Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial

Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
Tournament information
Location Fort Worth, Texas
Established 1946
Course(s) Colonial Country Club
Par 70
Length 7,204 yards
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Format Stroke play
Prize fund $6,200,000
Month played May
Tournament record score
Aggregate 259 Zach Johnson (2010)
To par -21 Zach Johnson (2010)
Current champion
David Toms

The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial is a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It has been played annually in May in Fort Worth, Texas on the course at the Colonial Country Club. It is one of five invitational tournaments held on the PGA Tour. It is also the longest running event on the Tour still being held at the original site.

Contents

Overview

Colonial Country Club announced on July 25, 2006, that Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts has signed a six-year contract to be the title sponsor through 2012. The hotel chain replaces Bank of America, which decided not to renew its deal after four years, including the tournament's 50th anniversary in May.

The 2009 purse is $6,200,000, with $1,116,000 going to the winner.

The tournament was founded in 1946 as the Colonial National Invitation. The tournament honors the history of golf by using an official Scottish tartan plaid jacket, for its champions and top committee chairmen. Another tradition feeding Colonial history is the beautiful Wall of Champions on the first tee. Engraved with the name and score of each champion dating back to the 1941 U.S. Open, the marble display casts a reverence over the start of any player's round. In 2003, Annika Sörenstam played in the tournament and became the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event since Babe Zaharias. However, Sörenstam missed the cut after rounds of 71 and 74.

As a restricted field event on the PGA Tour, only the first 80 players on the previous year's money-list are guaranteed invites.[1]

The tournament is unofficially associated with Ben Hogan, the long-time Fort Worth resident who won the tournament five times, the most of any player. Hogan considered Colonial to be his home course.

Invitational status

The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial is one of only five tournaments given "invitational" status by the PGA Tour, and consequently it has a reduced field of approximately 125 players (as opposed to most full-field open tournaments with a field of 156 players). The other four tournaments with invitational status are the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Heritage, the Memorial Tournament, and the AT&T National. Invitational tournaments have smaller fields (between 120 and 132 players), and have more freedom than full-field open tournaments in determining which players are eligible to participate in their event, as invitational tournaments are not required to fill their fields using the PGA Tour Priority Ranking System. Furthermore, unlike full-field open tournaments, invitational tournaments do not offer open qualifying (aka Monday qualifying).

Champion's Choice tradition

Colonial has a unique PGA Tour tradition known as the Champion's Choice invitation. Each year, former Colonial champions select two deserving young players, who otherwise would be ineligible, to compete in the tournament.

Pros who made their first appearance at Colonial as a Champion's Choice include Al Geiberger, Tom Weiskopf, Craig Stadler, Curtis Strange, Mark O'Meara, Paul Azinger and Davis Love III. Five Champion's Choices have eventually won the Colonial; Dave Stockton is the only Champion's Choice to win the tournament in the year selected (1967).

