Buick Invitational

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Buick Invitational
Image:Buick invitational.jpg
Tournament information
Location La Jolla, California
Established 1952
Course(s) Torrey Pines Golf Course
Par 72
Yardage 7,208 South/6,874 North
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Format Stroke play
Purse $5,200,000
Month Played January
Tournament record score
Aggregate 266 George Burns (1987)
266 Tiger Woods (1999)
To-par -22 George Burns (1987)
-22 Tiger Woods (1999)
Current champion
Tiger Woods

The Buick Invitational, is a PGA Tour professional golf tournament played in the San Diego, California area in the early part of the Tour season, known as the "West Coast Swing." The tournament was originally known as the San Diego Open, and was noted for having singer-actor Andy Williams as a celebrity host during much of its existence. The Buick Invitational is the fourth event on the 2008 PGA Tour schedule.

Contents

[edit] Course history

From 1952-53, the tournament was played at San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, California before spending 1954 at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California. In 1955 the event moved to Mission Valley Country Club in San Diego, California, and after the 1956 event was played at Singing Hills Country Club in El Cajon, California, the event returned to Mission Valley CC until 1961. In 1962, Mission Valley CC changed its name to Stardust Country Club (and now is known as Riverwalk Golf Club) and the event stayed there from 1962-63; after spending 1964 at Rancho Bernardo Country Club (now Rancho Bernardo Inn) in San Diego, California, it returned to Stardust CC until 1967.

In 1968, the event began its relationship with Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California, where it has been played ever since. In the current tournament set-up, players will split the first 36 holes between the North and South Courses, then play the final 36 holes on the South Course. In 2008, Torrey Pines-South will be host to the U.S. Open.[1]

[edit] Winners

Buick Invitational[1]

Buick Invitational of California

Shearson Lehman Brothers Open

Shearson Lehman Hutton Open

Shearson Lehman Hutton Andy Williams Open

Shearson Lehman Brothers Andy Williams Open

Isuzu-Andy Williams San Diego Open

Wickes-Andy Williams San Diego Open

Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational

San Diego Open Invitational

Convair-San Diego Open

San Diego Open

[edit] Multiple winners

Seven players have won this tournament more than once through 2008.

  • 6 wins

[edit] Records and trivia

  • Tournament course record: Torrey Pines North Course - 61, Mark Brooks, 1990, and Brandt Snedeker, 2007; Torrey Pines South Course - 62, Tiger Woods, 1999
  • Tiger Woods is the only six-time winner of the tournament, and Phil Mickelson the only other golfer to win more than twice.
  • Hall of Famer Gene Littler is the only golfer to have won the tournament as an amateur, doing so in 1954. Littler, a San Diego native, never won as a professional - although he was runner-up three times (1969, 1974, 1978).
  • One of the most memorable years in the tournament's history was 1982, when Johnny Miller outdueled Jack Nicklaus to win by one stroke.
  • Tiger Woods (2005-08) won the tournament four straight years. J. C. Snead (1975-76) and Phil Mickelson (2000-01) won in back-to-back years.

[edit] References

See also External Links section below
  1. ^ a b PGA Tour 2007 Official Guide - January 2007 | pages 1-5, 3-10 thru 3-11, 11-5.

[edit] External links