Ivory Coast Open

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
England 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.

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.[2] 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.[3]

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.[4]

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.[5]

Winners

This list of winners is incomplete.[6]
YearVenueWinnerScore
Open de Côte d'Ivoire
1999Ivoire Golf ClubEngland Ian Poulter284 (-4)
1998Ivoire Golf ClubEngland John Mellor281 (-7)
1997President Golf ClubDenmark Knud Storgaard274PO
1996Ivoire Golf ClubItaly Massimo Florioli284
1995
1994
1993
Ivory Coast Open
1992President Golf ClubFrance Michel Besanceney279PO
1991President Golf ClubWales David Llewellyn
1990
1989President Golf ClubFiji Vijay Singh
1988President Golf ClubEngland Gordon J. Brand
1987President Golf ClubFrance Jean Garaïalde
1986President Golf ClubEngland Gordon J. Brand
1985President Golf ClubWales David Llewellyn
1984President Golf ClubScotland Bill McColl275
1983President Golf ClubScotland Bill Longmuir
1982President Golf ClubEngland John Morgan
1981President Golf ClubEngland Gordon J. Brand271PO
1980President Golf ClubSouth Africa Gary Player265PO

PO Storgaard won the playoff against Anssi Kankkonen in 1997.

References

  1. 1 2 Challenge in the Ivory Coast, European Tour, 13 April 1999
  2. ↑ "Player playing ambassador's role in Ivory Coast event". The Times. 6 March 1980. p. 15.
  3. ↑ "Player ends duel with Townsend by snatching win in play-off". The Times. 10 March 1980. p. 9.
  4. ↑ "Brand wins Ivory Coast open playoff". The Times. 2 March 1981. p. 8.
  5. ↑ Golf: The Ivory Coast Open rises from the ashes, 23 September 2014
  6. ↑ Challenge Tour All-Time Winners, accessed 9 February 2016
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