The Cajun Classic Open Invitational was a golf tournament in Louisiana on the PGA Tour in the late 1950s and 1960s, played at the Oakbourne Country Club in Lafayette, usually in late November.[2] It debuted as the Lafayette Open Invitational in 1958,[3] and in many years was the last tournament on the PGA Tour schedule, which attracted players fighting for position on the money list.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Lafayette, Louisiana |
| Established | 1958 |
| Course(s) | Oakbourne Country Club |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,555 yards (5,994 m)[1] |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | US$25,000 |
| Month played | November |
| Final year | 1968 |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 270 Doug Sanders (1961) 270 John Barnum (1962) 270 Ron Cerrudo (1968) |
| To par | −18 Ron Cerrudo (1968) |
| Final champion | |
 Ron Cerrudo | |
| Location map | |
  Oakbourne CC Location in the United States  Oakbourne CC Location in Louisiana | |
John Barnum, the only man in the history of the PGA Tour to earn his first win after age 50, won this event in 1962 at age 51.[4][5] Barnum was also the first player to win on Tour using a Ping putter.[6]
The 1963 tournament began on Thursday, November 21, but during the second round the following day, news of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy swept the course. Saturday's play was postponed in deference to the news, with the tournament finishing on Sunday with the final two rounds being played.
It lost the last tournament slot on the 1969 schedule and the resulting smaller field caused monetary problems that resulted in the tournament folding.
Winners edit
| Year | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up | Purse (US$) |
Winner's share ($) |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cajun Classic Open Invitational | ||||||||
| 1968 | Ron Cerrudo |
270 | −18 | 4 strokes | Charlie Sifford |
35,000 | 5,000 | [1] |
| 1967 | Marty Fleckman |
275 | −13 | Playoff | Jack Montgomery |
35,000 | 5,000 | [7] |
| 1966 | Jacky Cupit |
271 | −17 | Playoff | Chi-Chi Rodríguez |
34,500 | 4,850 | [8] |
| 1965 | Babe Hiskey |
275 | −13 | Playoff | Dudley Wysong |
32,000 | 4,250 | [9] |
| 1964 | Miller Barber |
277 | −7 | 5 strokes | Gay Brewer Jack Nicklaus |
25,000 | 3,300 | [10] |
| 1963 | Rex Baxter |
275 | −13 | 2 strokes | Bob Shave Jr. |
20,000 | 2,800 | [11] |
| 1962 | John Barnum |
270 | −14 | 6 strokes | Gay Brewer |
17,500 | 2,400 | [4] |
| 1961 | Doug Sanders |
270 | −14 | 6 strokes | Ken Still |
15,000 | 2,000 | [12] |
| 1960 | Lionel Hebert |
272 | −12 | 2 strokes | Jon Gustin Johnny Pott |
15,000 | 2,000 | [13] |
| Lafayette Open Invitational | ||||||||
| 1959 | Billy Casper |
273 | −11 | 4 strokes | George Bayer |
15,000 | 2,000 | [14] |
| 1958 | Jay Hebert |
275 | −11 | 5 strokes | Leo Biagetti Bob Rosburg |
15,000 | 2,000 | [3] |
References edit
- ^ a b "Cajun Classic". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 25, 1968. p. 3C.
- ^ "Oakbourne Country Club to Host LGA State Amateur" (Press release). Archived from the original on September 30, 2006. Retrieved December 19, 2007.
- ^ a b "Jay Hebert wins pro tournament". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. April 28, 1958. p. 3B.
- ^ a b "Barnum takes Cajun Classic". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). UPI. November 12, 1962. p. 9.
- ^ "Oldest PGA Tour Winners". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2007.
- ^ Dear, Tony. "Keeping it in the Family". Archived from the original on November 1, 2004. Retrieved December 19, 2007.
- ^ "Fleckman's 30-footer nets Cajun, PGA mark". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. December 4, 1968. p. 2B.
- ^ "Cupit wins Cajun golf in playoff". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. November 28, 1966. p. 36.
- ^ "Hiskey victor in golf play". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. November 29, 1965. p. 15.
- ^ "Nicklaus tops money battle; Barber victor". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. November 23, 1964. p. 11.
- ^ "Baxter wins Cajun golf tournament". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). UPI. November 25, 1963. p. 11.
- ^ "Cajun golf annexed by Sanders". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. November 20, 1961. p. 35.
- ^ "L. Hebert captures Cajun Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. November 21, 1960. p. 28.
- ^ "Casper wins tourney title". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. November 16, 1959. p. 2B.