Walt Disney World Golf Classic

The Walt Disney World Golf Classic was an annual golf tournament on the PGA Tour. The tournament was played on the Palm and Magnolia courses at the Walt Disney World Resort. It was played under several names, reflecting sponsorship changes.

Walt Disney World Golf Classic
Tournament information
LocationLake Buena Vista, Florida
Established1971
Course(s)Walt Disney World Resort
(Magnolia & Palm courses)
Par72
Length7,516 yards (6,873 m) (Magnolia)
6,957 yards (6,361 m) (Palm)
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$4,700,000
Month playedNovember
Final year2012
Tournament record score
AggregateIndividual:
262 John Huston (1992)
262 Duffy Waldorf (2000)
Team:
246 Vance Heafner and Mike Holland (1981)
To parIndividual:
−26 as above
Team:
−42 as above
Final champion
United States Charlie Beljan
Location map
Walt Disney World Resort is located in the United States
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Location in the United States
Walt Disney World Resort is located in Florida
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Location in Florida

The tournament was founded in 1971 as the Walt Disney World Open Invitational. From 1974 to 1981, the tournament was played as a two-man team event with a better-ball format. Title sponsors have included Oldsmobile, National Car Rental, Funai,[1] and Children's Miracle Network.[2]

From 2007 to 2012, it was the final event in the PGA Tour Fall Series, and also the final official event of the PGA Tour season. As such, it was a final chance for many players to earn or retain a PGA Tour card through winning or getting into the top 125 on the Tour's money list. The 2010 and 2012 winners, Robert Garrigus and Charlie Beljan respectively, were both outside the top 125 before their wins.

The tournament was removed from the PGA Tour schedule for the 2013–14 wrap-around season after Children's Miracle Network declined to renew their sponsorship and no others were found.[3]

The 2012 purse was $4,700,000, with $846,000 going to the winner.

Television

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The event was televised by ESPN and ABC Sports, until the demotion of the event to the Fall Series in 2007, when it was relegated to cable-only on the Golf Channel. While ESPN and ABC, which are owned by Disney, covered both courses as a form of publicity for both, the Golf Channel covered only the Magnolia course with highlight packages sent in from the Palm. However, this is the manner in which the network has always covered tournaments with multiple venues.

Courses

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The Magnolia Course at Walt Disney World is known as more "tour"-style than its sister the Palm Course.[citation needed] The Palm course is known as the prettier of the two, however.[citation needed] In the 2006 telecast, one commentator is quoted as saying that the Palm course has the better greens of the two courses.[citation needed] The Magnolia has grown to 7,516 yards to battle the usual low scores during the tournament's history.

The nearby Lake Buena Vista golf course has also been part of the tournament, along with the Palm and Magnolia.

