The Doral Open was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour in the southeastern United States. It was played annually for 45 seasons, from 1962 to 2006, on the "Blue Monster" course at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Doral, Florida, a suburb west of Miami.

Ford Championship at Doral
Tournament information
LocationDoral, Florida
Established1962
Course(s)Doral Golf Resort & Spa
Par72
Length7,481 yards (6,841 m)[1]
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$5,500,000
Month playedMarch
Final year2006
Tournament record score
Aggregate264 Tiger Woods (2005)
To par−24 as above
Final champion
United States Tiger Woods
Location map
Doral Golf Resort & Spa is located in the United States
Doral Golf Resort & Spa
Doral Golf Resort & Spa
Location in the United States
Doral Golf Resort & Spa is located in Florida
Doral Golf Resort & Spa
Doral Golf Resort & Spa
Location in Florida

The introduction of the FedEx Cup in 2007 caused a change in the PGA Tour schedule. The WGC-CA Championship, a World Golf Championship event co-sponsored by the PGA Tour, moved from October to March and took the Doral Open's spot on the schedule. This championship was also held at the Blue Monster course for the next decade; it was renamed the WGC-Cadillac Championship in 2011 and continued at Doral through 2016. The resort was sold in 2012 and became Trump National Doral Miami. The PGA Tour Latinoamérica development tour will host the season-ending Shell Championship in December 2018 on the Golden Palm course to continue the PGA Tour's tradition of hosting at Doral.[2]

History

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The tournament was played at various points in March, and sometimes in late February. Both the tournament's title and sponsor changed over the years, and included Ford Motor Company, Genuity, Ryder, and Eastern Air Lines. The Doral Golf Resort & Spa was formerly known as the Doral Country Club and was the sister hotel to the famous Doral Hotel on the ocean in Miami Beach, Florida.

The tournament usually attracted one of the strongest fields on the PGA Tour outside of the major championships and the World Golf Championships. The champions at Doral include major winners Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf, Lee Trevino, Billy Casper, Raymond Floyd, Greg Norman, Hubert Green, Ben Crenshaw, Lanny Wadkins, Tom Kite, Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, and Tiger Woods.

In 2005, nine of the top ten players in the official world rankings participated. After an exciting final round duel with then-World Number 4 Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods won by a shot to regain the number one ranking he had lost six months earlier to Vijay Singh, who finished in a tie for third.[3]

The 2006 Ford Championship at Doral marked the end of the Doral Open tournament and the field again included nine of the top ten in the world rankings. Woods repeated as champion, one-stroke ahead of runners-up Camilo Villegas and David Toms.[1]

The historical broadcaster of the event was CBS Sports. With the PGA Tour's first centralized TV deal in 1999, the Southern Swing, including Doral, was assigned to NBC Sports. NBC covered the event until its conclusion as a regular event, and continued for its ten years as a World Golf Championship.

