| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Brown Deer, Wisconsin |
| Established | 1940 |
| Course(s) | Brown Deer Park Golf Course |
| Par | 70 |
| Length | 6,759 yards |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | $4,000,000 |
| Month played | July |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 260 Loren Roberts (2000) 260 Ben Crane (2005) 260 Corey Pavin (2006) |
| To par | -20 Ben Crane (2005) -20 Corey Pavin (2006) |
| Current champion | |
| Bo Van Pelt | |
The U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee was a regular golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It was played annually in July in the Milwaukee suburb of Brown Deer, Wisconsin. The tournament was held at the Brown Deer Park Golf Course. U.S. Bancorp was the main sponsor of the tournament. The 2009 purse was $4,000,000, with $720,000 going to the winner. The tournament was run by Milwaukee Golf Charities, Inc., with proceeds from the tournament going to a variety of Wisconsin charities.
Professional golf in Milwaukee started sporadically with events in 1940 and 1951 and a seven year run from 1955-1961. In 1968, the tournament made a strong reappearance on the Tour as the Greater Milwaukee Open (or GMO), competing against the British Open by offering a $200,000 purse (second highest on the Tour) with a $40,000 first prize. Lee Trevino, the 1968 U.S. Open winner, decided to play in the GMO instead of the British Open, in order to help the reborn tournament.
In 2004, U.S. Bank signed on as title sponsor. In July 2006, U.S. Bank and Milwaukee Golf Charities Inc. announced that U.S. Bank will remain the sponsor for at least three more years.[1]
The tournament has been played at various golf courses in the Milwaukee area:
The tournament was nationally televised beginning in 1989. Tiger Woods made his professional debut at the Milwaukee tournament on August 29, 1996, four days after winning his third consecutive U.S. Amateur title. He made the cut at the GMO and finished tied for 60th place, earning a modest $2,544.[1]
The event ended after the 2009 tournament. U.S. Bank announced that it would not renew its sponsorship after the 2009 event. Secondary sponsor Aurora Health Care also announced that it would substantially cut back on its financial involvement. Before U.S. Bank's sponsorship, the tournament survived thanks to the help of late philanthropist Jane Pettit. Its slot on the PGA Tour schedule against the British Open, along with low attendance and TV ratings, were reasons cited by U.S. Bank for pulling out of the event.[2] The Greater Milwaukee Charities organization has closed it offices and has shut down.
Contents |
U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee
U.S. Bank in Milwaukee
Greater Milwaukee Open
Milwaukee Open Invitational
Miller Open Invitational
Miller High Life Open
Blue Ribbon Open
Milwaukee Open