TheTucson Open was agolf tournament inArizona on thePGA Tour from 1945 to2006, played annually in the winter inTucson. It was last held at theOmni Tucson National Golf Resort in late February, with a$3 million purse and a $540,000 winner's share.[1]
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. In1963, the event moved to Forty Niner Country Club in1963 for two years, then began its lengthy relationship with its last location, known at the time as Tucson National Golf Club, which hosted through1978. It moved to Randolph Park Golf Course in1979, returned to Tucson National in1980, then back to Randolph Park for the next six.
In1987 and1988 the event was played at the TPC at Starr Pass but was not held in1989. When the event resumed in1990, it was played at two courses each year from that year's event until1996. 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.
In1997, 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 theWGC Match Play championship, then held atLa Costa inCarlsbad, 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 in2007 as a "merging" of sorts between the two tournaments, and stayed through2014.
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 ofBen Hogan.[3]
1961: Controversial pro golferDave Hill wins for the first time on the PGA Tour. He defeatsTommy Bolt andBud 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 bornBob Charles makes Tucson his second win in the United States. He beatsAl Geiberger by four shots.[9]
1970:Lee Trevino successfully defends his Tucson Open title. He birdies the first hole of a sudden death playoff to defeatBob Murphy.[11]
1974:Johnny Miller becomes the first 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 overBen 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 CommissionerDeane 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 ofHoward 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 overDan Halldorson.[17]
1981: Johnny Miller wins Tucson for the fourth time. He shoots a final round 65 to finish two shots ahead ofLon Hinkle.[18]
1984: For the first of three consecutive years, Tucson is conducted as a match play event.Tom Watson wins by defeating defending championGil Morgan in the finals by the score of 2 and 1.[19]
1986: Defending championJim Thorpe wins the last match play edition of Tucson. He defeatsScott Simpson 67 to 71 in the finals.[20]
1990:Robert Gamez wins on the PGA Tour in his first event. He finishes four shots ahead ofMark Calcavecchia andJay Haas.[21] During the tournament's second round, 1988 Tucson championDavid Frost, becomes the first PGA Tour player in 33 years to shoot a 60.[22]
1991: Twenty-year-old amateurPhil Mickelson birdies the 72nd hole to win by one shot overBob Tway andTom 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]
Kirk Triplett
