West Palm Beach Open Invitational

Last updated
West Palm Beach Open
Tournament information
Location West Palm Beach, Florida
Established1954
Course(s)West Palm Beach Country Club
Par71
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Format Stroke play
Prize fund US$20,000
Month playedNovember/December
Final year1972
Tournament record score
Aggregate269 Pete Cooper (1958)
To par−19 as above
Final champion
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Wilf Homenuik
Location map
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Icona golf.svg
West Palm Beach CC
Location in the United States
USA Florida relief location map.jpg
Icona golf.svg
West Palm Beach CC
Location in Florida

The West Palm Beach Open Invitational, first played as The West Palm Beach Open, was a PGA Tour event in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was held at the West Palm Beach Country Club, [1] now known as the West Palm Beach Golf Course, an 18-hole, par-72 championship course established in 1921 and in its present location in the southwestern corner of West Palm Beach, Florida since 1947. [2]

Contents

The West Palm Beach Open was founded in 1954 as a 54-hole event with prize money of $2,000. Prize money increased to $5,000 in 1955 and $10,000 in 1956 and 1957. The 1957 event was run by the PGA. [3] From 1958 to 1962 the tournament was a 72-hole PGA Tour event with prize money of $15,000 from 1958 to 1960 and $20,000 in 1961 and 1962. From 1963 the event returned to being a local event. The 1963 tournament was over 54 holes with a first prize of $500.

Winners

YearTour [lower-alpha 1] WinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-upWinner's
share ($)
Ref.
West Palm Beach Open
1972 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Wilf Homenuik Flag placeholder.svg [4]
1964–1971: No tournament
1963 Flag of the United States.svg Jim McCoy Flag placeholder.svg
West Palm Beach Open Invitational
1962 PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Dave Ragan 277−11Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Doug Sanders 2,800 [5]
1961 PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Gay Brewer 274−144 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Arnold Palmer 2,800 [6]
1960 PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Johnny Pott 278−103 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Sam Snead 2,000 [7]
1959 PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Arnold Palmer 281−7Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Gay Brewer
Flag of the United States.svg Pete Cooper
2,000 [8]
1958 PGAT Flag of the United States.svg Pete Cooper 269−19Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Wes Ellis 2,000 [9]
1957PGAT Canadian Red Ensign (1957-1965).svg Al Balding 209−71 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Dow Finsterwald
Flag of the United States.svg Bert Weaver
1,200 [10]
West Palm Beach Open
1956 Flag of the United States.svg Gardner Dickinson Flag placeholder.svg
1955 Flag of the United States.svg Al Besselink Flag placeholder.svg
1954 Flag of the United States.svg Lloyd Wadkins Flag placeholder.svg

Notes

  1. PGAT − PGA Tour.

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References

  1. "Tournament history from Arnold Palmer's official site" . Retrieved 2007-11-22.
  2. "West Palm Beach Golf Course" . Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  3. Husky, Bob (15 September 1957). "Off the fairway". The Palm Beach Post. West Palm Beach, Florida. p. 26. Retrieved 11 May 2020 via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Golf Canada Hall of Fame: Wilf Homenuik" . Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  5. "Ragan Wins In Playoff Against Doug Sanders". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Sarasota, Florida. AP. December 3, 1962. p. 19.
  6. "Gay Brewer in Tourney Win on 274". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. AP. December 4, 1961. p. 9.
  7. "Pott Takes Pot As Sam Blows Up". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Daytona Beach, Florida. AP. December 5, 1960. p. 12.
  8. "Palmer Wins Palm Beach on Play-Off". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. AP. November 30, 1959. p. 12.
  9. "Cooper Wins At WPB In Playoff". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Daytona Beach, Florida. AP. November 24, 1958. p. 10.
  10. "Balding Gets Win At WPB With 209". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Daytona Beach, Florida. AP. November 25, 1957. p. 6.