New England Classic

The New England Classic was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour from 1969 through 1998. It was held under various names at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton, Massachusetts.

Pleasant Valley was the site of other PGA Tour and LPGA Tour events. Three LPGA Tour events, the Lady Carling Eastern Open from 1962 to 1966, the LPGA Championship from 1967 to 1968 and again from 1970 to 1972, and the Patty Berg Classic in 1969 were held at Pleasant Valley. The PGA Tour first stopped at Pleasant Valley in 1965 when "Champagne" Tony Lema won the Carling World Open, which was part of a circuit sponsored by the Carling Brewery. The inaugural Kemper Open was held at Pleasant Valley in 1968, with Arnold Palmer winning and marking the only time the men's and women's tours staged tournaments staged events on the same course in the same year until the 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women's Open were held at Pinehurst Number 2 in back-to-back weeks.[1] (The Kemper event moved to North Carolina the next year.)

Winners

YearWinnerCountryScoreTo parMargin
of victory		Runner(s)-up
CVS Charity Classic
1998Steve Pate United States269−151 strokeUnited States Scott Hoch
Australia Bradley Hughes
1997Loren Roberts United States266−181 strokeUnited States Bill Glasson
1996John Cook United States268−163 strokesUnited States Russ Cochran
Ideon Classic at Pleasant Valley
1995Fred Funk United States268−161 strokeUnited States Jim McGovern
New England Classic
1994Kenny Perry United States268−161 strokeNorthern Ireland David Feherty
1993Paul Azinger United States268−164 strokesUnited States Jay Delsing
United States Bruce Fleisher
1992Brad Faxon United States268−162 strokesUnited States Phil Mickelson
1991Bruce Fleisher United States268−16PlayoffAustralia Ian Baker-Finch
Bank of Boston Classic
1990Morris Hatalsky United States275−91 strokeUnited States Scott Verplank
1989Blaine McCallister United States271−131 strokeUnited States Brad Faxon
1988Mark Calcavecchia United States274−101 strokeUnited States Don Pooley
1987Sam Randolph United States199−144 strokesAustralia Wayne Grady
United States Gene Sauers
Canada Ray Stewart
1986Gene Sauers United States274−10PlayoffUnited States Blaine McCallister
1985George Burns United States267−176 strokesUnited States John Mahaffey
United States Jodie Mudd
Australia Greg Norman
United States Leonard Thompson
1984George Archer United States270−146 strokesUnited States Frank Conner
United States Joey Sindelar
1983Mark Lye United States273−111 strokeUnited States John Mahaffey
United States Sammy Rachels
United States Jim Thorpe
1982Bob Gilder United States271−132 strokesUnited States Fuzzy Zoeller
Pleasant Valley Jimmy Fund Classic
1981Jack Renner United States273−112 strokesUnited States Scott Simpson
1980Wayne Levi United States273−11PlayoffUnited States Gil Morgan
American Optical Classic
1979Lou Graham United States275−91 strokeUnited States Ben Crenshaw
1978John Mahaffey United States270−142 strokesUnited States Raymond Floyd
United States Gil Morgan
Pleasant Valley Classic
1977Raymond Floyd United States271−131 strokeUnited States Jack Nicklaus
1976Buddy Allin United States277−71 strokeUnited States Ben Crenshaw
1975Roger Maltbie United States276−81 strokeUnited States Mac McLendon
1974Victor Regalado Mexico278−61 strokeUnited States Tom Weiskopf
USI Classic
1973Lanny Wadkins United States279−92 strokesUnited States Lee Elder
United States Tom Jenkins
United States Rik Massengale
1972Bruce Devlin Australia275−133 strokesUnited States Lee Elder
Massachusetts Classic
1971Dave Stockton United States275−131 strokeUnited States Raymond Floyd
AVCO Golf Classic
1970Billy Casper United States277−113 strokesUnited States Rod Funseth
United States Tom Weiskopf
1969Tom Shaw United States280−41 strokeAustralia Bob Stanton

Tournament highlights

  • 1975: Roger Maltbie wins for the second consecutive week on the PGA Tour. He beats Mac McLendon by one shot.[2] Afterwards, Maltbie left his $40,000 winner's check behind in a bar.[3]
  • 1977: Due to the PGA Tour labeling it a 'designated event',[4] Jack Nicklaus plays in the tournament for the first and only time. He finishes in second place two shots behind winner Raymond Floyd.[5]
  • 1978: One week after winning the PGA Championship, John Mahaffey also takes home the American Optical Classic title. He beats defending champion Raymond Floyd and the PGA Tour's only optometrist, Gil Morgan, by two shots.[6]
  • 1986: Gene Sauers defeats Blaine McCallister on the third hole of a sudden death playoff for his first ever PGA Tour title after having to hole a par chip on the first playoff hole to avoid elimination.[7]
  • 1989: Three years after suffering a tough luck playoff loss at Pleasant Valley, Blaine McCallister birdies the final two holes to win the 21st edition of the tournament by one shot over Brad Faxon.[8]
  • 1998: Steve Pate wins the last edition of the tournament. He beat Scott Hoch and Bradley Hughes by one shot.[9] For Pate it was his first victory since a 1996 car accident.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Berlet, Bruce (July 22, 1998). "An Unhappy Finale For Pleasant Valley". Hartford Courant. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  2. ↑ Roger Maltbie comes from behind to win Pleasant Valley Golf Classic
  3. ↑ Maltbie serious about golf, but draws laughs
  4. ↑ Pleasant Valley is 'designated'
  5. ↑ Ray Floyd wins Pleasant Valley
  6. ↑ Mahaffey takes Pleasant Valley
  7. ↑ Sauers' Sweet Putt
  8. ↑ McCallister birdies his way from pack to Boston title
  9. ↑ Car crash, bad hole can't stop Steve Pate
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