The Tucson Open was a golf tournament in Arizona on the PGA Tour from 1945 to 2006, played annually in the winter in Tucson. It was last held at the Omni Tucson National Golf Resort in late February, with a $3 million purse and a $540,000 winner's share.[1]

Chrysler Classic of Tucson
Tournament information
LocationTucson, Arizona
Established1945
Course(s)Omni Tucson National Golf Resort
(Catalina Course)[1]
Par72
Length7,193 yards (6,577 m)
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$3,000,000
Month playedFebruary
Final year2006
Tournament record score
Aggregate263 Lloyd Mangrum (1949)
263 Phil Rodgers (1962)
263 Johnny Miller (1975)
To par−25 Johnny Miller (1975)
Final champion
United States Kirk Triplett
Location map
Omni Tucson National Golf Resort is located in the United States
Omni Tucson National Golf Resort
Omni Tucson National Golf Resort
Location in the United States
Omni Tucson National Golf Resort is located in Arizona
Omni Tucson National Golf Resort
Omni Tucson National Golf Resort
Location in Arizona

History

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Since the event's inception in 1945, it had been played at a series of courses in Tucson. The first eighteen editions were at El Rio Golf & Country Club, which was purchased by the city in 1968 and is now El Rio Golf Course. In 1963, the event moved to Forty Niner Country Club in 1963 for two years, then began its lengthy relationship with its last location, known at the time as Tucson National Golf Club, which hosted through 1978. It moved to Randolph Park Golf Course in 1979, returned to Tucson National in 1980, then back to Randolph Park for the next six.

From 1984 to 1986, the Tucson Open was contested at match play and was held concurrently with a Senior PGA Tour match play event, the Seiko-Tucson Senior Match Play Championship The 1986 event was played using a Medal match play format.

In 1987 and 1988 the event was played at the TPC at Starr Pass but was not held in 1989. When the event resumed in 1990, it was played at two courses each year from that year's event until 1996. One used every year was the TPC at Starr Pass (renamed Starr Pass Golf Club before the 1993 event). The TPC at Starr Pass shared time with Randolph Park in 1990; from 1991–96 the Tucson National GC was the other course used.

In 1997, the event changed to the more traditional format of 72 holes played at only one course, and has been played since that year at the renamed Omni Tucson National Golf Resort & Spa.

In later years, it was an alternate event, opposite the WGC Match Play championship, then held at La Costa in Carlsbad, California. Because the top 64 ranked players in the world are invited to the WGC event, it weakened the field considerably for Tucson. The match play tournament moved to Tucson in 2007 as a "merging" of sorts between the two tournaments, and stayed through 2014.

On the PGA Tour Champions, the Tucson Conquistadores Classic made its debut in 2015, and is held at the Omni Tucson National Resort in mid-March.