Winners

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Year Winner(s)[a] Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up Winner's
share ($)
Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic
2012   Charlie Beljan 272 −16 2 strokes   Matt Every
  Robert Garrigus
846,000
2011   Luke Donald 271 −17 2 strokes   Justin Leonard 846,000
Children's Miracle Network Classic
2010   Robert Garrigus 267 −21 3 strokes   Roland Thatcher 846,000
2009   Stephen Ames (2) 270 −18 Playoff   Justin Leonard
  George McNeill
846,000
2008   Davis Love III 263 −25 1 stroke   Tommy Gainey 828,000
2007   Stephen Ames 271 −17 1 stroke   Tim Clark 828,000
Funai Classic at the Walt Disney World Resort
2006   Joe Durant 263 −25 4 strokes   Frank Lickliter
  Troy Matteson
828,000
2005   Lucas Glover 265 −23 1 stroke   Tom Pernice Jr. 792,000
2004   Ryan Palmer 266 −22 3 strokes   Briny Baird
  Vijay Singh
756,000
2003   Vijay Singh 265 −23 4 strokes   Stewart Cink
  Scott Verplank
  Tiger Woods
720,000
Disney Golf Classic
2002   Bob Burns 263 −25 1 stroke   Chris DiMarco 666,000
National Car Rental Golf Classic Disney
2001   José Cóceres 265 −23 1 stroke   Davis Love III 612,000
2000   Duffy Waldorf 262 −26 1 stroke   Steve Flesch 540,000
1999   Tiger Woods (2) 271 −17 1 stroke   Ernie Els 450,000
1998   John Huston (2) 272 −16 1 stroke   Davis Love III 360,000
Walt Disney World/Oldsmobile Classic
1997   David Duval 270 −18 Playoff   Dan Forsman 270,000
1996   Tiger Woods 267 −21 1 stroke   Payne Stewart 216,000
1995   Brad Bryant 198[b] −18 1 stroke   Hal Sutton
  Ted Tryba
216,000
1994   Rick Fehr 269 −19 2 strokes   Craig Stadler
  Fuzzy Zoeller
198,000
1993   Jeff Maggert 265 −23 3 strokes   Greg Kraft 198,000
1992   John Huston 262 −26 3 strokes   Mark O'Meara 180,000
1991   Mark O'Meara 267 −21 1 stroke   David Peoples 180,000
1990   Tim Simpson (2) 264 −24 1 stroke   John Mahaffey 180,000
1989   Tim Simpson 272 −16 1 stroke   Donnie Hammond 144,000
1988   Bob Lohr 263 −25 Playoff   Chip Beck 126,000
1987   Larry Nelson (2) 268 −20 1 stroke   Morris Hatalsky
  Mark O'Meara
108,000
1986   Raymond Floyd 275 −13 Playoff   Lon Hinkle
  Mike Sullivan
90,000
1985   Lanny Wadkins 267 −21 1 stroke   Mike Donald
  Scott Hoch
72,000
Walt Disney World Golf Classic
1984   Larry Nelson 266 −22 1 stroke   Hubert Green 72,000
1983   Payne Stewart 269 −19 2 strokes   Nick Faldo
  Mark McCumber
72,000
1982   Hal Sutton 269 −19 Playoff   Bill Britton 72,000
Walt Disney World National Team Championship
1981   Vance Heafner and
  Mike Holland
246 −42 5 strokes   Chip Beck and
  Rex Caldwell
36,000
(each)
1980   Danny Edwards and
  David Edwards
253 −35 2 strokes   Gibby Gilbert and
  Grier Jones
  Dan Halldorson and
  Dana Quigley
  Mike Harmon and
  Barry Harwell
31,500
(each)
1979   George Burns and
  Ben Crenshaw
255 −33 3 strokes   Peter Jacobsen and
  D. A. Weibring
  Jeff Hewes and
  Sammy Rachels
  Scott Bess and
  Dan Halldorson
22,500
(each)
1978   Wayne Levi and
  Bob Mann
254 −34 3 strokes   Bobby Wadkins and
  Lanny Wadkins
20,000
(each)
1977   Gibby Gilbert and
  Grier Jones
253 −35 1 stroke   Steve Melnyk and
  Andy North
20,000
(each)
1976   Woody Blackburn and
  Billy Kratzert
260 −28 Playoff   Gay Brewer and
  Bobby Nichols
20,000
(each)
1975   Jim Colbert and
  Dean Refram
252 −36 3 strokes   Bobby Cole and
  John Schlee
  Victor Regalado and
  Charlie Sifford
20,000
(each)
1974   Hubert Green and
  Mac McLendon
255 −33 1 stroke   Sam Snead and
  J. C. Snead
  Ed Sneed and
  Bert Yancey
25,000
(each)
Walt Disney World Golf Classic
1973   Jack Nicklaus (3) 275 −13 1 stroke   Mason Rudolph 30,000
Walt Disney World Open Invitational
1972   Jack Nicklaus (2) 267 −21 9 strokes   Jim Dent
  Bobby Mitchell
  Larry Wood
30,000
1971   Jack Nicklaus 273 −15 3 strokes   Deane Beman 30,000

Notes

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  1. ^ Between 1974–1981, the Walt Disney World Golf Classic was a two-player team event.
  2. ^ Shortened to 54 holes due to rain.

References

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  1. ^ "Flat-screen Tvs Go To Nonprofits". Orlando Sentinel. March 11, 2006.
  2. ^ Tour's final stop renamed Children's Miracle Network Classic
  3. ^ Disney no longer part of PGA Tour
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