Winners

Year Player Country Score To par 1st Prize ($) Purse ($) Ref
Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
2011 David Toms  United States 265 -15 1,116,000 6,200,000
2010 Zach Johnson  United States 259 -21 1,116,000 6,200,000
2009 Steve Stricker  United States 263PO -17 1,116,000 6,200,000
2008 Phil Mickelson  United States 266 -14 1,098,000 6,100,000
2007 Rory Sabbatini  South Africa 266PO -14 1,080,000 6,000,000
Bank of America Colonial
2006 Tim Herron  United States 268PO -12 1,080,000 6,000,000
2005 Kenny Perry  United States 261 -19 1,008,000 5,600,000
2004 Steve Flesch  United States 269 -11 954,000 5,300,000
2003 Kenny Perry  United States 261 -19 900,000 5,000,000
MasterCard Colonial
2002 Nick Price  Zimbabwe 267 -13 774,000 4,300,000
2001 Sergio García  Spain 267 -13 720,000 4,000,000
2000 Phil Mickelson  United States 268 -12 594,000 3,300,000
1999 Olin Browne  United States 272 -8 504,000 2,800,000
1998 Tom Watson  United States 265 -15 414,000 2,300,000
1997 David Frost  South Africa 265 -15 288,000 1,600,000
1996 Corey Pavin  United States 272 -8 270,000 1,500,000
Colonial National Invitation
1995 Tom Lehman  United States 271 -9 252,000 1,400,000
Southwestern Bell Colonial
1994 Nick Price  Zimbabwe 266PO -14 252,000 1,400,000
1993 Fulton Allem  South Africa 264 -16 234,000 1,300,000
1992 Bruce Lietzke  United States 267PO -13 234,000 1,300,000
1991 Tom Purtzer  United States 267 -13 216,000 1,200,000
1990 Ben Crenshaw  United States 272 -8 180,000 1,000,000
1989 Ian Baker-Finch  Australia 270 -10 180,000 1,000,000
Colonial National Invitation
1988 Lanny Wadkins  United States 270 -10 135,000 750,000
1987 Keith Clearwater  United States 266 -14 108,000 600,000
1986 Dan Pohl  United States 205^PO -5 108,000 600,000
1985 Corey Pavin  United States 266 -14 90,000 500,000
1984 Peter Jacobsen  United States 270PO -10 90,000 500,000
1983 Jim Colbert  United States 278PO -2 72,000 400,000
1982 Jack Nicklaus  United States 273 -7 63,000 350,000
1981 Fuzzy Zoeller  United States 274 -6 54,000 300,000
1980 Bruce Lietzke  United States 271 -9 54,000 300,000
1979 Al Geiberger  United States 274 -6 54,000 300,000
1978 Lee Trevino  United States 268 -12 40,000 200,000
1977 Ben Crenshaw  United States 272 -8 40,000 200,000
1976 Lee Trevino  United States 273 -7 40,000 200,000
1975 No tournament - hosted the Tournament Players Championship
1974 Rod Curl  United States 276 -4 50,000 250,000
1973 Tom Weiskopf  United States 276 -4 30,000 150,000
1972 Jerry Heard  United States 275 -5 25,000 125,500
1971 Gene Littler  United States 283 3 25,000 125,000
1970 Homero Blancas  United States 273 -7 25,000 125,000
1969 Gardner Dickinson  United States 278 -2 25,000 125,000
1968 Billy Casper  United States 275 -5 25,000 125,000
1967 Dave Stockton  United States 278 -2 23,000 115,000
1966 Bruce Devlin  Australia 280 E 22,000 110,000
1965 Bruce Crampton  Australia 276 -4 20,000 100,000
1964 Billy Casper  United States 279 -1 14,000 75,000
1963 Julius Boros  United States 279 -1 12,000 60,000
1962 Arnold Palmer  United States 281PO +1 7,000 40,000
1961 Doug Sanders  United States 281 +1 7,000 40,000
1960 Julius Boros  United States 280 E 5,000 30,000
1959 Ben Hogan  United States 285PO +5 5,000 27,300
1958 Tommy Bolt  United States 282 +2 5,000 25,000
1957 Roberto De Vicenzo  Argentina 284 +4 5,000 25,000 [2]
1956 Mike Souchak  United States 280 E 5,000 25,000 [3]
1955 Chandler Harper  United States 276 -4 5,000 25,000 [4]
1954 Johnny Palmer  United States 280 E 5,000 25,000 [5]
1953 Ben Hogan  United States 282 +2 5,000 25,000 [6]
1952 Ben Hogan  United States 279 -1 4,000 20,000 [7]
1951 Cary Middlecoff  United States 282 +2 3,000 15,000 [8]
1950 Sam Snead  United States 277 -3 3,000 15,000 [9]
1949 No tournament - cancelled due to course flooding [10]
1948 Clayton Heafner  United States 272 -8 3,000 15,000 [11]
1947 Ben Hogan  United States 279 -1 3,000 15,000 [12]
1946 Ben Hogan  United States 279 -1 3,000 15,000 [13]

PO Indicates a win in a playoff
^ Indicates weather-shortened to 54 holes
Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Main sources[14][15][16][17]

Multiple winners

Ten men have won this tournament more than once through 2010.