Tournament highlights

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  • 1962: Billy Casper down by four shots with eight holes to go, comes back to win the inaugural version of the tournament. He beats Pete Bondeson by one shot.[4]
  • 1964: Billy Casper becomes Doral's first repeat winner. He finishes one shot ahead of Jack Nicklaus.[5]
  • 1965: Doug Sanders, winner the week before at the Pensacola Open, comes out victorious at Doral for the first time. He beats Bruce Devlin by one shot.[6]
  • 1969: Tom Shaw holds on to win his first ever PGA Tour title by one shot over Tommy Aaron in spite of making both a triple bogey and a double bogey during the tournament's final nine holes.[7]
  • 1973: Lee Trevino shoots a first round 64 on his way to a wire to wire victory. He finishes one shot ahead of Bruce Crampton and Tom Weiskopf.[8]
  • 1976: Hubert Green shoots a tournament record 270 for 72 holes on his way to a six-shot win over Mark Hayes and Jack Nicklaus.[9]
  • 1977: Andy Bean takes home his first Doral title on his 24th birthday. He edges David Graham by one shot.[10]
  • 1978: Previously a three-time runner-up at Doral, Tom Weiskopf wins by one shot over Jack Nicklaus in spite of a final round 65 by the Golden Bear that included his holing out three wedge shots during the tournament's closing 18 holes.[11]
  • 1979: Monday morning qualifier Mark McCumber wins by one shot over Bill Rogers.[12]
  • 1980: Doral for the first time ever goes to sudden death to determine the winner. On the second playoff hole, Raymond Floyd chips in from just off the green to beat Jack Nicklaus.[13]
  • 1981: Raymond Floyd becomes the first Doral champion to successfully defend his title. He wins by one shot over Keith Fergus and David Graham.[14]
  • 1986: Andy Bean defeats Hubert Green on the fourth hole of a sudden death playoff to become Doral's first three-time winner.[15]
  • 1988: Ben Crenshaw birdies the 72nd hole to win by one shot over Chip Beck and Mark McCumber.[16]
  • 1990: Greg Norman shoots a final round 62. Then on the first hole of a sudden death playoff with Tim Simpson, Mark Calcavecchia, and Paul Azinger, he chips in for eagle to take home the title.[17]
  • 1993: Greg Norman sets a new Doral record for 72 holes of 265 on his way to four stroke victory over Paul Azinger and Mark McCumber.[18]
  • 1994: John Huston, playing most of the final 18 holes by himself after his player partner Fred Couples withdraws due to injury, wins by three shots over Brad Bryant and Billy Andrade.[19]
  • 1999: Steve Elkington shoots a final round 64 to earn his second win at Doral. He edges Greg Kraft by one shot.[20]
  • 2004: On the first hole of a sudden death playoff with Scott Verplank, Craig Parry wins by holing out a 7-iron from 176 yards.[21]
  • 2006: In spite of bogeying the final two holes, Tiger Woods holds on to win Doral for the second consecutive year. He finishes one shot ahead of David Toms and Camilo Villegas.[22]

