The Shawnee Open was a golf tournament that was first held in 1912. It was played at The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort in Smithfield Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania. The course was completed in 1911, the first design by renowned architect A. W. Tillinghast. [1] The Shawnee Open was recognized as a PGA Tour event from 1916 to 1937. While no longer recognized as a PGA Tour event, there have been more than 60 Shawnee Opens played. It was sponsored by the Philadelphia section of the PGA of America.
In 1938, Shawnee hosted the PGA Championship and the Shawnee touring professional, Sam Snead, lost to Paul Runyan 8 and 7. [2] According to legend, Tommy Armour hit 10 straight balls out of bounds and scored the first ever "Archaeopteryx" (15 or more over-par) when he made a 23 on a par-5, for 18-over-par at the 1927 Shawnee Open. Many sources still claim that this represents the highest score on one hole in PGA history. [3] However, other research shows that he carded "only" an 11 on the 17th hole in the third round. [4]
Philadelphia Section of PGA of America event
PGA Tour
pre-PGA Tour
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The Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort is a resort in the village of Shawnee on Delaware, located in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The hotel is a Spanish colonial revival building with white-Moorish architecture and Spanish tiled roofs. Mike Jesky of the Standard-Speaker wrote, “The three-story, 96-room inn looms large and flat on the grounds, with a stately yet inviting appearance.” In the 1990s the Shawnee Inn was identified as the only resort on the banks of the Delaware River. Tee Time magazine has ranked the golf course there as one of the finest in the Mid-Atlantic region.
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