Azalea Open Invitational

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]

Azalea Open Invitational
Tournament information
LocationWilmington, North Carolina
Established1945 (Mobile, Alabama)
Course(s)Cape Fear Country Club
Par71
Length6,575 yards (6,012 m)[1]
Tour(s)PGA Tour
(1945, 1949–1970)
FormatStroke play - 72 holes
Prize fund$35,000 (1971)
$60,000 (1970)
Month playedNovember (1971)
(primarily in early spring)
Final year1971
Final champion
George Johnson
Location Map
Wilmington
Location in United States
Wilmington
Location in North Carolina

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]

Total prize money was initially $10,000, increasing to $12,500 in 1955 and $15,000 in 1958. It reduced to $12,000 in 1961 before increasing to $20,000 from 1962 to 1964. Prize money was $28,750 in 1965, $22,800 in 1966, $35,000 from 1967 to 1969 and $60,000 in 1970. The final non-tour event in 1971 had prize money of $35,000.

Tournament hosts
  • 1949–1971 – Cape Fear Country Club, Wilmington, North Carolina
  • 1945 – Mobile Country Club, Mobile, Alabama

Winners
YearDatePlayerCountryScoreTo parMargin
of victory		Runner(s)-upWinner's
share ($)		Ref
Azalea Open Invitational
1971Nov 21George Johnson United States274−10Playoff Ralph Johnston7,000[1][2]
1970Oct 4Cesar Sanudo United States269−151 stroke Bobby Mitchell12,000[7]
1969Apr 20Dale Douglass United States275−93 strokes Jim Langley
Larry Mowry
Bob Stone
Terry Wilcox		5,000[8]
1968Apr 21Steve Reid United States271−13Playoff Gary Player5,000[9]
1967Apr 16Randy Glover United States278−10Playoff Joe Campbell5,000[10]
1966Apr 17Bert Yancey United States278−101 stroke Bob Johnson3,200[11]
1965Mar 28Dick Hart United States276−12Playoff Phil Rodgers3,850[12]
Azalea Open
1964Mar 30Al Besselink United States282−61 stroke Lionel Hebert2,700[13]
1963Mar 31Jerry Barber (3) United States274−145 strokes Larry Beck
Bruce Crampton
Doug Ford
Billy Maxwell
Jack Rule, Jr.		2,800[14]
1962Apr 1Dave Marr United States281−7Playoff Jerry Steelsmith2,800[15]
1961Apr 2Jerry Barber (2) United States213−3Playoff Chandler Harper1,200[16]
1960Apr 3Tom Nieporte United States277−112 strokes Gay Brewer2,000[17]
1959Mar 30Art Wall Jr. United States282−63 strokes Mike Souchak2,000[18]
1958Mar 31Howie Johnson United States282−6Playoff Arnold Palmer2,000[5][6]
1957Mar 31Arnold Palmer United States282−61 stroke Dow Finsterwald1,700[4]
1956Apr 1Mike Souchak United States273−151 stroke Dick Mayer2,200[19]
1955Apr 3Billy Maxwell United States270−181 stroke Mike Souchak2,200[20]
1954Mar 28Bob Toski United States273−153 strokes George Fazio2,000[21]
1953Apr 5Jerry Barber (1) United States276−121 stroke Doug Ford
Ted Kroll
Johnny Palmer		2,000[22]
1952Mar 30Jimmy Clark United States272−163 strokes George Fazio
Jim Turnesa		2,000[23][24]
Wilmington Azalea Open
1951Apr 1Lloyd Mangrum United States281−71 stroke Jim Ferrier
Ed Furgol
Jim Turnesa		2,000[25][26]
1950Apr 2Dutch Harrison United States280−82 strokes George Fazio2,000[27]
Wilmington Open
1949Apr 24Henry Ransom United States276−122 strokes Fred Haas
Bob Hamilton
Bobby Locke
Cary Middlecoff		2,000[28][29]
Azalea Open
1946Al Besselink United States(amateur; non-PGA Tour event)
1945Nov 19Sam Byrd United States283−5Playoff Dutch Harrison2,000[30][31]

References
  1. "George Johnson grabs Azalea golf tourney". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. (Florida). Associated Press. November 22, 1971. p. 31.
  2. Collins, Corky (November 22, 1971). "Johnson wins Azalea in playoff". Wilmington Morning Star. (North Carolina). p. 1D.
  3. Blondin, Alan (May 4, 2017). "Wilmington used to be home to star-studded PGA Tour event". PGA of America. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  4. "Palmer captures Azalea by stroke". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. April 1, 1957. p. 1C.
  5. "Johnson wins Azalea Open". St. Petersburg Times. (Florida). Associated Press. April 1, 1958. p. 1C.
  6. "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 2, 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. "Lloyd Mangrum wins in Azalea". The Spokesman-Review. (Washington). Associated Press. April 2, 1951. p. 8.
  27. "Dutch Harrison wins Azalea Open". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. April 3, 1950. p. 10.
  28. "Henry Ransom Wins $10,000 Tourney". The Spokesman-Review. (Washington). Associated Press. April 25, 1949. p. 8.
  29. "Wilmington Open taken by Ransom". Chicago Daily Tribune. Associated Press. April 25, 1949. p. 1, sec.4.
  30. "Byrd, Harrison Finish in a Tie". The Spokesman-Review. (Washington). Associated Press. November 19, 1945. p. 9.
  31. "Sam Byrd Cops Azalea Crown". The Spokesman-Review. (Washington). Associated Press. November 20, 1945. p. 8.

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