Azalea Open Invitational

Azalea Open Invitational
Tournament information
Location Wilmington, North Carolina
Established 1945 (Mobile, Alabama)
Course(s) Cape Fear Country Club
Par 71
Length 6,575 yards (6,012 m)[1]
Tour(s) PGA Tour
(1945, 1949–1970)
Format Stroke play - 72 holes
Prize fund $35,000 (1971)
$60,000 (1970)
Month played November (1971)
(primarily in early spring)
Final year 1971
Final champion
United States George Johnson
Wilmington 
Location in the United States
Wilmington    
Location in North Carolina

The Azalea Open Invitational was a golf tournament in North Carolina on the PGA Tour, held at Cape Fear Country Club in Wilmington. Last played in November 1971 as an unofficial event;[1][2] it was an official PGA Tour event in 1945 and from 1949 through 1970. The Heritage in South Carolina debuted in 1969 and soon displaced it on the schedule.[3]

It was also played under the names of the Azalea Open and the Wilmington Azalea Open; all were centerpieces of the city's Azalea Festival. Cape Fear was designed by noted course architect Donald Ross.[3]

From 1950 through 1965, the Azalea Open was a tune-up event for the first major of the year, The Masters in Augusta, Georgia. Jerry Barber, the winner of the PGA Championship in 1961, won the Wilmington event three times (1953, 1961, 1963). Arnold Palmer won in 1957 and nearly repeated,[4] falling by a stroke in an 18-hole playoff in 1958; the difference was a penalty stroke he called on himself.[5][6]

Tournament hosts

  • 1946–1971 – Cape Fear Country Club, Wilmington, North Carolina
  • 1945 – Mobile Country Club, Mobile, Alabama

Winners

YearDatePlayerWinner's
share ($)		Purse ($)Notes
Azalea Open Invitational
1971Nov 21George Johnson7,00035,000[1][2]
1970Oct 4Cesar Sanudo12,000  60,000[7]
1969Apr 20Dale Douglass5,00035,000[8]
1968Apr 21Steve Reid5,00035,000[9]
1967Apr 16Randy Glover5,00035,000[10]
1966Apr 17Bert Yancey3,20022,800[11]
1965Mar 28Dick Hart3,85028,750[12]
Azalea Open
1964Mar 30Al Besselink2,70020,000[13]
1963Mar 31Jerry Barber (3)2,80020,000[14]
1962Apr 1Dave Marr2,80020,000[15]
1961Apr 2Jerry Barber (2)1,20012,000[16]
1960Apr 3Tom Nieporte2,00015,000[17]
1959Mar 31Art Wall2,00015,000[18]
1958Mar 31Howie Johnson2,00015,000[5][6]
1957Mar 31Arnold Palmer1,70012,500[4]
1956Apr 1Mike Souchak2,20012,500[19]
1955Apr 3Billy Maxwell2,20012,500[20]
1954Mar 28Bob Toski2,00010,000[21]
1953Apr 5Jerry Barber (1)2,00010,000[22]
1952Mar 30Jimmy Clark2,00010,000[23][24]
Wilmington Azalea Open
1951Apr 1Lloyd Mangrum2,00010,000[25]
1950Apr 2Dutch Harrison2,00010,000[26]
Wilmington Open
1949Apr 24Henry Ransom2,00010,000[27]
Azalea Open
1946Al Besselink(amateur; non-PGA Tour event)
1945Nov 19Sam Byrd2,00010,000[28]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "George Johnson grabs Azalea golf tourney". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. (Florida). Associated Press. November 22, 1971. p. 31.
  2. 1 2 Collins, Corky (November 22, 1971). "Johnson wins Azalea in playoff". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). p. 1D.
  3. 1 2 Blondin, Alan (May 4, 2017). "Wilmington used to be home to star-studded PGA Tour event". PGA of America. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Palmer captures Azalea by stroke". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. April 1, 1957. p. 1C.
  5. 1 2 "Johnson wins Azalea Open". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. April 1, 1958. p. 1C.
  6. 1 2 "Howie Johnson takes Azalea; penalty helps". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. April 1, 1958. p. 3, sec. 3.
  7. ↑ "Sanudo by one". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. (Florida). Associated Press. October 5, 1970.
  8. ↑ "Douglass gets 1st win". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. April 21, 1969. p. 11.
  9. ↑ "Reid wins Azalea Open in sudden-death final". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. April 22, 1968. p. 6C.
  10. ↑ "Glover tops Campbell to take Azalea play". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. (Florida). Associated Press. April 17, 1967. p. 12.
  11. ↑ "Azalea win goes to Yancey". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. (Florida). Associated Press. April 18, 1966. p. 12.
  12. ↑ "Hart captures Azalea playoff from Rodgers". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. (Florida). Associated Press. March 29, 1965. p. 12.
  13. ↑ "Triple bogey doesn't keep Al Besselink from victory". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. March 31, 1964. p. 8.
  14. ↑ "Golf event win taken by Barber". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. April 1, 1963. p. 20.
  15. ↑ "Playoff won by Dave Marr". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. April 2, 1962. p. 17.
  16. ↑ "It's sudden-death...and Barber is killer". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. April 3, 1961. p. 1C.
  17. ↑ "Tom Nieporte golf victor". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. April 4, 1960. p. 26.
  18. ↑ "Azalea Open won by Wall; Souchak 2d". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. March 31, 1959. p. 2B.
  19. ↑ "Souchak takes Azalea Open". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. April 1, 1956. p. 16.
  20. ↑ "Billy Maxwell rallies to win Azalea golf". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. April 4, 1955. p. 19.
  21. ↑ "Toski's 273 takes first place Azalea Open money". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. March 30, 1954. p. 14.
  22. ↑ "Barber wins Azalea Open". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). United Press. April 6, 1953. p. 2B.
  23. ↑ Williams, John (March 31, 1952). "Clark wins Azalea Open, breaks record with 272". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). p. 1.
  24. ↑ "Clark cards 272 to take Azalea Open". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. March 31, 1952. p. 20.
  25. ↑ "Mangrum wins Azalea tournament". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. April 2, 1951. p. 9.
  26. ↑ "Dutch Harrison wins Azalea Open". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. April 3, 1950. p. 10.
  27. ↑ "Wilmington Open taken by Ransom". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. April 25, 1949. p. 1, sec.4.
  28. ↑ "Sam Byrd wins Azalea playoff". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. November 20, 1945. p. 1, sec. 2.

Coordinates: 34°13′12″N 77°55′05″W / 34.22°N 77.918°W / 34.22; -77.918

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