Tournament highlights

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  • 1945: Ray Mangrum shoots a final round 64 to win the inaugural version of the tournament.[2]
  • 1947: Jimmy Demaret becomes the first Tucson champion to successfully defend a title. A final round 65 allows him to finish three shots ahead of Ben Hogan.[3]
  • 1949: Lloyd Mangrum shoots a tournament record 263. He wins by five shots over Al Smith.[4]
  • 1955: Tommy Bolt eagles the 72nd hole to successfully defend his Tucson Open title.[5]
  • 1959: Gene Littler wins for the second consecutive week on the PGA Tour. He finishes one shot ahead of Joe Campbell and Art Wall Jr.[6]
  • 1961: Controversial pro golfer Dave Hill wins for the first time on the PGA Tour. He defeats Tommy Bolt and Bud Sullivan on the third hole of a sudden death playoff.[7]
  • 1962: Phil Rodgers holes a wedge shot from 65-feet for eagle on the 72nd hole to edge Bud Sullivan by one shot.[8]
  • 1965: Only after deciding to play the tournament five minutes before its deadline for entries, New Zealand born Bob Charles makes Tucson his second ever win in the United States. He beats Al Geiberger by four shots.[9]
  • 1968: George Knudson wins for the second consecutive week on the PGA Tour. He finishes one shot ahead of Frank Beard and Frank Boynton.[10]
  • 1970: Lee Trevino successfully defends his Tucson Open title. He birdies the first hole of a sudden death playoff to defeat Bob Murphy.[11]
  • 1974: Johnny Miller becomes the first ever golfer in PGA Tour history to win three consecutive tournaments to start the season. He shoots a first round 62 on his way to a three shot triumph over Ben Crenshaw.[12]
  • 1975: Tom Weiskopf misses the 36 hole cut with scores of 70 and 78. Afterwards tournament director Biff Baker made a telephone complaint to PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman accusing Weiskopf of backhanding putts and not playing in a professional manner.[13] Weiskopf denied the allegations by saying "All they have to do is ask my playing partners."[14]
  • 1976: Johnny Miller wins at Tucson for the third consecutive year. He finishes three shots ahead of Howard Twitty.[15]
  • 1977: Bruce Lietzke earns the first of his thirteen career PGA Tour wins by defeating Gene Littler on the fourth hole of a sudden death playoff.[16]
  • 1980: Poor weather causes the tournament to finish on a Tuesday. Jim Colbert is the winner by four shots over Dan Halldorson.[17]
  • 1981: Johnny Miller wins Tucson for the fourth time. He shoots a final round 65 to finish two shots ahead of Lon Hinkle.[18]
  • 1984: For the first of three consecutive years, Tucson is conducted as a match play event. Tom Watson wins by defeating defending champion Gil Morgan in the finals by the score of 2 and 1.[19]
  • 1986: Defending champion Jim Thorpe wins the last match play edition of Tucson. He defeats Scott Simpson 67 to 71 in the finals.[20]
  • 1990: Robert Gamez wins on the PGA Tour in his first ever event. He finishes four shots ahead of Mark Calcavecchia and Jay Haas.[21] During the tournament's second round, 1988 Tucson champion David Frost, becomes the first PGA Tour player in 33 years to shoot a 60.[22]
  • 1991: Twenty-year-old amateur Phil Mickelson birdies the 72nd hole to win by one shot over Bob Tway and Tom Purtzer. Purtzer made double bogey on the tournament's final hole.[23] Hal Sutton hits a six-iron for his second shot on the 9th hole directly at the green. The ball slammed into the cup without touching the green and embedded itself in the lip of the hole. Since part of the ball remained above the level of the hole, it was ruled that Sutton had not holed out. He had to replace the ball and putt it in for a birdie.[24]
  • 1992: Future two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen collects his first ever PGA Tour title. He edges Bill Britton by one shot.[25]
  • 1995: Phil Mickelson wins his second Tucson title by one shot over Jim Gallagher Jr. and Scott Simpson after Gallagher three putts the 72nd hole.[26]
  • 1997: Jeff Sluman earns his first PGA Tour title since the 1988 PGA Championship. He wins by one shot over Steve Jones.[27]
  • 2000: After playing in 292 PGA Tour events, Jim Carter finally reaches the winner's circle. He finishes two shots ahead of Jean van de Velde, Chris DiMarco, and Tom Scherrer.[28]
  • 2001: Like Robert Gamez did at the 1990 Tucson, Garrett Willis wins on the PGA Tour in his first ever event. He wins by one shot over Kevin Sutherland.[29]
  • 2005: Future U.S. Open winner Geoff Ogilvy notches his first ever PGA Tour win. He defeats Mark Calcavecchia and Kevin Na in a sudden death playoff.[30]

