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bruce Crampton
Flag of the United States.svg Doug Ford
Flag of the United States.svg Billy Maxwell
Flag of the United States.svg Jack Rule Jr. 		2,800 [14]
1962 PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Dave Marr 281−7Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Steelsmith 2,800 [15]
1961 PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Barber (2)213−3Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Chandler Harper 1,200 [16]
1960 PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Tom Nieporte 277−112 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Gay Brewer 2,000 [17]
1959 PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Art Wall Jr. 282−63 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Mike Souchak 2,000 [18]
1958 PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Howie Johnson 282−6Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Arnold Palmer 2,000 [5] [6]
1957PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Arnold Palmer 282−61 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Dow Finsterwald 1,700 [4]
1956PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Mike Souchak 273−151 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Dick Mayer 2,200 [19]
1955PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Billy Maxwell 270−181 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Mike Souchak 2,200 [20]
1954PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Bob Toski 273−153 strokes Flag of the United States.svg George Fazio 2,000 [21]
1953PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Barber 276−121 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Doug Ford
Flag of the United States.svg Ted Kroll
Flag of the United States.svg Johnny Palmer 		2,000 [22]
1952PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Clark 272−163 strokes Flag of the United States.svg George Fazio
Flag of the United States.svg Jim Turnesa 		2,000 [23] [24]
Wilmington Azalea Open
1951PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Lloyd Mangrum 281−71 stroke Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim Ferrier
Flag of the United States.svg Ed Furgol
Flag of the United States.svg Jim Turnesa 		2,000 [25] [26]
1950PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Dutch Harrison 280−82 strokes Flag of the United States.svg George Fazio 2,000 [27]
Wilmington Open
1949PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Henry Ransom 276−122 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Fred Haas
Flag of the United States.svg Bob Hamilton
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Locke
Flag of the United States.svg Cary Middlecoff 		2,000 [28] [29]
Azalea Open
1946 Flag of the United States.svg Al Besselink (a)Flag placeholder.svg
1945PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Sammy Byrd 283−5Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Dutch Harrison 2,000 [30] [31]

Notes

  1. ↑ PGAT − PGA Tour.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "George Johnson grabs Azalea golf tourney". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. (Florida). Associated Press. November 22, 1971. p. 31.
  2. 1 2 Collins, Corky (November 22, 1971). "Johnson wins Azalea in playoff". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). p. 1D.
  3. 1 2 Blondin, Alan (May 4, 2017). "Wilmington used to be home to star-studded PGA Tour event". PGA of America. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Palmer captures Azalea by stroke". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. April 1, 1957. p. 1C.
  5. 1 2 "Johnson wins Azalea Open". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. April 1, 1958. p. 1C.
  6. 1 2 "Howie Johnson takes Azalea; penalty helps". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. April 1, 1958. p. 3, sec. 3.
  7. ↑ "Sanudo by one". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. (Florida). Associated Press. October 5, 1970.
  8. ↑ "Douglass gets 1st win". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. April 21, 1969. p. 11.
  9. ↑ "Reid wins Azalea Open in sudden-death final". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. April 22, 1968. p. 6C.
  10. ↑ "Glover tops Campbell to take Azalea play". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. (Florida). Associated Press. April 17, 1967. p. 12.
  11. ↑ "Azalea win goes to Yancey". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. (Florida). Associated Press. April 18, 1966. p. 12.
  12. ↑ "Hart captures Azalea playoff from Rodgers". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. (Florida). Associated Press. March 29, 1965. p. 12.
  13. ↑ "Triple bogey doesn't keep Al Besselink from victory". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. March 31, 1964. p. 8.
  14. ↑ "Golf event win taken by Barber". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. April 1, 1963. p. 20.
  15. ↑ "Playoff won by Dave Marr". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. April 2, 1962. p. 17.
  16. ↑ "It's sudden-death...and Barber is killer". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. April 3, 1961. p. 1C.
  17. ↑ "Tom Nieporte golf victor". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. April 4, 1960. p. 26.
  18. ↑ "Azalea Open won by Wall; Souchak 2d". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. March 31, 1959. p. 2B.
  19. ↑ "Souchak takes Azalea Open". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. April 2, 1956. p. 16.
  20. ↑ "Billy Maxwell rallies to win Azalea golf". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. April 4, 1955. p. 19.
  21. ↑ "Toski's 273 takes first place Azalea Open money". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. March 30, 1954. p. 14.
  22. ↑ "Barber wins Azalea Open". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. April 6, 1953. p. 2B.
  23. ↑ Williams, John (March 31, 1952). "Clark wins Azalea Open, breaks record with 272". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). p. 1.
  24. ↑ "Clark cards 272 to take Azalea Open". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. March 31, 1952. p. 20.
  25. ↑ "Mangrum wins Azalea tournament". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. April 2, 1951. p. 9.
  26. ↑ "Lloyd Mangrum wins in Azalea". The Spokesman-Review. (Washington). Associated Press. April 2, 1951. p. 8.
  27. ↑ "Dutch Harrison wins Azalea Open". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. April 3, 1950. p. 10.
  28. ↑ "Henry Ransom Wins $10,000 Tourney". The Spokesman-Review. (Washington). Associated Press. April 25, 1949. p. 8.
  29. ↑ "Wilmington Open taken by Ransom". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. April 25, 1949. p. 1, sec.4.
  30. ↑ "Byrd, Harrison Finish in a Tie". The Spokesman-Review. (Washington). Associated Press. November 19, 1945. p. 9.
  31. ↑ "Sam Byrd Cops Azalea Crown". The Spokesman-Review. (Washington). Associated Press. November 20, 1945. p. 8.

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