The introduction of theFedEx Cup in2007 caused a change in the PGA Tour schedule. TheWGC-CA Championship, aWorld 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 theWGC-Cadillac Championship in2011 and continued at Doral through2016. The resort was sold in2012 and becameTrump National Doral Miami. ThePGA 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]
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 includedFord Motor Company,Genuity,Ryder, andEastern Air Lines. The Doral Golf Resort & Spa was formerly known as the Doral Country Club and was the sister hotel to the famousDoral Hotel on the ocean in Miami Beach, Florida.
In2005, nine of the top ten players in theofficial world rankings participated. After an exciting final round duel with then-World Number 4Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods won by a shot to regain the number one ranking he had lost six months earlier toVijay 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-upCamilo Villegas andDavid Toms.[1]
The historical broadcaster of the event wasCBS Sports. With the PGA Tour's first centralized TV deal in 1999, the Southern Swing, including Doral, was assigned toNBC Sports. NBC covered the event until its conclusion as a regular event, and continued for its ten years as a World Golf Championship.
1962:Billy Casper down by four shots with eight holes to go, comes back to win the inaugural version of the tournament. He beatsPaul Bondeson by one shot.[4]
1964: Billy Casper becomes Doral's first repeat winner. He finishes one shot ahead ofJack Nicklaus.[5]
1969:Tom Shaw holds on to win his first ever PGA Tour title by one shot overTommy Aaron in spite of making both a triple bogey and a double bogey during the tournament's final nine holes.[7]
1976:Hubert Green shoots a tournament record 270 for 72 holes on his way to a six-shot win overMark Hayes and Jack Nicklaus.[9]
1977:Andy Bean takes home his first Doral title on his 24th birthday. He edgesDavid 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]
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 overKeith 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]
2004: On the first hole of a sudden death playoff withScott 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 ofDavid Toms andCamilo Villegas.[22]
Tiger Woods