Winners

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Year Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up Winner's
share ($)
Chrysler Classic of Tucson
2006   Kirk Triplett 266 −22 1 stroke   Jerry Kelly 540,000
2005   Geoff Ogilvy 269 −19 Playoff   Mark Calcavecchia
  Kevin Na
540,000
2004   Heath Slocum 266 −22 1 stroke   Aaron Baddeley 540,000
2003   Frank Lickliter 269 −19 2 strokes   Chad Campbell 540,000
Touchstone Energy Tucson Open
2002   Ian Leggatt 268 −20 2 strokes   David Peoples
  Loren Roberts
540,000
2001   Garrett Willis 273 −15 1 stroke   Kevin Sutherland 540,000
2000   Jim Carter 269 −19 2 strokes   Chris DiMarco
  Tom Scherrer
  Jean van de Velde
540,000
1999   Gabriel Hjertstedt 276 −12 Playoff   Tommy Armour III 495,000
Tucson Chrysler Classic
1998   David Duval 269 −19 4 strokes   Justin Leonard
  David Toms
360,000
1997   Jeff Sluman 275 −13 1 stroke   Steve Jones 234,000
Nortel Open
1996   Phil Mickelson (3) 273 −14 2 strokes   Bob Tway 225,000
Northern Telecom Open
1995   Phil Mickelson (2) 269 −19 1 stroke   Jim Gallagher Jr.
  Scott Simpson
225,000
1994   Andrew Magee 270 −18 2 strokes   Jay Don Blake
  Loren Roberts
  Vijay Singh
  Steve Stricker
198,000
1993   Larry Mize 271 −17 2 strokes   Jeff Maggert 198,000
1992   Lee Janzen 270 −18 1 stroke   Bill Britton 198,000
1991   Phil Mickelson (a) 272 −16 1 stroke   Tom Purtzer
  Bob Tway
180,000
Northern Telecom Tucson Open
1990   Robert Gamez 270 −18 4 strokes   Mark Calcavecchia
  Jay Haas
162,000
1989: No tournament
1988   David Frost 266 −22 5 strokes   Mark Calcavecchia
  Mark O'Meara
108,000
Seiko Tucson Open
1987   Mike Reid 268 −20 4 strokes   Chip Beck
  Mark Calcavecchia
  Hal Sutton
  Fuzzy Zoeller
108,000
Seiko-Tucson Match Play Championship
1986   Jim Thorpe (2) 67 −5 4 strokes   Scott Simpson 150,000
1985   Jim Thorpe 4 and 3   Jack Renner 150,000
1984   Tom Watson (2) 2 and 1   Gil Morgan 100,000
Joe Garagiola-Tucson Open
1983   Gil Morgan 271 −9 Playoff   Curtis Strange
  Lanny Wadkins
54,000
1982   Craig Stadler 266 −14 3 strokes   Vance Heafner
  John Mahaffey
54,000
1981   Johnny Miller (4) 265 −15 2 strokes   Lon Hinkle 54,000
1980   Jim Colbert 270 −22 4 strokes   Dan Halldorson 54,000
1979   Bruce Lietzke (2) 265 −15 2 strokes   Buddy Gardner
  Jim Thorpe
  Tom Watson
45,000
1978   Tom Watson 274 −14 3 strokes   Bobby Wadkins 40,000
1977   Bruce Lietzke 275 −13 Playoff   Gene Littler 40,000
NBC Tucson Open
1976   Johnny Miller (3) 274 −14 3 strokes   Howard Twitty 40,000
Dean Martin Tucson Open
1975   Johnny Miller (2) 263 −25 9 strokes   John Mahaffey 40,000
1974   Johnny Miller 272 −16 3 strokes   Ben Crenshaw 30,000
1973   Bruce Crampton 277 −11 5 strokes   George Archer
  Gay Brewer
  Labron Harris Jr.
  Bobby Nichols
30,000
1972   Miller Barber 273 −15 Playoff   George Archer 30,000
Tucson Open Invitational
1971   J. C. Snead 273 −15 1 stroke   Dale Douglass 22,000
1970   Lee Trevino (2) 275 −13 Playoff   Bob Murphy 20,000
1969   Lee Trevino 271 −17 7 strokes   Miller Barber 20,000
1968   George Knudson 273 −15 1 stroke   Frank Beard
  Frank Boynton
20,000
1967   Arnold Palmer 273 −15 1 stroke   Chuck Courtney 12,000
1966   Joe Campbell 278 −10 Playoff   Gene Littler 9,000
1965   Bob Charles 271 −17 4 strokes   Al Geiberger 6,800
1964   Jacky Cupit 274 −14 2 strokes   Rex Baxter 4,000
1963   Don January 266 −22 11 strokes   Gene Littler
  Phil Rodgers
3,500
1962   Phil Rodgers 263 −17 3 strokes   Jim Ferrier 2,800
Home of the Sun Open
1961   Dave Hill 269 −11 Playoff   Tommy Bolt
  Bud Sullivan
2,800
Tucson Open Invitational
1960   Don January 271 −9 3 strokes   Bob Harris 2,800
1959   Gene Littler 266 −14 1 stroke   Joe Campbell
  Art Wall Jr.
1958   Lionel Hebert 265 −15 2 strokes   Don January
1957   Dow Finsterwald 269 −11 Playoff   Don Whitt
1956   Ted Kroll 264 −16 3 strokes   Dow Finsterwald
Tucson Open
1955   Tommy Bolt (2) 266 −14 3 strokes   Bud Holscher
  Art Wall Jr.
1954: No tournament
1953   Tommy Bolt 265 −15 1 stroke   Chandler Harper
1952   Henry Williams, Jr. 274 −6 2 strokes   Cary Middlecoff
1951   Lloyd Mangrum (2) 269 −11 2 strokes   Jack Burke Jr.
  Jim Turnesa
  Lew Worsham
1950   Chandler Harper 267 −13 2 strokes   Sam Snead
1949   Lloyd Mangrum 263 −17 5 strokes   Al Smith
1948   Skip Alexander 264 −16 1 stroke   Johnny Palmer
1947   Jimmy Demaret (2) 264 −16 3 strokes   Ben Hogan
1946   Jimmy Demaret 268 −12 4 strokes   Herman Barron
1945   Ray Mangrum 268 −12 1 stroke   Byron Nelson

Multiple winners

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Nine men won this tournament more than once.