References

  1. ^ What's at stake for 2008, pgatour.com, November 1, 2007
  2. ^ "Vicenzo Wins Colonial Golf". St. Petersburg Times. Associated Press (St. Petersburg, Florida): p. 14A. May 6, 1957. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zt4NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AXYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4651,2987272&dq=colonial+golf&hl=en. Retrieved May 22, 2010. 
  3. ^ "Souchak Wins Colonial Open". The Day. Associated Press (New London, Connecticut): p. 16. May 7, 1956. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yKctAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JHMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3048,1309174&dq=colonial+golf&hl=en. Retrieved May 22, 2010. 
  4. ^ "Chandler Harper Wins Colonial Golf By Eight Strokes". The Palm Beach Post. Associated Press (West Palm Beach, Florida): p. 11. May 9, 1955. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=n_wsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Ac0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=1054,1975655&dq=colonial+golf&hl=en. Retrieved May 22, 2010. 
  5. ^ "Palmer Captures Colonial Golf". Reading Eagle. United Press (Reading, Pennsylvania): p. 10. May 31, 1954. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=UAkrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=u5kFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2937,5779405&dq=colonial+golf&hl=en. Retrieved May 22, 2010. 
  6. ^ "Ben Hogan Wins $5000 First in Colonial Golf". Nashua Telegraph. Associated Press (Nashua, New Hampshire): p. 10. May 25, 1953. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=bLArAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Tv4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=6667,2320887&dq=colonial+golf&hl=en. Retrieved May 22, 2010. 
  7. ^ "Hogan's Hot Finish Wins Colonial Golf". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania): p. 21. May 26, 1952. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RgwNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ymoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3878,1137325&dq=colonial+golf&hl=en. Retrieved May 22, 2010. 
  8. ^ "Middlecoff Wins Colonial Golf Title". The Pittsburgh Press. United Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania): p. 22. May 28, 1951. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8V8bAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cU0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6319,5613495&dq=colonial+golf&hl=en. Retrieved May 22, 2010. 
  9. ^ "Snead Wins Colonial Golf". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania): p. 15. May 29, 1950. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sQsNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N2oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5020,5095551&dq=colonial+golf&hl=en. Retrieved May 22, 2010. 
  10. ^ "Flood Washes Out Colonial Golf Date". The Lewiston Daily Sun. Associated Press (Lewiston, Maine): p. 21. May 27, 1949. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=J5ggAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QmgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4022,5723957&dq=colonial+golf&hl=en. Retrieved May 22, 2010. 
  11. ^ "Heafner Cops Colonial Golf". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania): p. 27. May 31, 1948. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DxINAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hGoDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6475,6654287&dq=colonial+golf&hl=en. Retrieved May 22, 2010. 
  12. ^ "Hogan Wins in Colonial National". The Deseret News. Associated Press (Salt Lake City, Utah): p. 11. May 17, 1947. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ads0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=kXcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5042,2498089&dq=colonial+golf&hl=en. Retrieved May 22, 2010. 
  13. ^ "Little Ben Hogan Takes Colonial Golf Match". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Associated Press (Sarasota, Florida): p. 10. May 20, 1946. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=uL8qAAAAIBAJ&sjid=m2QEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1893,4124167&dq=colonial+golf&hl=en. Retrieved May 22, 2010. 
  14. ^ 2010 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Media Guide - p. 114
  15. ^ Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial – Winners – at www.pgatour.com
  16. ^ Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial – Winners – at golfobserver.com (1970–2009)
  17. ^ Sal Johnson and Dave Seanor, ed (2009). The USA Today Golfers Encyclopedia. New York, New York: Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN 978-60239-302-8. 

External links