Ivory Coast Open
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Abidjan, Ivory Coast |
| Established | 1980 |
| Course(s) |
Ivoire Golf Club President Golf Club |
| Par | 72 |
| Tour(s) | Challenge Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | €70,000[1] |
| Final year | 1999 |
| Final champion | |
 Ian Poulter | |
The Ivory Coast Open or Open de Côte d'Ivoire was a golf tournament in the Ivory Coast. It was an event on the European-based Challenge Tour schedule 1991–1992 and 1996–1999. It was founded in 1980, and has been held at President Golf Club, Yamoussoukro and Ivoire Golf Club, Abidjan.[2]
The first event in 1980 was to inaugurate the President Golf Club, Yamoussoukro. It was an invitation event with 27 professionals competing. Yamoussoukro was the birthplace of the President, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, who attended the event.[3] Gary Player and Peter Townsend tied at 265, 23 under par and nine strokes ahead of the rest of the field. Townsend was bunkered on the first playoff hole and took a bogey 5 to Player's par 4.[4]
In 1981 the event was called the Ivory Coast Open and was won by Gordon J. Brand, who beat Martin Poxon at the first hole of a sudden-death playoff, after the two had tied on 271.[5]
The title has been won by some of the world's top golfers, including Vijay Singh, Ian Poulter, and Gary Player. The most successful player is England's Gordon J. Brand, who recorded three victories between 1981 and 1988.[1]
The Ivorian Golf Federation in 2014 announced it was looking into resurrecting the tournament after a 15-year hiatus.[6]
Winners
- This list of winners is incomplete.[7]
| Year | Venue | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open de Côte d'Ivoire | |||
| 1999 | Ivoire Golf Club | Ian Poulter | 284 (-4) |
| 1998 | Ivoire Golf Club | John Mellor | 281 (-7) |
| 1997 | President Golf Club |  Knud Storgaard | 274PO |
| 1996 | Ivoire Golf Club |  Massimo Florioli | 284 |
| 1995 | |||
| 1994 | |||
| 1993 | |||
| Ivory Coast Open | |||
| 1992 | President Golf Club |  Michel Besanceney | 279PO |
| 1991 | President Golf Club |  David Llewellyn | |
| 1990 | |||
| 1989 | President Golf Club |  Vijay Singh | |
| 1988 | President Golf Club | Gordon J. Brand | |
| 1987 | President Golf Club | Jean Garaïalde | |
| 1986 | President Golf Club | Gordon J. Brand | |
| 1985 | President Golf Club | David Llewellyn | |
| 1984 | President Golf Club |  Bill McColl | 275 |
| 1983 | President Golf Club | Bill Longmuir | |
| 1982 | President Golf Club | John Morgan | |
| 1981 | President Golf Club | Gordon J. Brand | 271PO |
| 1980 | President Golf Club | .svg.png){kind=small} Gary Player | 265PO |
PO Storgaard won the playoff against Anssi Kankkonen in 1997.
References
- 1 2 Challenge in the Ivory Coast, European Tour, 13 April 1999
- ↑ Top 100 Golf Courses: Cote d'Ivoire, accessed 9 February 2016
- ↑ "Player playing ambassador's role in Ivory Coast event". The Times. 6 March 1980. p. 15.
- ↑ "Player ends duel with Townsend by snatching win in play-off". The Times. 10 March 1980. p. 9.
- ↑ "Brand wins Ivory Coast open playoff". The Times. 2 March 1981. p. 8.
- ↑ Golf: The Ivory Coast Open rises from the ashes, 23 September 2014
- ↑ Challenge Tour All-Time Winners, accessed 9 February 2016