References

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  1. ^ a b Korte, Tim (February 27, 2006). "Chrysler surprise". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. p. C2.
  2. ^ "Mangrum Winner Of Tucson Golf". The Pittsburgh Press. Pennsylvania. UP. January 22, 1945. p. 17.
  3. ^ "Tucson Open Won By Jimmy Demaret". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. UP. February 3, 1947. p. 5.
  4. ^ "Mangrum Breaks Tucson Record". The Pittsburgh Press. Pennsylvania. UP. February 7, 1949. p. 21.
  5. ^ "Tommy Bolt Wins Tucson Open Golf". Lodi News-Sentinel. California. UP. February 14, 1955. p. 8.
  6. ^ "Gene Littler Wins Tucson Open". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pennsylvania. AP. February 16, 1959. p. 18.
  7. ^ "Tucson Won By Dave Hill". Middlesboro Daily News. Kentucky. UPI. February 20, 1961. p. 14.
  8. ^ Sinclair, Murray (February 19, 1962). "Phil Rodgers Wins Tucson". The Gettysburg Times. Pennsylvania. AP. p. 4.
  9. ^ Eger, Bob (February 22, 1965). "Charles Tops Field At Tucson". Ellensburg Daily Record. Washington. AP. p. 5.
  10. ^ "Knudson In Charge To Tucson Win". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Florida. AP. February 26, 1968. p. 17.
  11. ^ "Murphy Second In Tucson Open". The News-Dispatch. Jeannette, Pennsylvania. UPI. February 16, 1970. p. 10.
  12. ^ "Miller Wins At Tucson With Ben Crenshaw Second". The Bonham Daily Favorite. Texas. UPI. January 21, 1974. p. 6.
  13. ^ "Tucson golf director unhappy with Weiskopf". The Gadsden Times. Alabama. AP. January 19, 1975. p. 40.
  14. ^ "Weiskopf Denies Not Trying Best". The Evening Independent. St. Petersburg, Florida. AP. January 20, 1975. p. 2-C.
  15. ^ "Miller Wins Tucson Open For 3rd Time". Ludington Daily News. Michigan. UPI. January 12, 1976. p. 6.
  16. ^ Sargis, Joe (January 17, 1977). "First tour win for Bruce Lietzke". Beaver County Times. Pennsylvania. UPI. p. B-2.
  17. ^ "Colbert Wins At Tucson". The Times-News. Hendersonville, North Carolina. AP. February 20, 1980. p. 15.
  18. ^ "Johnny Miller Wins Tucson". Waycross Journal-Herald. Georgia. AP. January 12, 1981. p. P-7.
  19. ^ "In a 'dull match', Watson takestitle". The Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. AP. January 9, 1984. p. 2B.
  20. ^ "Thorpe Captures Match-Play Event". The New York Times. AP. November 3, 1986.
  21. ^ "Rookie Robert Gamez Tucson Open winner". The Vindicator. Youngstown, Ohio. AP. January 15, 1990. p. 14.
  22. ^ "Super 12-under puts Frost on par". New Sunday Times. Malaysia. January 14, 1990. p. 18.
  23. ^ Green, Bob (January 14, 1991). "Mickelson wins as amateur in Tucson Open". The Prescott Courier. Arizona. AP. p. 6A.
  24. ^ Zullo, Allan (2001). Astonishing but True Golf Facts. Andrew McMeel Publishing. ISBN 9780740714269.
  25. ^ "Janzen stays cool in Tucson". The Milwaukee Journal. Wisconsin. AP. February 17, 1992. p. C6.
  26. ^ "Mickelson captures Tucson Open by one". Manila Standard. Philippines. January 22, 1995. p. 25.
  27. ^ "Despite bogey on 18th, Jeff Sluman captures Tucson Open". Kingman Daily Miner. Arizona. AP. February 24, 1997. p. 6.
  28. ^ "First-time winner takes Tucson Open". Herald-Journal. Spartanburg, South Carolina. AP. February 28, 2000. p. B2.
  29. ^ "Willis comes of age in Tucson". BBC Sport. January 16, 2001.
  30. ^ Clayton, Michael (March 1, 2005). "Ogilvy wins US playoff". The Age. Melbourne, Australia.

32°21′29″N 111°01′23″W / 32.358°N 111.023°W / 32.358; -111.023