The Lucky International Open was a PGA Tour event in the 1960s in San Francisco, California. It was played at Harding Park Golf Club, a public course across Lake Merced from the more glamorous Olympic Club. One of the founders and sponsors of the Lucky International Open was Eugene Selvage, owner of the Lucky Lager Brewing Company.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | San Francisco, California |
| Established | 1961 |
| Course(s) | Harding Park Golf Club |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 6,677 yards (6,105 m)[1] |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Month played | October |
| Final year | 1969 |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 269 Billy Casper (1968) 269 Steve Spray (1969) |
| To par | −15 as above |
| Final champion | |
 Steve Spray | |
| Location map | |
  Harding Park GC Location in the United States  Harding Park GC Location in California | |
Following surgery on his hands the previous summer, San Francisco native Ken Venturi won his 14th and final PGA Tour event here in January 1966, taking the first prize of $8,500 with his parents in the gallery.[2][3][4] The deteriorating conditions and antiquated facilities at Harding Park caused the PGA Tour to leave at the end of the decade.
The final edition in 1969 was played in late October without the Lucky name and had a winner's share of $20,000. Steve Spray gained his only tour victory, one stroke ahead of runner-up Chi-Chi Rodríguez,[5][6] the playoff winner in January 1964.[7]
For its first six years, it was played in late January, the week after the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach. Not played in 1967, it was held in mid-autumn in 1968 and 1969.
Of the eight winners, six were major champions; five already and George Archer (1965) won his at the 1969 Masters.
Winners
edit| Year | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up | Winner's share ($) |
Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco Open Invitational | ||||||||
| 1969 | Steve Spray |
269 | −15 | 1 stroke | Chi-Chi Rodríguez |
20,000 | [5][6] | |
| Lucky International Open | ||||||||
| 1968 | Billy Casper |
269 | −15 | 4 strokes | Raymond Floyd Don Massengale |
20,000 | [8] | |
| 1967: No tournament | ||||||||
| 1966 | Ken Venturi |
273 | −11 | 1 stroke | Frank Beard |
8,500 | [2][3] | |
| 1965 | George Archer |
278 | −6 | Playoff |  Bob Charles |
8,500 | [9] | |
| 1964 | Chi-Chi Rodríguez |
272 | −12 | Playoff | Don January |
7,500 | [7] | |
| 1963 | Jack Burke Jr. |
276 | −8 | 3 strokes | Don January |
9,000 | [10] | |
| 1962 | Gene Littler |
274 | −10 | 2 strokes |  George Knudson |
9,000 | [11] | |
| 1961 |  Gary Player |
272 | −12 | 2 strokes | George Bayer Don Whitt |
9,000 | [12] | |
References
edit- ^ "George Archer shoots 67 to expand S.F. Open lead". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. October 25, 1969. p. 12.
- ^ a b "Venturi fires 5 under 66 to capture 'Lucky' by one". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. February 1, 1966. p. 2, part 2.
- ^ a b "Venturi's 273 wins Lucky golf title". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press. February 1, 1966. p. 1, section 3.
- ^ Kroichick, Ron (October 3, 2005). "The Amex at Harding Park". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2007-11-07.
- ^ a b "Persevering Spray finally lands purse". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. October 27, 1969. p. 35.
- ^ a b "Steve Spray's only birdie delivers SF Open victory". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. October 27, 1969. p. 13.
- ^ a b "Rodriguez wins Lucky golf playoff". Pittsburgh Press. UPI. January 28, 1964. p. 28.
- ^ "Casper strikes it Lucky with 66". St. Petersburg Times. Florida. Associated Press. November 4, 1968. p. 5C.
- ^ "Archer captures Lucky tourney". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). UPI. February 1, 1965. p. 9.
- ^ "Burke's San Francisco win his first since July 1961". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). (Associated Press). January 28, 1963. p. 3B.
- ^ "Rally by Littler brings title". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). (Associated Press). January 29, 1962. p. 2B.
- ^ "Player captures Bay Area tourney". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). (Associated Press). January 30, 1961. p. 3B.