St. Petersburg Open Invitational

Last updated
St. Petersburg Open Invitational
Tournament information
Location St. Petersburg, Florida
Established1930
Course(s)Lakewood Country Club
Par72
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Format Stroke play
Prize fund US$25,000
Month playedMarch
Final year1964
Tournament record score
Aggregate261 Bob Goalby (1961)
To par−23 as above
Final champion
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bruce Devlin
Location map
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Icona golf.svg
Lakewood Country Club
Location in the United States
USA Florida relief location map.jpg
Icona golf.svg
Lakewood Country Club
Location in Florida

The St. Petersburg Open Invitational, first played as the St. Petersburg Open, was a PGA Tour event that was held at three St. Petersburg, Florida area clubs for 29 years from 1930 until 1964. [1] The clubs that hosted the event were: Lakewood Country Club (now known as St. Petersburg Country Club), [2] Pasadena Country Club (now known as Pasadena Yacht and Country Club), and Sunset Golf Club of the Vinoy Park Hotel (now known as the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club). [1]

Contents

Bob Goalby won [3] the 1961 event after making eight consecutive birdies in the final round, a PGA Tour record at the time. Other golfers tied Goalby's mark but nobody surpassed it till 2009. [4] In 1963, Raymond Floyd won the event at 20 years 6 months of age becoming the youngest player to win a PGA Tour event since 1928. [1] [5]

Bruce Devlin, an Australian golfer who had recently moved to the United States, won the first of his eight PGA Tour titles at the last one in 1964. The tournament succumbed to financial pressure when the St. Petersburg City Council voted to postpone a decision on sponsorship of the 1965 event, and then Jacksonville announced the resumption of the Jacksonville Open during week the tournament was to be held. [1]

Tournament hosts

CourseYears
Lakewood Country Club1930 (co-host), 1933 (co-host), 1936 (co-host), 1938, 1940, 1942, 1948, 1952, 1955–56, 1959–60, 1962–64
Jungle Country Club1930 (co-host)
Pasadena Country Club1932, 1933 (co-host), 1934, 1936 (co-host), 1937, 1939, 1941, 1947, 1949–51, 1953, 1957–58, 1961
Sunset Golf Club at Vinoy Park1946

Winners

YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-upWinner's
share ($)
St. Petersburg Open Invitational
1964 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bruce Devlin 272−164 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Dan Sikes 3,300
1963 Flag of the United States.svg Raymond Floyd 274−141 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Dave Marr 3,500
1962 Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Nichols 272−162 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Frank Boynton 2,800
1961 Flag of the United States.svg Bob Goalby 261−233 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Ted Kroll 2,800
1960 Flag of the United States.svg George Bayer 282−6Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Jack Fleck 2,000
1959 Flag of the United States.svg Cary Middlecoff (2)275−133 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Pete Cooper 2,000
1958 Flag of the United States.svg Arnold Palmer 276−81 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Dow Finsterwald
Flag of the United States.svg Fred Hawkins
2,000
St. Petersburg Open
1957 Flag of the United States.svg Pete Cooper 269−154 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Jack Burke Jr. 1,700
1956 Flag of the United States.svg Mike Fetchick 275−13Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Lionel Hebert 2,200
1955 Flag of the United States.svg Cary Middlecoff 274−142 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Jay Hebert 2,200
1954: No tournament
1953 Flag of the United States.svg Dutch Harrison 266−181 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Chick Harbert
Flag of the United States.svg Dick Mayer
2,000
1952 Flag of the United States.svg Jack Burke Jr. (2)266−228 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Al Besselink 2,000
1951 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim Ferrier 268−166 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Al Brosch 2,000
1950 Flag of the United States.svg Jack Burke Jr. 272−121 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Chick Harbert 2,000
1949 Flag of the United States.svg Pete Cooper 275−91 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Cary Middlecoff 2,000
1948 Flag of the United States.svg Lawson Little 272−163 strokes Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bobby Locke 2,000
1947 Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Demaret (2)280−43 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jim Ferrier 2,000
1946 Flag of the United States.svg Ben Hogan 269−155 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Sam Snead 2,000
1943–1945: No tournament due to World War II
1942 Flag of the United States.svg Sam Snead (3)286−23 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Sam Byrd
Flag of the United States.svg Chick Harbert
Flag of the United States.svg Byron Nelson
1,000
1941 Flag of the United States.svg Sam Snead (2)279−52 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Herman Barron
Flag of the United States.svg Chick Harbert
Flag of the United States.svg Ben Hogan
Flag of the United States.svg Jug McSpaden
1,200
1940 Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Demaret 211−21 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Byron Nelson 700
1939 Flag of the United States.svg Sam Snead 207−9Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Henry Picard 700
1938 Flag of the United States.svg Johnny Revolta 282−2Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Chandler Harper 700
1937 Flag of England.svg Harry Cooper 284−4Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Ralph Guldahl
Flag of the United States.svg Horton Smith
700
1936 Flag of the United States.svg Leonard Dodson 283−3Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Harry Cooper 500
1935: No tournament
1934 Flag of the United States.svg Paul Runyan 141−33 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Bill Mehlhorn 200
1933 Flag of the United States.svg Bob Stupple 144+11 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Denny Shute
Flag of the United States.svg Al Watrous
275
1932 Flag of Scotland.svg Willie Macfarlane 209−71 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Dave Hackney 500
1931: No tournament
1930 Flag of the United States.svg Jock Collins 141+11 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Horton Smith
Flag of the United States.svg Frank Walsh
1,000

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "St. Petersburg Open left legacy". St. Petersburg Times. October 15, 2000. Retrieved 2007-11-05.
  2. "St. Petersburg Country Club Our Golf Course". St. Petersburg Country Club. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
  3. Goalby cards 8 consecutive birdies to win at St. Pete
  4. Most Consecutive Birdies in a PGA Tour Tournament
  5. "USGA History:19511970". Archived from the original on 2007-12-20. Retrieved 2007-11-05.