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St. Petersburg Open Invitational

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St. Petersburg Open Invitational
Tournament information
LocationSt. Petersburg, Florida
Established1930
Course(s)Lakewood Country Club
Par72
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$25,000
Month playedMarch
Final year1964
Tournament record score
Aggregate261 Bob Goalby (1961)
To par−23 as above
Final champion
Australia Bruce Devlin
Location map
Lakewood Country Club is located in the United States
Lakewood Country Club
Lakewood Country Club
Location in the United States
Lakewood Country Club is located in Florida
Lakewood Country Club
Lakewood Country Club
Location in Florida

The St. Petersburg Open Invitational, first played as the St. Petersburg Open, was a PGA Tour event that was held at three St. Petersburg, Florida area clubs for 29 years from 1930 until 1964.[1] The clubs that hosted the event were: Lakewood Country Club (now known as St. Petersburg Country Club),[2] Pasadena Country Club (now known as Pasadena Yacht and Country Club), and Sunset Golf Club of the Vinoy Park Hotel (now known as the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club).[1]

Bob Goalby won[3] the 1961 event after making eight consecutive birdies in the final round, a PGA Tour record at the time. Other golfers tied Goalby's mark but nobody surpassed it till 2009.[4] In 1963, Raymond Floyd won the event at 20 years 6 months of age becoming the youngest player to win a PGA Tour event since 1928.[1][5]

Bruce Devlin, an Australian golfer who had recently moved to the United States, won the first of his eight PGA Tour titles at the last one in 1964. The tournament succumbed to financial pressure when the St. Petersburg City Council voted to postpone a decision on sponsorship of the 1965 event, and then Jacksonville announced the resumption of the Jacksonville Open during week the tournament was to be held.[1]

Tournament hosts

[edit]
Course Years
Lakewood Country Club 1930 (co-host), 1933 (co-host), 1936 (co-host), 1938, 1940, 1942, 1948, 1952, 1955–56, 1959–60, 1962–64
Jungle Country Club 1930 (co-host)
Pasadena Country Club 1932, 1933 (co-host), 1934, 1936 (co-host), 1937, 1939, 1941, 1947, 1949–51, 1953, 1957–58, 1961
Sunset Golf Club at Vinoy Park 1946

Winners

[edit]
Year Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up Winner's
share ($)
St. Petersburg Open Invitational
1964 Australia Bruce Devlin 272 −16 4 strokes United States Dan Sikes 3,300
1963 United States Raymond Floyd 274 −14 1 stroke United States Dave Marr 3,500
1962 United States Bobby Nichols 272 −16 2 strokes United States Frank Boynton 2,800
1961 United States Bob Goalby 261 −23 3 strokes United States Ted Kroll 2,800
1960 United States George Bayer 282 −6 Playoff United States Jack Fleck 2,000
1959 United States Cary Middlecoff (2) 275 −13 3 strokes United States Pete Cooper 2,000
1958 United States Arnold Palmer 276 −8 1 stroke United States Dow Finsterwald
United States Fred Hawkins
2,000
St. Petersburg Open
1957 United States Pete Cooper 269 −15 4 strokes United States Jack Burke Jr. 1,700
1956 United States Mike Fetchick 275 −13 Playoff United States Lionel Hebert 2,200
1955 United States Cary Middlecoff 274 −14 2 strokes United States Jay Hebert 2,200
1954: No tournament
1953 United States Dutch Harrison 266 −18 1 stroke United States Chick Harbert
United States Dick Mayer
2,000
1952 United States Jack Burke Jr. (2) 266 −22 8 strokes United States Al Besselink 2,000
1951 Australia Jim Ferrier 268 −16 6 strokes United States Al Brosch 2,000
1950 United States Jack Burke Jr. 272 −12 1 stroke United States Chick Harbert 2,000
1949 United States Pete Cooper 275 −9 1 stroke United States Cary Middlecoff 2,000
1948 United States Lawson Little 272 −16 3 strokes South Africa Bobby Locke 2,000
1947 United States Jimmy Demaret (2) 280 −4 3 strokes Australia Jim Ferrier 2,000
1946 United States Ben Hogan 269 −15 5 strokes United States Sam Snead 2,000
1943–1945: No tournament due to World War II
1942 United States Sam Snead (3) 286 −2 3 strokes United States Sam Byrd
United States Chick Harbert
United States Byron Nelson
1,000
1941 United States Sam Snead (2) 279 −5 2 strokes United States Herman Barron
United States Chick Harbert
United States Ben Hogan
United States Jug McSpaden
1,200
1940 United States Jimmy Demaret 211 −2 1 stroke United States Byron Nelson 700
1939 United States Sam Snead 207 −9 Playoff United States Henry Picard 700
1938 United States Johnny Revolta 282 −2 Playoff United States Chandler Harper 700
1937 England Harry Cooper 284 −4 Playoff United States Ralph Guldahl
United States Horton Smith
700
1936 United States Leonard Dodson 283 −3 Playoff United States Harry Cooper 500
1935: No tournament
1934 United States Paul Runyan 141 −3 3 strokes United States Bill Mehlhorn 200
1933 United States Bob Stupple 144 +1 1 stroke United States Denny Shute
United States Al Watrous
275
1932 Scotland Willie Macfarlane 209 −7 1 stroke United States Dave Hackney 500
1931: No tournament
1930 United States Jock Collins 141 +1 1 stroke United States Horton Smith
United States Frank Walsh
1,000

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "St. Petersburg Open left legacy". St. Petersburg Times. October 15, 2000. Retrieved 2007-11-05.
  2. ^ "St. Petersburg Country Club Our Golf Course". St. Petersburg Country Club. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
  3. ^ Goalby cards 8 consecutive birdies to win at St. Pete
  4. ^ Most Consecutive Birdies in a PGA Tour Tournament
  5. ^ "USGA History:1951–1970". Archived from the original on 2007-12-20. Retrieved 2007-11-05.