Orange County Open Invitational

The Orange County Open Invitational was a PGA Tour event that was played for four years at Mesa Verde Country Club in Costa Mesa, California during the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Orange County Open Invitational
Tournament information
LocationCosta Mesa, California
Established1959
Course(s)Mesa Verde Country Club
Par71
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$20,000
Month playedOctober
Final year1962
Tournament record score
Aggregate267 Bob Rosburg (1962)
267 Tony Lema (1962)
To par−17 as above
Final champion
United States Tony Lema
Location map
Mesa Verde CC is located in the United States
Mesa Verde CC
Mesa Verde CC
Location in the United States
Mesa Verde CC is located in California
Mesa Verde CC
Mesa Verde CC
Location in California

Construction began on the championship course at Mesa Verde Country Club in 1958 under the supervision of golf course designer William Francis Bell, and was officially opened in January 1959. Later that same year, the inaugural Orange County Open took place, which was won by Jay Hebert. The first permanent clubhouse was in place for the second event by the time Billy Casper took the trophy. The fourth and final tournament was held in 1962, and was won by Tony Lema after a grueling three-hole sudden death playoff with Bob Rosburg. Lema celebrated his victory by providing free champagne to members of the press in the clubhouse, a promise he had made the day before contingent upon winning. As a result of this and Lema's dashing good looks, the press dubbed him Champagne Tony from that day forth.[1]

Winners

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Year Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1962   Tony Lema 267 −17 Playoff   Bob Rosburg
1961   Bob McCallister 278 −6 2 strokes   Jacky Cupit
  Don Fairfield
  Marty Furgol
  Al Geiberger
  Phil Rodgers
1960   Billy Casper 276 −8 1 stroke   Charlie Sifford
1959   Jay Hebert 273 −11 2 strokes   Jack Fleck
  Jerry Magee

References

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  1. ^ "Historical information from Mesa Verde Country Club's online library". Archived from the original on 2011-07-14. Retrieved 2009-05-02.