Winners

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Year Winner Score To Par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up Winner's
share ($)
Ford Championship at Doral
2006   Tiger Woods (2) 268 −20 1 stroke   David Toms
  Camilo Villegas
990,000
2005   Tiger Woods 264 −24 1 stroke   Phil Mickelson 990,000
2004   Craig Parry 271 −17 Playoff   Scott Verplank 900,000
2003   Scott Hoch 271 −17 Playoff   Jim Furyk 900,000
Genuity Championship
2002   Ernie Els 271 −17 2 strokes   Tiger Woods 846,000
2001   Joe Durant 270 −18 2 strokes   Mike Weir 810,000
Doral-Ryder Open
2000   Jim Furyk 265 −23 2 strokes   Franklin Langham 540,000
1999   Steve Elkington (2) 275 −13 1 stroke   Greg Kraft 540,000
1998   Michael Bradley 278 −10 1 stroke   John Huston
  Billy Mayfair
360,000
1997   Steve Elkington 275 −13 2 strokes   Larry Nelson
  Nick Price
324,000
1996   Greg Norman (3) 269 −19 2 strokes   Michael Bradley
  Vijay Singh
324,000
1995   Nick Faldo 273 −15 1 stroke   Peter Jacobsen
  Greg Norman
270,000
1994   John Huston 274 −14 3 strokes   Billy Andrade
  Brad Bryant
252,000
1993   Greg Norman (2) 265 −23 4 strokes   Paul Azinger
  Mark McCumber
252,000
1992   Raymond Floyd (3) 271 −17 2 strokes   Keith Clearwater
  Fred Couples
252,000
1991   Rocco Mediate 276 −12 Playoff   Curtis Strange 252,000
1990   Greg Norman 273 −15 Playoff   Paul Azinger
  Mark Calcavecchia
  Tim Simpson
252,000
1989   Bill Glasson 275 −13 1 stroke   Fred Couples 234,000
1988   Ben Crenshaw 274 −14 1 stroke   Chip Beck
  Mark McCumber
180,000
1987   Lanny Wadkins 277 −11 3 strokes   Seve Ballesteros
  Tom Kite
  Don Pooley
180,000
Doral-Eastern Open
1986   Andy Bean (3) 276 −12 Playoff   Hubert Green 90,000
1985   Mark McCumber (2) 284 −4 1 stroke   Tom Kite 72,000
1984   Tom Kite 272 −16 2 strokes   Jack Nicklaus 72,000
1983   Gary Koch 271 −17 5 strokes   Ed Fiori 54,000
1982   Andy Bean (2) 278 −10 1 stroke   Scott Hoch
  Mike Nicolette
  Jerry Pate
54,000
1981   Raymond Floyd (2) 273 −15 1 stroke   Keith Fergus
  David Graham
45,000
1980   Raymond Floyd 279 −9 Playoff   Jack Nicklaus 45,000
1979   Mark McCumber 279 −9 1 stroke   Bill Rogers 45,000
1978   Tom Weiskopf 272 −16 1 stroke   Jack Nicklaus 40,000
1977   Andy Bean 277 −11 1 stroke   David Graham 40,000
1976   Hubert Green 270 −18 6 strokes   Mark Hayes
  Jack Nicklaus
40,000
1975   Jack Nicklaus (2) 276 −12 3 strokes   Forrest Fezler
  Bert Yancey
30,000
1974   Buddy Allin 272 −16 1 stroke   Jerry Heard 30,000
1973   Lee Trevino 276 −12 1 stroke   Bruce Crampton
  Tom Weiskopf
30,000
1972   Jack Nicklaus 276 −12 2 strokes   Bob Rosburg
  Lee Trevino
30,000
Doral-Eastern Open Invitational
1971   J. C. Snead 275 −13 1 stroke   Gardner Dickinson 30,000
1970   Mike Hill 279 −9 4 strokes   Jim Colbert 30,000
Doral Open Invitational
1969   Tom Shaw 276 −12 1 stroke   Tommy Aaron 30,000
1968   Gardner Dickinson 275 −13 1 stroke   Tom Weiskopf 20,000
1967   Doug Sanders (2) 275 −9 1 stroke   Harold Henning
  Art Wall Jr.
20,000
1966   Phil Rodgers 278 −10 1 stroke   Jay Dolan
  Kermit Zarley
20,000
1965   Doug Sanders 274 −14 1 stroke   Bruce Devlin 11,000
1964   Billy Casper (2) 277 −11 1 stroke   Jack Nicklaus 7,500
Doral C.C. Open Invitational
1963   Dan Sikes 283 −5 1 stroke   Sam Snead 9,000
1962   Billy Casper 283 −5 1 stroke   Paul Bondeson 9,000

Multiple winners

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Nine men won this tournament more than once.

References

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  1. ^ a b Ferguson, Doug (March 6, 2006). "Woods gets exactly what he needs to win again at Doral". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. p. D1.
  2. ^ "PGA Tour Latinoamérica moves season-ending tournament to Doral, Florida". PGA Tour. October 17, 2018.
  3. ^ "Tiger wins a close deal at Doral". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. March 7, 2005. p. C4.
  4. ^ Casper wins $9,000
  5. ^ Billy Casper wins 7,500 in Doral Open
  6. ^ Sanders picks up $11,000 at Doral
  7. ^ Likeable Tom Shaw victor in Doral Open golf tourney
  8. ^ Trevino cures putting woes to capture Doral
  9. ^ Hubert Green runs away with Doral
  10. ^ Newcomer Andy Bean winner in Doral golf
  11. ^ Routine Greatness
  12. ^ Rookie Mark McCumber collects victory in Doral-Eastern Open
  13. ^ Ray outshoots Jack at the O.K. Doral
  14. ^ Ray Floyd repeats Doral win
  15. ^ Green's collapse gives Bean Doral win
  16. ^ Crenshaw hangs tough for one-shot win at Doral
  17. ^ Diaz, Jamnie (March 5, 1990). "Norman Beats 3 In Doral Playoff". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 7, 2018.
  18. ^ Doral field devoured by Norman[permanent dead link]
  19. ^ Huston goes it alone to win Doral Open
  20. ^ Elkington rallies at Doral
  21. ^ Parry holes out to win at Doral[permanent dead link]
  22. ^ Woods defends Doral title
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25°48′50″N 80°20′24″W / 25.814°N 80.340°W / 25.814; -80.340