The Greenbrier American Express Championship

The Greenbrier American Express Championship was a professional golf tournament on the Senior PGA Tour (now PGA Tour Champions). Held from 1985 through 1987 in West Virginia, the 54-hole event was played in July at The Greenbrier resort near White Sulphur Springs.

The Greenbrier American Express Championship
Tournament information
LocationWhite Sulphur Springs,
West Virginia, U.S.
Established1985
Course(s)The Greenbrier
Par72
Length6,709 yards (6,135 m)
Tour(s)Senior PGA Tour
FormatStroke play - 54 holes
(no cut)
Prize fund$225,000
Month playedJuly
Final year1987
Tournament record score
Aggregate200 Don January (1985)
200 Bruce Crampton (1987)
To par−16 as above
Final champion
Australia Bruce Crampton
The Greenbrier is located in the United States
The Greenbrier
The Greenbrier
The Greenbrier is located in West Virginia
The Greenbrier
The Greenbrier

The inaugural event was played Thursday through Saturday, starting on the Fourth of July.[1] Don January won the first two editions, the second in a sudden-death playoff.[2] Bruce Crampton opened with a 63 and won the final tournament in 1987 by six strokes, tying January's scoring record of 200 (–16).[3][4]

The PGA Tour returned to the resort in 2010 with its Greenbrier Classic.

Results edit

Year Dates Winner Score To par Margin
of victory
Runner-up Purse ($) Winner's
share ($)
Notes
1987 Jul 3–5   Bruce Crampton 63-70-67=200 −16 6 strokes   Orville Moody 225,000 34,000 [3][4]
1986 Jul 11–13   Don January (2) 70-66-71=207 −9 Playoff   Jim Ferree 200,000 30,000 [2]
1985 Jul 4–6   Don January 70-64-66=200 −16 2 strokes   Lee Elder 200,000 30,000 [1]
  • All events played at The Greenbrier; playoff in 1986 was won with a par on the first extra hole.[2]

Source:[5]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "January wins". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. wire services. July 7, 1985. p. C7.
  2. ^ a b c "January takes senior playoff". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. July 14, 1986. p. 3B.
  3. ^ a b "Crampton champion". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. news services. July 6, 1987. p. 23.
  4. ^ a b "Golf: Greenbrier Seniors". Reading Eagle. Pennsylvania. Associated Press. July 6, 1987. p. 25.
  5. ^ "2009 Champions Tour Official Media Guide". PGA Tour. p. 5:24–42. Archived from the original on 2018-05-07. Retrieved 2019-05-07.